Okay, not something I'd normally shout out to a room full of strangers, but that's exactly how I feel right now!
Just want to be sure you all know what a "thin"spiration your photos, mutual support and information shared via this board has ALREADY been to me, and I am sure countless others!
I started Medifast on July 11, and couldn't take the suspense any longer... so I got on what was formerly known as "The Scale of Doom" this morning... Over the past 5 days, I have seen the off-and-on swelling in my ankles go down, my pants fitting ever-so-slightly less like sausage casing, and maybe I'm imagining things, but I *may* have already lost one of my chins!
Drumroll, please: SEVEN pounds gone!
To give a little background info on me, I am a divorce recovery & stepfamily dynamics counselor. I put myself through school w/ my Husband's support. During this time, I gave birth to 4 children in 3 years (all girls, ages 7.5, 5.5 and 3.5 year old twins), and was bedridden with the twins pregnancy. My husband was working the evening shift all this time & picking up as much overtime as was available, which meant I pretty much felt like a single parent w/ a roommate. It was very tough, to say the least, to get through this time in my life... but my twins will be 4 in December, so I think the "Give yourself a break, you just gave birth" mumbo-jumbo I'd been feeding myself has gone a bit stale & just doesn't fly anymore!
I'd packed on over 100 pounds during this 8 year period of my life & I felt like a beached sea lion w/ bad hips (an injury during the twins' birth). To make matters worse, my gums were completely shot from the back-to-back pregnancies & I recently had to have some dramatic dental surgery to deal with my advanced periodontal disease. I've got "Super Model Teef" now, but at a very high price, both financially and physically. My self-esteem plummeted during the the "Pork Chop Years", because even my smile was lackluster...
Around January of this year, following the oral surgery, I started Nutri-System and lost around 30 lbs in 3 months. I couldn't stick to it because the progress was so sloooooow, and I had too much access to food, had to make too many decisions, and had too much room for error. I gained every pound back, plus some, since April. Cut to me feeling even more depressed about my weight & feeling like I had next to no choice in this.
Then, of course, I began to redirect that depression & frustration into resolve & started doing my homework, like a good little therapist
. One thing I learned about myself through this experience is that I have to limit my options, lock horns with my giant looming hips & go in for the tackle, with no holds barred. I mean, come on... if I can give birth to four children in 3 years, I can do ANYTHING! 
I have claimed 2006 as "The Year of the Bama Babe" (hence the username), and by gosh, there's only 6 months left in it, but I'm claiming them all for myself!
Way back, like 100 lifetimes & pounds ago, I used to do some small-time local modeling, so I have lots of photos of myself from when I was a "stacked mamma-jamma", and I miss my figure! I'm giving it back to myself for Christmas this year - no excuses!! 
So, now I have been on Medifast for 5 days, have EFFORTLESSLY lost 7 pounds, consuming MUCH more food than I ever did before! I was your textbook case of "skip breakfast, wimp through lunch & pork out in the evenings" kinda gal. With Medifast, I am full ALL DAY LONG - and hey, I'm all over anything that says "Chocolate" on it anyway, so big score for me!
I can SOOOOO do this... for myself, for my kiddos, for my business! It would be so nice to be able to go out on speaking engagements & not have to stand in front of the closet freaking out because my favorite suit, or whatever, doesn't button... or is in a size I used to laugh at in my "stacked mamma-jamma" days.
I miss being "hot"... really, really bad... I guess that, along with the fact that diabetes has burned up my family tree like a California wild fire, is my primary motivation. I've given the last 8 years of my life to my kids, my family & my business... this year, it's going to be all about me. I may not look much like a "Bama Babe" yet, but just give me a little time. With the simplicity of the Medifast plan (the less I have to "think", the better!!) this chick's weight loss is a done deal!!
I'm SO HAPPY I've found Medifast and this support group! I hope to have some before & after pics to share at the end of months 1 - 6, as I am taking a photo journal of my progress! Thank you so much for all the info & encouragement this board offers... with the tools & the interaction, this will be a BREEZE!!
Best & brightest to all!
Nikki
)
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ha ha
Can't wait to see the pics!
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