Five years ago I was at my goal weight. Since then life has been one huge change followed by another. At that point I was a happy working mom of 2. I am Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator and I have Certificates in both Adult and Pediatric Weight Management. (I certainly have all the credentials showing that I KNOW what to do to lose weight.) I enjoyed my job as a Coordinator and Director of a Diabetes Prevention Program. Weight loss was my life. I spent day in and day out helping others lose weight and become healthier. 2010 was filled with big changes... Our third baby, my decision to stay at home, my husband's graduation, our move to KC... Baby #3 wasn't a good sleeper. Ever. So I had trouble jumping back into the exercise every morning routine I had done for a couple of years. In 2011 he had GI surgery and I found out Baby #4 was on the way. 2012 brought baby #4,a move to a new home, and a growing realization that my parents health wasn't as good as I had always thought and... Oh... What's that??? Another pregnancy?... (Additionally my thyroid was off for the first trimester adding additional weight.) 2013... Wow 2013... Dad was diagnosed with ALS in March. Baby #5 was born premature in April. She required 4 months in the NICU. Sitting in a chair holding a baby all day was no way to start losing the weight I had put on. In May my grandmother passed away. In July my Mom also unexpectedly passed away. You know what they say about cortisol levels and weight? Yeah, it's all true! In early 2014 I stated losing some weight, but when I needed to help the baby gain weight I found myself mindlessly snacking on cheese or peanut butter slathered on my fruit or crackers each afternoon for snack. Another friend started a dietbet about that time and I weighed myself. Shocked to see the scales I realized it was time to attack this weight and get it off for good. So... Here I am. And if I ever do go back to work, I will be a much more compassionate and sympathetic dietitian!