Michele- Queen of the YO-YO DIETERS
Welcome Sept 29, 2006
I am 43 years old, and have been married for 17 years to my husband Angel. We have no children, but have two dogs, Wilma and Poochie, who are like children to us. I have one niece, Jocelyn, that is also like a daughter to me.
Mine is the story of the habitual "Yo-Yo dieter". My first diet came on a bet from my grandfather around 7th grade in 1976. At that time, I was 5ft 3 in, 150 lbs. He bet me $ 50, that I couldn't get down to 125 lbs. I made it to 130 lbs that year, by basically starving myself. I can still remember sitting in class hearing my stomach growl because I was so hungry. He paid off on the bet, even though I was 5 lbs shy of goal. Little did I know, that this would be the beginning of many more diets to come. 
Upon entering high school, more starvation and excessive exercise followed. As a junior in 1979, I was down to 115 lbs. I remember having to hold my pants up, because they were so big, and yet I thought I was fat!!! Upon entering college in 1981, I was around 130 lbs. When I graduated in 1985, I was up to 175 lbs. I remember moving back home and being horrified that I was so close to 200 lbs. I then went on Herbal Life and got down to 145 lbs by 1986, at which time, I met my husband. I lost track of what happened between 1987 to 1989 weight wise(I may have hit the 200s), but I remember going on Nuti System and getting back down to the 140s or 160s.
Occasion wise, 1989 welcomed the birth of my niece and my marriage. My husband and I eloped while visiting his family in Puerto Rico. Looking back at pictures from this time, I was at a healthy weight for me. In 1990, I walked away from a very active physical job and was unemployed for a few months. When I started a new job in 1991, I was over 230 lbs. By 1994, I was up to 319 lbs! 
I went to a nutritionist and proceeded to get back to around 250 lbs. I ended up getting pregnant for the first time and having a miscarriage. Depression led me right back over the edge with my weight. From 1996 to 2001, I joined Weight Watchers many times and quit after a few months.
In August of 2000, my sister Lisa and I joined Weight Watchers and were pretty successful. By March of the following year, our losses were 67 lbs for me, 35l bs for her. In April of 2001, by dear brother Mike, who was only 39 at the time, died of a massive heart attack. He was the King of Yo-Yo dieting. Mike had lost and gained 100 to 150 lbs more times than I can remember. As much as we told ourselves, and promised my dad, that we would not put the weight back on, we did! In February of 2003, came more bad news, stress and weight. Within a week of each other, my 60 yr old mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and my 13 yr old niece was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. They both went thru their perspective treatments and have been cancer free for 3 years!
We returned to WW, in March of 2006, just before the 5 year anniversary of Mike's death. I had regained the 67 lbs, plus an additional 20 lbs on top of that. I was at my all time high of 339.2 lbs!
As of today, September 29, 2006 I have lost 74.4 lbs on Weight Watchers and my sister has lost 45 lbs. I have come a long way, but have much further to go. I try to concentrate on 10% at a time. The big picture would just be to overwhelming right now. I am hoping this will be the last time I need to join. I am optimistic, that this will be a life long change for me and I will finally succeed.