Here I am, yet again, working to get weight off.  Grrrrr!  So frustrating going from a very active fitness instructor, to a sedintary obese Mom.  

How did I manage to gain 90 lbs in a year and a half?  Well here is how!  I went from working a very active job where I was walking around 20 miles per day working for the USPS, to now working a desk job as a social worker.  

We've all heard it before.....emotional eating.  Yep that is completely me!  My feet issues started back in 2012 and I started babying them and going to a podiatrist.  I ended up having shots in the bottom of my feet, special insoles made, and antiinflamatories.  These helped for almost a year, but then I couldn't take it anymore, so I told my doctor it was time to have surgery.  But first he wanted to try physical therapy.  I did that, was off work 2 months, and then tried to schedule surgery.  Long story short I couldn't get in with my doctor for 6-8 weeks, so I went to my mom's foot doctor.  He did my surgery removing a Morton's Neuroma.  

So in July 2013 I went back to work with the USPS, weighing in around 200 lbs.  Yep I managed to gain 40 in the time I was off work.  Not being able to use your feet is something.  Foot pain is horrible.  It makes your entire body hurt.  

My last day with the USPS was August 8.  My body was falling apart.  I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I couldn't walk 20 miles a day 6 days per week anymore.  I managed to find a part time job, but it was a sitting job.  As a single Mom I was scared to death.  I tried to find full time work, but there just wasn't much.  

Then in November I had the rug ripped out from under me.  My 9 year old daughter at the time somehow found the courage to tell me that a trusted babysitter had been molesting her, for years.  I was devastated.  I felt completely guilty about this.  Of course I got her counseling, but since I had no insurance, no child support, and no money, I took care of myself in the way I knew how, with food.  I consoled myself with whatever food I wanted.  I managed to gain another 35 lbs or so between November and March.  

I forgot to mention in all of this I had went back to teaching Zumba again.  My feet weren't horrible yet....but in April I quit.  Between my foot pain that had come back, and the emotional mess I was, I just had lost all the passion.  

In June finally I got a full time job doing social work.  I knew what it entailed, but during training I never knew where I would be, who I would be with, or when I would get to eat.  So we ate fast food, and I made horrible choices.  I managed to gain another 15 lbs.  Yep somehow I managed to get up to 250 lbs.  4 years ago I was 143.  Frankly I knew I had to do something, so I went to the doctor and got on anti-depressants, and got a kick start with a weight loss med.  It did it's job, I used it for one month, and I'm done.  

So here I am, down to 231 as of this past Friday.  But since I'm only 5'3" 231 is a lot.  For my body build I could be 155-170 and be completely comfortable and happy.  Even my doctor supports me on this.  I have never done a diet bet before, so this is a first.  But I do need a kick in the pants, and something to focus on while we are at Disney World for 9 days at the beginning of October!  

Any and all support is appreciated.  My highest weight was when my daughter was about 6 months old, and then I was 263.  I lost it all before through diet and exercise, in particular Weight Watchers and then I found Zumba and fell in love with it.  I don't think I can Zumba any more due to my feet issues, but I can walk and run some.  I am following the Paleo plan loosely as it seems that's what works best for me, and using myfitnesspal to track calories and exercise.  

Good luck to everyone who has joined!  I hope we all do it together!