I have been overweight and unhappy with the way I looked and felt all of my life. I was at my highest weight at 250 lbs and a size 24. It wasn't until after I had my third child that my weight drastically increased. I was depressed, unhappy, and didn't want to go out in public. I didn't even want to do anything with my kids. I just wanted to lie around. It was the first time any of us had ever flown when we took a family vacation to California and I noticed how bad it had really gotten. I could hardly fit in the airplane seat. I was so embarrassed. With that feeling, and the fact that I had to start taking blood pressure medicine because of being overweight, I realized I had to make some decisions.

I had previously tried so many weight loss programs which included, Physicians Weight Loss, Nutri-System, Formu-3, and Weight Watchers. I would lose 25-30 pounds and then I would end up putting the weight back on and more. So my doctor agreed to let me try the diet drug Phen Phen. With much success, I lost 100 pounds. I was able to keep it off for a few years and then gained back 41 pounds. My eating habits were bad and I did not do much exercise.

Then a friend asked me to be her buddy and join Thin & Healthy. So we did. I struggled a little with the program at first. I believe it was because I had not totally convinced myself that I wanted to do it. I realized I had spent so much money on weight loss programs and never completely followed through with them. The support team at Thin&Healthy would not give up on me. I lost the 41 lbs and met my goal. I'm happy to say I am now a size 10. I no longer have to take medication to control my blood pressure.

This weight loss has changed so many areas in my life. I am much more confident about my appearance and I enjoy shopping. I have so much more energy to do things and enjoy so much more with my kids. They can't keep up with me sometimes! My relationship with my husband is so much better and he compliments me all the time. He has been very supportive throughout this whole process. I see situations in a more positive way and also to encourage others to see situations more positively. At work I am more organized. I have been promoted to a team leader to encourage my coworkers to be better organized and stay on task and to better serve our patients. I found I have more time to do things correctly and don't have to redo things because I did not take time the first time to do them right.

My goal is to make myself a better person all around and to be a positive influence for others to see. Thin & Healthy was there for support and to keep me on track. They made me realize that I did not need to “live to eat” but I needed to “eat to live” and it is so true. In life there is so much more to focus and put your energy on than food.

I learned how important daily exercise is and I make it a part of my daily routine six to seven days a week. This has helped me greatly with my stress level. I eat healthier and know what choices to make when eating out and I can have my favorite foods in moderation and with exercise. The plan was easy to follow which was perfect for my busy schedule. It even worked for my whole family. They would eat the same foods because they are real foods, so I didn't have to cook differently. The cookbook gave me so many ideas for healthy cooking and eating and it was fun to create some of my own recipes.

I have maintained my weight and decided to continue my maintenance with the Life Success Program. I am looking forward to challenging other areas in my life with success. One of my biggest goals is to encourage others who are struggling with weight, for I found out that support is so important when dealing with weight issues. I can't explain how good it feels to accomplish this weight loss. I have been so blessed. Thin & Healthy has changed my life. The ultimate decision is about choice and discipline and desire to want to be the best you can be for yourself. You can do it!