>I'm always amazed by people who lose 'a whole person'! She's
>lost more weight than I weigh! (Though I also wonder how
>someone can get THAT big in the first place. 50 pounds I can
>see, but 180 pounds? Doesn't the 'I've got to do something
>about this' realization kick in sooner?).
I think I can try to answer your question, Kathryn.
My stepson grew up in a blue collar town, living with his mother, who was always overweight and ate lots of junk and drank lots of sweet beverages. I was pretty sheltered from that kind of thing, and didn't even know such environments existed until I met him when he was 19 years old. He could hardly walk down the street without huffing and puffing. Then one day when he was in his mid-20s he went to his doctor. His doctor said "Are you saving for retirement?" My stepson, a very big saver said "Of course! I'm maximizing my 401(k) contributions!" His doctor looked him straight in the eye and said "Why?".
That was the end of the line for him. He gave up sweet beverages and bought a water cooler for his apartment. He started steaming all his veggies and eating lean protein, and took up bicycle riding. He lost 110 pounds in about a year and a half, and has kept it off for more than 5 years now.
Sometimes, it's just how you grow up and the environment you come from, and then you grow up and find new ways of living and enjoying life.
