When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes and was told I would be a good candidate for diabetes later in life if I didn't take care, especially if I was overweight.  A few years ago I was about to turn 50 weighing in at 175 I was my heaviest ever, again (including when I was fully pregnant).  Bouncing up and down with weight is easy to do, but it was harder and harder to do the losing part as I aged. 

I found an on-line weight loss challenge group within a reading group I was in and joined.  It took me a year, but I lost 50 pounds.  It was my saving grace and I felt GREAT!  It was the best weight I'd been since my early 20s and I loved all the new clothes I needed.  The on-line group disbanded and I started having frozen shoulder issues.  Being in pain without my usual support group didn't make exercise or eating right a priority any more.  Unsurprisingly, I gained back half of the lost weight (hmm, I've heard - and lived - that story before!)

I am ready to get healthier again; my shoulder is thawing.  My weight loss is only a side-effect of my time to get serious about being healthy goal but it is a telling one.  I am eager to use DietBet and the connections here to help motivate me and it HAS helped so far.  Already I have used the motivation to keep me on track when I didn't really want to get on the elliptical machine.  I have kept at boot camp even though it kicked my butt after the first 11 minutes.  So far I'm feeling more energetic and sleeping better even though it has only been a week of following a game.  Now I know that the early weeks are the 'easy' ones, but that is where having a support group comes in!

ETA: After time here with Kickstarters then Transformers and finally two years of Maintainers, I left because the Maintainers were decreed not worth it.  That has since changed, but I noticed that they are no longer annual games, which is a good thing in my opinion.  A few years of ‘doing it on my own’ brought me back up in weight (not really a big surprise) because I needed a community of support.  My health is ok, but the motivation to exercise died and then I slowly eroded my healthy eating habits.  Here I am again.  Ready and willing to step into healthy living!

So thanks for 'listening' and thanks for being here to hold me accountable!  I am eager to learn about your journey - so leave me a comment and I'll follow the links to you!