I won a Medifast Giveaway!

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I have updated my journal. Oh well, today is a new day and I have some very exciting news. I was one of the lucky winners to receive a Free Month of Medifast that was so graciously hosted by Lyn who has a fabulous blog named Escape from Obesity. You can read all about it here:

http://escapefromobesity.blogspot.com/2010/07/month-of-medifast-who-won.html

I was really wanting to try Medifast before this giveaway happened, but finances have been very tight and I was really concerned about putting that much money out and finding that program might not be a good fit for me. So many deserving folks had already entered the giveway by the time I decided to leave a comment that I almost didn't even try. I decided that I was going to leave a comment anyway and here is what I wrote.

My name is Linda. I am 52 year old. I am a loving first time grandparent and a mom of two grown kids. I have been reading your blog for quite some time now. I can't begin to express how much your words inspire me each and every day. I wake up each day, and truly look forward to reading about your journey, wishing I could follow in your footsteps. My story is like most, I am not so unique when it comes to weight loss struggles. I have never been able to beat this disease. One failed attempt after another, but I have never, ever given up. My highest weight was 41l pounds. I presently weigh 392.8. I am watching my life slip away day by day. Everything that is near and dear to me is in jeopardy. My job is presently accommodating me to work from home, but I am so worried that I will not be able to go back to work in 4 months because nothing has changed. Out of desperation, I am going thru the preop steps to have lapband surgery. I don't want to go to this extreme, but I feel so very desperate to save my life. At the same time I am petrified to have the surgery and die on the table. But if I keep going like this, I will die too. I just really need help and need to do something very different and drastic to save my life. I just can't go on like this. Life is passing me by and if I continue on this road I am on, well, my life will be cut very short. I just had my first grandchild last August. She is the most precious baby. I want to be able to take her to the park, to be here to watch her grow up and be part of her life. My mother died in 1993 from a stroke related to her morbid obesity. My biggest fear is that if I don't get this weight off now, I too will not be here much longer. I have successfully lost weight various times. In 1998 I lost over 100 pounds following a weight loss program that removed sugar and white flour from my diet. I did really well and lost 111 pounds in about 10 months. When I relapsed back into the sugar/carbs, I put the weight back on plus some. I can't believe so much time has passed since then. Diet after diet, trying so hard to get my life back to no avail. I now understand that this has to be a lifestyle change in order for me to see permanent change. I have watched you really get your life back because of all the hard work you have done over the years. But I also know that when you started on the Medifast program, it gave you what you needed at the time, a tool to take that next step into your journey. It gave you structure around your food. Lynn, that is what I need, structure around my food. I need to be able to just open a packet, eat it and move on. No mess, no fuss. I can't be thinking about what am I going to eat next, or have too much variety right now. I need to keep things simple. I have been praying for a way to financially be able to afford to do Medifast. If you choose me, I promise that I will give everything that I have and stick with it the whole time. I want to save my life. I have a wonderful husband who has stuck by me all these years. If it were not for him, well I just don't know. I am tired of not being an active participant in my own life. I don't want to spend the rest of my life stuck in a wheelchair. I want to feel what it feels like to walk without pain again. I want to travel, and help others. I want to stop talking about it and do it. Food needs to not have so much importance in my life, and with Medifast, I think it would be my ticket out of this hell I live in, day in and day out. I need to start from ground zero. I do believe that this program can help me change my life. The Medifast program will give me the tools and opportunity to get my life back. If you choose me I will not let you down. I will work hard and follow the program to the letter. I know that there is no such thing as perfection. But it’s not about want anymore, I need to do this. I am willing to give this program 110percent so I can get my life back. It’s been a long time since I have had these feelings of hope.

Kind Regards,
Linda

I can't believe I won! I am so excited to be able to have this opportunity to jumpstart my weight loss program. I plan to blog about my experience each day once I start the Medifast program.

Today's weight 384.2

Stayed tuned and be well.
Linda