I was a yo-yo dieter from my teens to my 30's. My weight fluctuated from 120 to 145 bs. At about age 40, I finally gave up after medication contributed to my gaining 50 lbs in 6 months, and in subsequent years, I gained 20 lbs more. Four years ago with support from the good people here at 3FC, I lost 37 lbs. With 34 lbs still yet to reach my goal, for some reason I fell off the healthy eating and exercising wagon. It's funny how when you're not ready to jump back on, you don't want to face others who will continue to try to motivate you, and so I got away from 3FC. But I've always recognized that 3FC was a major factor in the progress that I did have 4 years ago. Two years ago, I wanted to feel motivated to start over, but wanting to feel it and feeling it were two different things. My son was getting married and I wanted to feel and look better for the event, but I just couldn't talk myself into making a change for the better. And oh how I regret it. Every time I look at the pictures, I think "if only." Now, my daughter is getting married next April. I've known her wedding date for two months now, but it wasn't until this week that I finally became motivated to jump back on the wagon. I'm finally feeling in the right state of mind. So here I am again at my favorite motivational site, 3FC. I just hope I can do it this time. I know I may not reach my goal of weighing 145 lbs by April, but I'd love to be in my ideal weight range, which at the top end is 163 lbs. Has anyone else been successful in the long run when an event (wedding, reunion, etc.) was their main motivation for losing weight? I don't just want to lose weight for the wedding. I'm obese and I know that's not healthy. I really would like to get back down to 145 lbs and a healthy BMI. I know that starting dieting again at 52 years old is going to be a challenge, even more than it was 4 years ago, but I really want to do this! I want to go all the way and I want to maintain it. I don't want to relapse again, I don't want to yo-yo diet, and I don't want to give up. I want to do this for the wedding, for my health, for the rest of my life. I am currently trying out something called The Slow Carb Diet, which consists basically of eating lean protein, legumes, and non-starchy veggies, and avoiding grains, dairy, and sweets, with the exception that each week there is a recommended cheat day when you can have the forbidden foods. Since I have a family history of insulin problems, I figure this diet may work well for me. So, that's where I'm at and any thoughts, comments, constructive criticism, and/or encouragement would be greatly appreciated!