I grew up believing I was "FAT". Not because I was, but because I was conditioned, trained, and told just how fat I was starting very early in my life. When I graduated high school, I learned that I wasn't fat, but I still viewed myself that way even though at the time I weighted a whooping 110 lbs. As the years went by my self imaged improved, but I always felt as if I was still fat. And the lead to many self depravation life styles choices. Today I'm on the obese side but I have the most confidence then I have ever had in my life. I feel wonderful, I think I look much younger than my 43 years of age. Now I want the body that fits my life. I'm not into fad diets, diet pills, or such, I want a lifestyle change that I can live with. It took me 15 years to gain this weight. While I don't want to wait 15 to lose it, I know that it isn't going to happen in the next year. My goal for this year is to get back under 200; I would like to be 160 by this time next year. A lofty goal for sure but any weight loss will be a gain for me.