I actually started this weight loss journey back in January, but I've had some ups and downs and I've gained back some of the weight I lost, so I'm now working on losing that and then the rest of it. Now it's time to make it a real lifestyle change. I want to lose weight to look better, sure. I think a lot of people who say looks aren't at least a small part of it are lying through their teeth. The main thing is my health though, as it should be. I want to be at a healthy weight. I want to be able to chase my kids and be around for them for years to come. I want to be a good example for them, and as strange as it may sound, for my parents as well. They are the reason I grew up with such awful habits, and the older they get, their still poor diets aren't helping them any. My dad also has diabetes, and I don't want to end up with it myself.

I've done this before. I've lost a combined 100lbs on two different occasions, and I really wish I had kept it all off. Both times, I still had a ways to go, but I was closer to my goal then than I am now. I did this to myself, and now I have to undo it. Luckily, this time I really am ready to make it a lifestyle change, so I know I can make this happen.