Losing weight means worrying less about high blood pressure, diabetes, breast cancer. Not that those will never happen but I will be reducing my risk factors.

Losing weight will mean less shame and self-consciousness. Weighing over 200 pounds has meant hiding behind baggy clothes, sitting out because of fatigue, not dancing because of the way I look, knowing that my extended family talks about my weight behind my back. I want to be able to get back in the game, not melt into inactivity and premature aging.

Losing weight means looking more feminine, feeling younger, and getting my spirit back.