I've introduced myself in a few sub forums, but I should probably do it here as well.
I'm Mezmerelda, Mez or Melissa. I'm in the NW corner of Illinois, living w/in 15 minutes of Iowa and Wisconsin. We've been out here for a year.
Like many others, I've been dealing with weight issues on and off for a long time. The last time I was at a very good weight was about 6 years ago after a few months on South Beach. I had surgery a few months later, and was good for a couple of years after that. Then 39 happened, and I started a slow increase (and things moving - hello, 40s!) until I hit my unhappy high point. I've been a healthy eater (for the most part) and should be able to lose weight, but traditional calorie counting along with exercising (I have been a constant 5+ day per week exerciser since 1992), does not produce any results, so after trying to learn to just deal with it, I'm back to South Beach. It works. I've been easing in this week with my official start on Monday, and I already notice changes.
I am not a weigh-in person, but try to focus more on my pant size. I'd like to drop 2 or 3 sizes and get back into all those old clothes I love so much. I know it will take a while, and I'm sure there will be some stops and restarts during the process.
I'm looking forward to getting to know people!