Starting the day with a smidgeon of granola, a banana, milk, and a whole lot of excitement at the very real possibility that DietBet will be THE incentive that finally works to help me shed these unwanted "baby pounds."

I have a beautiful daughter who is now 13 months of age, and despite breastfeeding her for six of those months and having hyperthyroidism due to Grave's Disease - which normally causes extreme weight loss - here I sit at 15 or so pounds over my post-pregnancy weight, and nearly 50 pounds over my ideal target weight of 145.

But, I'm ready, and jazzed to see so many who are embarking on the same adventure.

I was very tempted to just go for the big one and lose more weight. But I decided the 28-day program was the smartest long-term decision. That way I can prove to myself that I can manage to hit the 4% goal. Then... I should be 10 times more ready to jump onto the 10% challenge.

The thyroid issue sucks the energy out of me at times, and I don't always sleep well. There is high anxiety associated with that and with me newly becoming a single mom, juggling work, tight finances, and my daughter's care all alone. But, at the same time, she is my biggest motivation for doing this.

I became a mom at 40, and though it wasn't planned, it has become the greatest adventure in my life. Luckily for me, I had a fairly healthy pregnancy and a very healthy little one. But that life change and a previous ankle injury, from when I was with the Army in Iraq, has taken a lot out of me. Just a couple of years ago, I was running faster than all of the people in my small Army unit. I felt great. I'd been running for 20 years, and I saw another 20 or 30 more in my future. I tore three critical areas - tendons - in my ankle though. Both of them have been sprained and twisted so many times that they still go out on me at the drop of a hat. I finally had to accept what the doctor said - at least for now - and see that maybe I will never experience that runner's high again. I was planning on a marathon one day.

I always thought it was totally within my control to be in shape. I thought weight gain just came from laziness or overeating. When I was in my mid to late 30's I had a personal trainer who whipped me into shape and had me feeling better than I ever did in my teens! My butt and abs were firm. I was so proud. I thought if I had enough drive or enough money, I always held the power to stay that way. But life took a sharp series of turns.

I now know it's about accepting what I CAN do and not thinking about what I CANNOT. It's about realizing that this is my one shot at life, and that I have got to stop wallowing in sorrow, telling everyone I meet that "I used to be a runner." With the Grave's and the time challenges of being a mom now, I need to adapt, push in different ways, but not harder ways... to more fully explore yoga, hiking, taking walks with my little one in the stroller, and more of a life balance. I can't do it all, but it's not the end... just different.

Thank you for hosting this DietBet! This is what I would say if the founder of this could be reading my blog right now. I am so grateful to find something that gives me hope. I let my beliefs about limitations, age, and my disease (as well as some associated depression) make me quit on my health goals. I felt hopeless and have been dealing with my stress by a daily glass of wine or ice cream binges, standing at the freezer door, and handling a hectic schedule by not eating often enough and then throwing down McDonald's burgers and fries when I finally do get near a window of time for a meal.

THIS is the BETTER way. Finding myself again. That same young, vibrant woman is still there. She just needs to get rid of what's hiding her beauty and her spirit.