I am a 59 year old woman who has survived so much in this world and I'm so grateful to family, friends and the Lord for getting me through all that I have endured.  I have several health problems including high blood pressure and asthma; just had cataracts removed from both eyes; had early cancer then both breasts removed in 1980 and breast implants put in; have had three surgeries regarding the implants; had hysterectomy at age 23 and the mastectomy at age 30. I have two grown sons (and one great daughter-in-law with twin granddaughters age 9 back in Atlanta area).

I used to be a slender size 5 or 7 long after giving birth to both of my sons. I was always the thinest woman in the family and always dressed great and looked great.  Then the blood pressure became a problem and no one told me to watch ever thing I ate as the meds would change my metabolizm and I would never look like that again.

Lately, however, I lost my youngest sister to a very aggressive and deadly cancer and it helped me to see that even though I am disabled in some ways, I need to lose this weight that I have been dragging around for years now and I need to find that thinner version of myself. I want my self respect and dignity back.  I will be 60 in December and I would like to have the confidence to persue the rest of my life with my head held high and my priorities straight.  I know that if I liked me better, as I once did, I would get out of the house more, that would give me more gentle exercise that would help me to lose the weight faster and my lungs and my blood pressure would reflect a much healthier me all the way around.  I want to be able to fly back to Georgia and see my son and his family and not fear that once again the seat belt on the plane won't go around me.

I have been doing gentle exercising lately while being sick with wheezing lungs and I've lost 33 pounds since the middle of last year so I know I have a start here.  I love this show and watch every day that I can just to gain as much knowledge as I can that will help me reach my goal of a slender body that is healthy too.