Carole, when I registered at LA Weight Loss, I had to answer tons of questions about why I wanted to lose the weight and really think through my responses. One thing that had come reeling back to me as I made up my mind to do this diet was things that have happened over the years in my relationship with my mother. My weight has ALWAYS been an issue with her. She forced me into Weight Watchers when I was about 16 years old because she thought I needed to lose 15 pounds. It was embarassing for me and hurtful. And I swore that I would never want any child of mine to ever feel like they couldn't measure up to my standards. I know my mom meant well and still does, but to this day, it still hurts. Right as I was starting this diet, she made a comment to me on the telephone about a picture that she and my dad had come across (it was a picture from right after my divorce when I had lost an enormous amount of weight from stress and not eating) and "how beautiful I was ". That hit me like a ton of bricks! I had not planned to even tell her that Helen and I had decided to lose weight, but I ended up telling her after that comment. She had been nothing but supportive since then and I saw her for the first time since we started a week or so ago and she definitely noticed. Didn't mean to get off on a tangent, here, but I wanted you to know that I understand how the words, especially from our mothers, can hurt, even when they don't mean to do it. I do watch my words carefully with my own daughter, as a result. I want her to know that she always measures up regardless of her weight, her grades, her athletic ability, etc.

The interesting thing is that I've never been "obese", not the way you think of "fat", anyway. But I have always been heavy, just well proportioned like you said you are, so it wasn't as noticable to outsiders. If I make my goal weight, I will still weigh 145 pounds, so I will never be a lightweight, for sure. Thank goodness I am tall, 5'9", so I can carry more weight, I guess. I just want to feel good about myself and of course, I want my husband to feel good about me, too! Of course, he has never said a word about my weight and he wouldn't, but he is saying things now that I'm losing and he can "feel" it when he hugs me. I feel the exact same way about him!

We can do this!!!! We are doing this, and I know you look terrific!!!! We'll look good when we're 50!!! In fact, if I can accomplish this by January 1, which is my time frame, I'll be feeling chipper at 43!

Logan