Ladies (and gentlemen), I am here to tell you that it CAN be done - losing weight that is. I've lost 60 pounds since June 2003. I didn't use Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, or any "organized" program. I just did what worked for me. In all honesty, though, having a gallbladder attack this past August and trying to avoid surgery, has made it very easy for me to not cheat. If I don't want surgery, I must severely limit the amount of fat in my diet and avoid anything fried.

I have never been a breakfast person and still am not. Its always been normal for me to have just coffee in the am and then have lunch around 1pm. So, for lunch I either had a Boca burger (meatless) with mustard on a small hamburger bun along with a diet soda and a piece of fruit. Afternoon snacks were either Healthy Choice popcorn, fruit, or sugar-free jello. For dinner I have a huge salad of mesclun mix, one chopped hardboiled egg, and a small amount of good quality Parmesan cheese shredded. With my salad I have one dinner roll with the margine made with yogurt. I also have a glass of skim milk with my salad. I use Naturally Fresh low-fat ranch dressing or Balsamic vinegrette. After dinner, I have coffee and around 8:30-9:00pm I have a prepackaged small container of fat-free pudding or more sugar-free jello.

Once in a while I bake boneless, skinless chicken breasts and have one each night with my salad. If I go out to dinner, I eat salad and steamed veggies.

Forgot to mention that sometimes I will have low-fat cottage cheese or fat-free light yogurt for lunch.........

Since I realize that this is not the most "nutritionally sound" way to eat, I do take a multivitamin every day and I was already taking calcium supplements. I refuse to do any kind of exercise regimen so in order for me to lose the weight I had to really restrict my caloric intake.

I still eat pretty much this way-even when I travel. In fact, I was on Seabourn over Christmas/new Years, ate a little more than usual-but still nothing high in fat-and managed to lose four more pounds, much to my surprise.

This is the first time I have EVER revealed my weight to anyone other than my doctors, but I started out at 224 and when I was at the docs on Thursday, I weighed in at 164. One thing in my favor, though, is that I am about 5'11". I would still like to lose another 15-20 pounds, but if I don't I will be very happy to stay where I am.

Besides bragging a little, the point of all this is that if I can do it, so can all of you!!!

I will be applauding and cheering you on each pound lost!!!!!!!

Must admit, though, that I haven't quit smoking........................

Claudia