Hello!
 

I joined a forum when I had my 2 knee replacements, and it helped me get past that experience, so I'm hoping that participating in this one will help me do what I need to do.

I'm 57, short and round. I've never been successful dieting for any length of time. Ages ago, I did the fen/phen combination, and I lost 80 pounds, but when I quit taking it, the weight came back so fast it was scary. Never again will I take any pills!

I was actually pretty thin in high school and college; the weight came on gradually over a number of years. I have 2 sons, now 28 and 31, and I gained no weight with either of those pregnancies. I do have hypothyroidism that went undiagnosed for years. (I was told, "It's all in your head" so many times.) For the 20 or so years I've been on medication for that, I haven't gained any significant weight, but I haven't lost any either. Now that I'm older, the excess pounds (80+) are taking a toll on me. That explains the 2 knee replacements and some other health issues that have cropped up. To add to the mix, I have been on antidepressants for years, plus I am becoming more and more of a caregiver to my aging mother. Sometimes eating that bad thing just feels so darn good!

I've been happily married for 32 years. I am a self-contained special education teacher in a public high school. I have 6 nonverbal students, and I love them all. Reading is my passion, plus I love to crochet. We also love to camp and have an A-frame camper. I treasure my free time and time spent with my DH and sons. No grandchildren yet!

I just want to be healthy, to be able to do what I want to do for as many years as I can. I frankly don't care about how I look. You would think good health would be motivation enough, but you would be wrong. **sigh**