"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." I did not always feel this way. There was a time when I couldn't even see the stars through all the clouds in my life.

My weight loss journey began on April 20, 2008. My 43rd birthday had just passed, and I was feeling horrible about the way I looked and felt. For a long time, I had been in denial about my weight gain, rationalizing that I didn’t look that bad. Part of the denial stemmed from the fact that I ...

"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." I did not always feel this way. There was a time when I couldn't even see the stars through all the clouds in my life.

My weight loss journey began on April 20, 2008. My 43rd birthday had just passed, and I was feeling horrible about the way I looked and felt. For a long time, I had been in denial about my weight gain, rationalizing that I didn’t look that bad. Part of the denial stemmed from the fact that I didn’t look in the mirror often, especially when I was naked. It was just too painful to face that much reality. The reality was that in the last 10 years I had gained 60 pounds.

My highest weight is 221 pounds, and I had promised myself that I would never weigh more than 220. Actually, I had vowed never to weigh more than 200, but when I surpassed that it became 210, and then 220. I was not going to raise that number to 230. I was desperate to lose weight, but all of my previous attempts had failed and I just ended up gaining more weight. I was scared of what my future health outlook would be if I did not change something soon. Diabetes runs in my family, and I knew that was the direction I was heading.

I can’t really explain fully what happened on April 20th, 2008. It was like an angel from heaven came out of the sky and blessed me with the wisdom, resolve and resources to not only face the truth of my weight problem, but to also do something about it. I joined Weight Watchers Online that very day, and that is where I met someone on the message boards that directed me to Spark People. Using these 2 sites, I have lost 54 pounds, but I have gained so much more than I have lost. I have gained a newfound esteem I didn’t know I had; I have gained new friends with a positive outlook. I have gained a wealth of knowledge about fitness and a healthy perspective about eating. I have gained a willingness and a drive to change my life’s direction and never turn back. If you don’t think Spark People can work for you, look to me as an example —and the countless others that are succeeding using the tools that are available. If you want it to work, it will.

I’m on the road to success and I have a ways to go, but I am enjoying the journey. I have never felt better about myself, and that is the true meaning of victory. The rest is just icing on the low-calorie cake!

Please join me as I continue on my journey towards a happy, healthier and more fulfilled self. Together, we can fulfill our dreams and fit into that little black dress!

Read More About SHOOTIN4STARS (Updated January 10)

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