I am a 48 yr old, single mother of 2 grown children.  I am in college working on a BS in Healthcare Information Technology.  I am 5'2" and weigh 289 pounds.  It is difficult to get around and I have sleep apnea.  I am afraid I am going to die because of my weight.  My daughter is 20 years old and my son is 25 and I fear I will not ever see them get married and start a family.  I have been divorced for 17 years and have not had any sort of relationship in over 14 years.  My goal is to complete my degree, lose weight and get healthy before I turn 50! I am joining the 17 Day Diet to kick start my weight loss plan! I haven't always had a weight issue. I weighed 94 pounds when I graduated from high school and 104 pounds when I was 6 months pregnant with my son (I was 23).  After the birth of my son I have never been able to lose all of the weight.  While pregnant with my daughter, I only gained 8 pounds (I was already over weight) and I looked better the day I had her than the day I got pregnant!! I did the Atkin's Diet about 14 years ago ago and lost 67 pounds and felt better than ever. I gained it all back and then some over the the past 13 years.  I hope that this 17 Day Diet will help me gain the momentum necessary for me to achieve my goal!