I am a 53 yo wife, mother and grandmother. My husband and I own and operate a small organic vegetable farm (CSA). After a youth of being ultra-skinny and always trying to gain, I finally got my wish. I started gaining at about age 35 and haven't stopped yet!
I was gaining steadily but slowly in recent years but just over a year ago my parents health failed and I began spending 2 or 3 days and nights a week at their house. My mother is a sweets-freak and gets offended if I don't join her in eating pie, cake, candy, ice cream, etc. The added calories along with the stress of my dad being very ill and sitting around their house rather than the vigorous work I'm accustomed to has packed another 25 pounds on me this year. My father passed away in May and my mom's eating habits have deteriorated. When I tipped the scales at 220 I knew it was TIME! So here I am, feeling more optimistic about making the healthy changes I need than I've felt since I stopped smoking in 1996! So, mom will have to eat her junk food by herself now. My husband is incredibly supportive of me and is feeling inspired to lose a few pounds himself, though he doesn't have the weight problem I have.
I don't entertain fantasies of being thin again, I just want to be healthy and get back to enjoying my outdoor work again. After just 4 days here, I'm already feeling greatly encouraged and have lost about a pound and a half. I've learned so much about myself and my eating habits in this short time and love-love-love the fact that there is no value-judgement placed on anything one does at this site.