In the photos to the right, taken August/September 2008, I weighed approximately 160 pounds, a 76 pound difference. I have achieved what I set out to do--essentially, to obtain a healthy body and a better hip to waist ratio.

Although I still desire to lose about 15-20 more pounds, the hardest part is over--the part where I had to convince myself that I could do it.

The part where I failed, then got back up and tried again. And again.

The part where I, in the process of nearly three years, found out who I really was.

For any nerds/geeks or anyone in general who would like tips from someone who lost a great deal of weight and has been able to keep it off for this long, please leave me a comment here in this entry! If I get enough questions, I can start a tab on this site where I answer them!

That being said, I'm no fitness expert or doctor or anything like that. I'm just someone who did it. I don't have any gimmicks or magic pills. Just encouragement and hard facts that you can find in multitudes of books. But I managed to put them together in a way that works and would love to help others out!

My first tips are:

• Register at SparkPeople.com. I lost nearly 30 pounds using this site. It's free!
• Drink half your body weight in water in fluid ounces. I actually try to drink 100 fl. oz. a day. That keeps me from retaining excess body water.
• Write down EVERYTHING you eat! Journal it! See where your calories are coming from! There are some good books out there with calorie contents in everything--but SparkPeople has a database and a good nutrition journal which is easy to use!
• Find a supportive community. Find a friend to help or to join. Get a cheerleading squad! Use forums (like those at SparkPeople!). People who have support and use forums have more success in losing weight.

Find someone who inspires you and print out photos of them. I have pictures of Princess Leia and Jillian Michaels everywhere. I'm not even joking. One of my goals is to eventually sport a gold bikini! And Jillian Michaels is pretty much my hero. I adore her. You can also hang up inspirational quotes on your fridge or on your bathroom mirror. Put things in places that will keep you motivated and remind you why you're doing this. Maybe pictures of your kids, or your dog, or whatever!

Changing is hard and you have to want it, because if you don't, you'll give up. You have to decide that you love yourself enough to make the change for a healthier you. The first hurdles are hard, but if you can get over them and establish healthy habits, it gets easier from there.

So, please feel free to leave any questions in the comments here or email me at susi@gmail.com!