Hi everyone. I've been coming on the VST now for the last 4 weeks and I can say it's given me hope. I've been overweight most of my life. I'm the only girl out of 5 children and I can honestly say, it wasn't what we eat, it was how much of it. I grew up eating man size portions of everything. I'm now 51 and at my highest weight 240 lbs with a BMI of 41. To say I was shock is an understatement. Boy was I in denial. Somehow or another when I looked in the mirror I didn't like what I saw but it certainly wasn't grossly overweight. I've had a CPAT now for four years but didn't think much of it until the 4th of July when I was staying at a Hostel in the Bay Area and I guess I kept a lot of folks up - I was wakened up in the middle of the night and told to go sleep somewhere else and then called a "fat *%$& pig." Well I know no one deserves to be called names and I certainly was hurt by this staement, but the whole situation got me thinking and made me realize that I needed to do something for myself., I enjoy riding my road bike but I have found myself not riding more and more simply because the bike can't hold my weight. I taken my orientation class and I have my first appoint at Kaiser in Vacaville this coming Tuesday. (I believe this is a new program for Kaiser - since the closest one that I was aware of is in Richmond). I'm excited and have already begun journeling my food intake and excercise. I look forward to reading everyone's success stories and questions. Thanks everyone for being such an inspiration and lighting the fire under my axxxx. :confused1: