I'm a 26 year old female living in Lawrence, KS (Go Jayhawks!). I work as an Administrative Assistant for an International Airport Consulting Firm based in Cincinnati, OH (our office is in Overland Park, KS). I live with my boyfriend, 2 cats and our new puppy.

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember. At the end of August 2006, I ended up in the hospital with severe abdominal pain. At the time, I weighed 303.5 pounds and they determined that I was diabetic. I decided that I was too young to have to start dealing with all of the problems that my parents and grandparents were facing in their senior years, so I made a complete lifestyle change.

Completely through diet and exercise, I was able to lose over 100 pounds. Now, my issue is that I am fluxuating right around that 100 pound mark and I want desperately to be able to say that I weigh 1XX pounds instead of somewhere in the 200s. Ultimately, my goal weight is 150 pounds, but I understand the importance of taking things one step at a time, so for now, I've set my goal at 199.

My boyfriend and I are going on a cruise on September 27th and he has promised me that if I meet my mini goal before we leave, that he will pay for the entire thing. This is a huge deal for me since I can't really afford to pay for the cruise on my own, so it's quite the motivating factor. I've changed my eating habits again in the last week to incorporate 5 small meals per day and much more exercise. I realize that when you begin an exercise plan, you'll probably gain initially, but I'm hoping that it will drop soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm going to need it! :-)