Today I plan to follow my healthy living plan knowing that it will keep me healthy and on track and I will exercise because it makes me feel better. I am confident, healthy and happy with the new me. I accept my condition of obesity and I know that even though I feel good now my body carries the Fat gene that will take over when ever I let it.

Hi, my name is Bonnie. I am a compulsive overeater. Admitting this condition was hard for me. Coming here for help was also hard. But I have learned, and continue to learn, valuable lessons to living with this condition. Yes, I resent it! But I can live with it in harmony with thoughtful planning each day, and conscious eating/drinking habits. Thank you, Shari. This one is a hard lesson.

Hi, my name is Karen, and I am sugar addicted. When my internal "sugar monster" takes over, I begin to eat not only sugar but excess carbs and other foods as well. It took me over 50 years to realize this, but I am working on controlling my sugar intake, as I realize that if I control sugar it is easier to get healthier weightwise, because so many calories come from sugared items.

I have accepted the fact that this is a life-long commitment, and if I want to stay at the weight where I am, and plan to make it to my goal in 2009, I will have to continue to monitor my progress carefully, just as many have to with diabetes, high blood pressure, or any other health issue. I admit I have times when I resent the HELL out of it, but I am learning to get past that. It is what it is. If I am to be healthier, I will need to be conscious of what I put in my mouth, and to get exercise to help my body remain healthier. I get to choose: feeling better about myself and having a healthier body OR feeling bad about myself and knowing that my body will become a ticking time bomb if I choose to return to an unhealthy lifestyle.

I plan to manage my ongoing condition by careful monitoring of food intake and getting exercise. I will continue to weigh and I do know that I NEVER want to go back to weighing 318 ever again!

I think this is so true ecspecially when i tell some people I've done it i've met my goal. THey are like great now you can eat whatever you want, no i have to deal every day and be sure that I don't go back to what I was. Yes I can be a bit more flexible but i still focus on eating heatlhy foods, staying away from sugars (can we say trigger??) and only having those on special occassions, every day I still work on exercising and eating heatlhy to manage what I have accomplished.

Leah, my husband has had his off for 2.5 years now. Most days he eats no differently than he did when he was watching it to lose. He just may allow a sweet treat now and then, or bbq ribs for a meal now and then, etc. The key is NOW AND THEN. Not every day. He has an upper limit of what he is willing to weigh. When he gets there, he cuts out the sweet treats and extras until his weight drops back into the range he wants. He has been a wonderful role model for me to see what "maintenance" looks like and IS like. He doesn't want to gain it back. His 45 pound loss meant no more blood pressure meds. He had been on them for six years when he lost the weight! It's a motivator!

For the first time I realize I have a condition called carb addiction. I've lost weight many times before but always gained it back. I always blamed my weight on being pregnant or on the pill or old age creeping up on me. I've worked hard to get back down to a normal weight and this time I know that I'll never be able to resume eating like I did before. And I also know that while I thought I was pretty active, it wasn't enough to help with weight loss and it wasn't enough to keep me healthy. I know better now...I am going into maintenance this time armed with knowledge and prepared to battle.

I do resent it, for sure. I've been having a difficult time lately as it's finally sunk in that this journey has no end. It will go on forever. There will never be a time I can sit back and say, I've reached my goal; it's over. I think the comparison to diabetes is right on. It's how we got used to the fact that our daughter has to take meds for ADHD. We had to accept the fact that it's a disease, and she has it...not some days, but all days. Now, I see that I have a disease, too. I'll have to accommodate for it, but I will never be rid of it. Thanks, Shari, for a real eye-opener!