As a kid, I always struggled with weight gain and loss... I could never find MY right weight or maintain it if I did think that I found it. So here I am at 49 - 3 kids, a stressful management career in Sales Operatons at a huge company, a house to keep, bills to pay and a lifestyle that just didn't do anything to help to make my weight situation any better.

On June 14 2010, I got a call that my mother was admitted to the hospital and my crying father, between sobs, told me that she needed to have a triple bypass - IMMEDIATELY! I sat there with her after surgery every day and thought about how I had really jumped into the wrong end of the gene pool... my dad had his first heart attack when he was 40, both grandfathers having ultimately passed away from heart attacks (one at age 34), and now my mother... I convinced myself that it was time! I had to find the motivation, help, desire, whatever the hell it was going to be, I had to find it and start to live better - starting with controlling my weight. I did lose weight and kept it off for a number of years, but about 2 years ago I got sick myself and after months on steroids and the depression that crept into my world during that time, I gained back over 50 pounds in 2016. It took some time, but I got my health issues under control and overcame the depression and anxiety that was all consuming while I was ill. Now am left with the task of having to lose 58 pounds to get back to where I think I will actually feel like myself again.

I will be 50 in September and I know that it isn't realistic for me to hope to lose 50 pounds by my 50th birthday, but that is going to be what I am aiming for... 50-by-50. Although, if it takes a bit longer or my journey doesn't go as planned, that is okay too, but I need to get back on track and take the first step. So here I am, June 11, 2018, weighing over 193 pounds, starting the journey, becoming accountable and getting ready to find myself again.