Sonja B. Lost 85 lbs! I've been overweight all my life - always the chubby kid that the other kids made fun of. I can't count the number of times I was called "hippo hips", "thunder thighs" or other hateful names that sent my child-sized self esteem plummeting to the ground. It didn't help that I hated gym class, and I was never very good at sports. I didn't seem to have that ingrained need to move that other kids had - so I was doomed to stay fat. I started my first diet when I was 12 years old. I started at 175 lbs, got down to 155 lbs, then as soon as I started eating normal foods again, I shot right back up and continued to climb. I became extremely paranoid about dieting since I seemed to gain back more weight each time I fell off the program. In January 2003 I weighed 265lbs. At 265 lbs I wasn't really unpleased with myself, but I certainly didn't see myself as sexy, desirable, or even someone that anyone of the opposite sex would ever be attracted to. I was more and more angry with the way that people treated me and the automatic assumptions they made about me because of my size. I felt that most people I met decided what I was like without ever getting to know me. In their eyes, I was just some lazy, fat, slob who took no pride in myself or in my work. I also hated having to take any form of public transportation because my butt never fit in the seats and it was embarassing for me and uncomfortable for those forced to sit next to me on trains, buses, or planes. I was sitting at home sick one afternoon switching through the channels when I came upon The Mommies talking about the SMART Technique. I am a pretty pessimistic person when it comes to infomercials for weight loss (I've always assumed that they hired before/after look alikes), but decided to watch anyway. Listen and lose sounded pretty easy to me - and it DIDN'T sound like dieting, which was great! The money-back guarantee cinched the deal - when I ordered it I was pretty sure I would be taking advantage of that guarantee. When the SMART Technique arrived, I read through all the material right away, and the information in the handbook just made so much sense! The science of it made me feel great about the product right away. I decided to loosely follow the Food Lover's Plan that came with the kit. Although it was hard to eat so often at first, and I really missed my cheese, bread, and chocolates; in the first week I lost 5lbs! As I continued to listen to the CDs, in the first month I lost 10 pounds, and people were already starting to notice and give me compliments. My pants were getting lose, and I felt terrific! I was still worried that I couldn't get to my goal, but I was so encouraged by the strange things happening in my brain: I craved salads, chicken, and didn't miss cheese and bread nearly as much as I did originally; I was hungry five times a day and was not over-eating when I ate; and most of all, for the first time in my life, I wanted to join a gym! For me, this is definitely one of the things that I can absolutely, without a doubt, attribute to the SMART Technique: I joined a gym. One week my friend told me about a new gym opening near our workplace, and I said "No way, I'm not interested", but then the very next week, around the end of week 4 of the CDs I suddenly had to go out and find this gym and try it out! I tried it for a week and even though it was hard work, I kept going back. I couldn't believe that I would continue to have this desire to go to the gym, so I signed up on a month-to-month basis. After two months of going 3-4 times a week, I knew that this feeling wasn't going away. I was proud to sign up for the one year membership I now have. Since January, I have lost 57 lbs and over 40 inches from my arms, legs, chest, abdomen, and hips. I have gone from a size 24 to buying my first pair of size 16 pants in 10 years! When I got to 50 lbs lost, my half-way goal, I treated myself to a day at the spa and a mini-makeover at the beauty salon. I wanted a new cut that would show off the most amazing thing I discovered about my face: I have cheekbones! Nice cheekbones! My face isn't oval at all, it's got a beautiful shape to it. And since that mini-makeover I've been told by everyone I know that my eyes are brighter and that my face is pretty. My doctor told me today that I look ten years younger than last time he saw me, and that I've just done the best thing I could do for living a long, healthy life. Each time that my family sees me they are amazed with the changes they see. People constantly tell me I'm melting away - but I'm not at all worried about this melting! Although I'm still 43 lbs from my goal, I know that I will make it there. One thing that keeps me going is that I have had both friends and strangers stop to tell me how great I look, to ask me how I did it, and to tell me that I am an inspiration to them. This is one of the best feelings in the world! Who knew that I could EVER be an inspiration to anyone for anything, let alone for losing weight and getting fit?? These days, I walk with my head a little bit higher, and with a spring in my step. And when I meet new people, they dont seem so quick to judge me - I think they can sense my accomplishment and my sense of self-pride. I feel attractive, sexy, and terrific, and I have the SMART Technique and all the great support of the SMART Technique chat forums to thank!