For quite a while I've had my sights set on 190 as a goal weight. Why? Because I really wanted good health insurance. My current health insurance, who shall remain unnamed, doesn't pay for anything, has jacked my rates every six months for the past two years, and forced me to take 2 deductible increases so that now I essentially have a catastrophic policy that I pay nearly $400 a month for. To rub salt in the wound, most of the care I choose is alternative (naturopath, massage, acupuncture) and I pay for it out of pocket and my insurance doesn't even get billed for it and yet they continue to jack my rates.

In any case, for several years my quest has been to qualify for Blue Cross. Blue Cross of Alaska would not accept my application until I dropped my weight to 190 or below. So that has been my target. Once I had been 187/188 for a few weeks I went ahead and applied- and was accepted! Not only that, I'll be paying less money for more coverage and a lower deductible. So that is also exciting.

My new goal is 170. Every pound I take off right now is a victory as my knees have finally begun to protest my extra weight and I have achy knees now. I want that gone, so I have add'l incentive now to keep losing beside the normal health factors as my knees remind me every time I get up from a chair or walk up and down the stairs or a hill.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share that here as I figured that folks here would understand! Thanks for listening.

Congratulations!!!!

That's fabulous!!! Congratulations!

Congratulations ! Blue Cross denied coverage to me as I was 2 pounds over their limit at the time. And this was group insurance coverage at my work,I had to find other coverage and did, and never went back. It wouldn't have been so embarrasing if my employer had not been involved.

Oh my, I didn't think they could deny a person for group coverage based on weight or pre-existing conditions. I thought that was sort of the point of group coverage. I'm sorry that happened to you!

In my case, my employer doesn't offer group coverage because I work for a husband/wife small business. So instead they give me a stipend that I use to buy my own private health insurance, but the downside is that my pre-existing conditions and my weight are more heavily considered by insurers than if it was for group coverage. The high premiums and the denials for coverage were the final catalyst that told me I had to figure out what was causing my weight gain and to finally get it under control, so I guess in that respect it was a good thing, but I'm grateful now to have a better qualify health insurance than what I had before.

Congratulations! You should be so proud of yourself.

Congrats on improving your health and getting the health insurance you wanted! I've decided to get serious about losing weight and was reading goal stories. Your story inspires! Keep going!

Good job lady! Show those evil insurance agents what's what!

Congratulations! That must be a huge weight, both metaphorically and physically, off your shoulders!

Congrats! I remember when I got my current job a couple of years ago. The company I work for offered two insurance choices. One was Blue Cross Blue Shield and the other was Cigna. Blue Cross Blue shield had so many clauses about pre-existing conditions and such that if I'd gone with them they wouldn't cover my Imitrex or my husband's inhaler. So we opted for the more expensive Cigna plan and I have never had a problem with them. I am so glad that you were able to get accepted! Well done!

Thanks everyone! I have actually revised my new goal to 179- only 8 lbs to go! - because then according to the BMI charts I won't be "obese" anymore but rather "overweight". It doesn't change my overall goal of achieving a weight of about 138 but it will be a psychological boost to no longer be considered "obese" any longer.

Yay!! So glad you finally have gotten the good insurance

EagleRiverDee - Congratulations! You are an inspiration and I am so glad that you are here on these boards encouraging us and setting a great example!

CONGRATS! What great news! Not only have you changed your life and long-term health, but you are being rewarded for it in an awesome way! Keep it up!