I have lost over 100 pounds and I feel like I got my life back. Before I started low carbing I had problems with hygiene (anyone who has been morbidly obese knows what I am talking about) and I got out of breath trying to walk to the corner. I couldn't participate in my children's lives the way I wanted to; I just couldn't keep up with them even when doing something as simple as going shopping. I couldn't sit in a booth in a restaurant, I couldn't fit in a seat on an airplane, and my blood pressure was shooting up to the range where I should have been on medication. I couldn't even buy clothes in a plus-size store because most of them stop at size 24 or 26 and I was bigger than that.

Now, I can walk miles, I can sightsee or shop all day with my daughter, I can cross my legs, and I can buckle my sandals without going through contortions. My blood pressure is normal without medication and my cholesterol profile is very good. I no longer feel like I am headed for an early grave. I still wear plus sizes (although I can often wear a regular XL in tops), but at least I can find my size in a store. When I see people complaining about having to shop in the plus size department, I realize that they have no idea how lucky they are. I know how lucky I am.

I am still fat, but now I can blend in with the normal, overweight middle-aged American women. I don't look like a freak.

How did I do it? Carefully watching carbs and portion size and regularly exercising, which for me means walking or swimming.

I lost 7 or 8 pounds a month at the beginning. My weight lost gradually slowed down and I stopped losing weight about a year ago. Right now, I'm fighting not to gain weight back. I know that to lose more weight I need to go on a strict low calorie diet, but I can't get up the motivation to do so. My carb levels have been slowly creeping up and I keep finding myself having minor cheats -- a bite of this or a taste of that. I'm somewhat discouraged, but I am also extremely grateful for how far I have come. I just wish I could get back that drive that sustained me through losing the first 120 pounds or so.