I'm 49. I've been struggling with my weight since I was 7. 

I could tell you the whole journey, including the malpractice and other problems, but the bottom line is: life is moving forward, and I'm stuck in the past.

This isn't my first time trying dietbet, but if I win, that'll be a first. 

I've been preparing for this for, um, 42 years. Yes, I had my first appointment with a dietitian at age 7. I'm a former technical editor, so I read the original scientific studies every time something big about weight loss comes out. I KNOW what to do.

Now I just have to get my game face on. I guess my next blog entry will introduce my game face.

Good luck to everyone. 

My goal is to give myself the best gift I can imagine for my 50th birthday: a new body to move into the next half-century with.