Listen to my latest interview on Skinny Scoopers
As of today, April two years ago, I've lost over 100 pounds the old fashioned way (Before (in silver with gold scarf) and After (Julie at Easter '09)...smaller portions, no sugar, no salt, no carbs (at first), not eating anything that comes out of a window (meaning fast food), a carton or a bag and exercise (not a lot, manageable 15-20 minutes of cardio and walking). I am still loosing!
I weighed 255 pounds when my doctor said "I will give you two months to get your sugar level down to normal or we will be taking aggressive diabetic action". Well, that scared me. So, I did just that, got my sugar level normal. Then I kept going. Until I realized my blood pressure was going up. Then my doctor told me I had to REALLY exercise (meaning be out of breath and sweaty, yuck).
I also realized that I had to change my relationship with food if I wasn't going to be a yo-yo again. 
I'm 51 and have dieted all my life. I had some striking realizations. One, there were a lot of activities that I discounted and didn't consider them as "doing" anything. For example, watching TV or reading, that wasn't "doing something" so I'd eat while I did those things and that made them activities. I had to put a sign on my frig that said "eat or live?".
I had to make a choice that I was more important than the food. I had to love myself more than I loved chocolate.
More importantly, I had to confront and deal with my real feelings and physical pain instead of eating them away.
My family and friends have been supportive. I don't cheat. I get that I am a compulsive over-eater which means I don't buy just a little of anything. I do without. I do not feel deprived, I feel alive.
And now, I get to wear ten sizes smaller and see results. I have some flabby skin and that's okay. I will succeed. Being healthy is more important then medical bills and the possibility of high blood pressure, heart attacks and so on.
When I feel weak I overeat celery and then look at my behavior and get an understanding of why. After all, it isn't about what I eat, it never was. It was about pushing away whatever I was feeling. Food was my drug of choice. I know it is hard. I know that there are times I smell something yummy and sweet and think...and then I realize that I feel too good to undo what I've done. I do let myself go out to dinner. I do let myself eat pasta every now and again. But I don't take home leftovers. I don't worry about eating full portions served to me and when I'm at friends and family for meals I ask for a child's portion. Sometimes I go to bed hungry and think, "it's okay I will survive there is plenty for my body to work with here".
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