Lifelong eater. Was raised in a household where there were few if any hugs, but lots of food; meat and potatoes as well as all the sweets. Parents pushed food at you in lieu of physical or verbal expressions of love. I was 180 in the 8th grade. By age 25 I was about 250. I was born club footed but thanks to many jobs that were very physical in nature I was able to get down to 175 from 250 and stay there for about 10 years. Then the bottom dropped out and the feet went bad and the back went bad and I went to working at a desk and the pounds they came a calling. By the time I was 50 I had ballooned up to 418 and developed Type 2 diabetes, to top it off I was a heavy smoker (in more ways than one). Well since then my health has deteriorated but I am still trying to lose weight. I had made it back down to 295, then it creeped back up to where I am now, 344. At least I beat the smoking habit in 2004.

So Here I am looking to begin that trek again and hoping I can get some good ideas here and share with others.