Dear Diary

This is KATHYNE L. JACKSON's memoir of her personal journey to lose weight - 63 pounds - and the struggles she endured along the way. She was like everyone else, on the yo-yo trail to unhealthiness. She would play at losing 10 pounds and then gain 15 back, complaining all the way. She would get discouraged and eat more ice cream and chocolate and then hate herself for being weak. She would walk for three days and then would give up because on day four it rained. She would purchase a stationary bike and then use it as a clothes rack. And she continued to watch her weight climb to over 200 pounds.

But still she did nothing.

Then one day her doctor told her she had to get healthy, that if she did not start taking care of her weight, if she did not become serious about her cholesterol levels, she could develop diabetes. This knowledge scared her to finally make the conscious decision to get healthy.

She did not make her goal weight, but she came close. She did lose 50 pounds.

It was the longest 13 months of her life.