I joined this challenge and one of my assignments is to list all the reasons I want to lose weight. What do I want to change? How do I want to look? How do I want to feel? What things will I be able to do in the future with a slimmer healthier body?

I want to change my relationship with food: to think of it as fuel for my body instead of thinking of it as something that fills the gnawing in my stomach. If I think of it as fuel, well, I want to put premium fuel in my body, not the cheapest, most convenient thing I can find.

I also want to stave off the diseases that being overweight brings: heart disease, diabetes, the list goes on. So far I have been lucky but I really feel it's a matter of time before those things catch up with me. Unless I do something to prevent it.

I want to feel sexy, and to look good, and to feel good about how I look. I'd eventually like to run a 5K. I had an accident several years ago where my knee cap was shattered and had to be rebuilt surgically, so jogging or running is very hard for me right now -- that high impact hurts. My hope is that once I lose more weight, that will start to get better.