I now weigh 156 pounds and wear a size 10. That is a total of 49 pounds, 40.5", and four dress sizes since I joined SlimBodyCoach.com. My BMI is now in the normal range at 24.4, and used to be in the obese range at 32.1.

I had several major events happen during this round. First, on March 20th, my daughter injured her toe bad enough that the doctor considered doing a skin graft but decided it would probably heal well enough on its own. It's taken a lot of attention to get it healed properly. It will take another couple of months to heal completely, and then another year for the nail to grow back. Second, my niece, who is two years younger than me, has been fighting cancer for nine years. She was only down for three weeks before she passed away on April 5th, so it was good that it happened fairly quickly. We were really close and she will sorely be missed. Then, on that same day, my Mom called me to tell me that her cancer tests came back positive. It is in her lymph nodes.

So, along with those burdens, stress is still a huge part of my life because of the demands of having a home daycare, having two young children, starting a 100% natural skin care business, getting normal chores accomplished, and dealing with financial difficulties. I decided that no matter how busy I was that I would put my exercise and my meal plan first. I had to overcome old habits and human carb addictions. I also had to change my sleeping habits to get at least seven hours per night. I had to stay focused on my weight goal. I couldn't let the "circle of life" affect my goals. I don't think I would have gotten through it without meditation and prayer, but I persevered and finished.

My favorite product is the Vanilla Cake Batter Matrix Shake. I enjoyed creating new recipes when that first came out. I have posted most of these recipes on the Forum for everyone to enjoy. My second favorite is the Chocolate Caramel Matrix Shake. All the shakes are the perfect meal replacement because they are so thick and creamy, taste absolutely wonderful, and really fill me up. I like to drink a shake 30 minutes after I exercise and whenever I need to cure my sweet tooth. I feel like I can have a treat too when my family has a treat at night. But the best thing is that they boost my metabolism and burn fat so that my BMI will be lowered faster.

The Shakes, Slim Seduction, and CLA Tonalin are an invaluable part of my day. They give me energy, keep me from feeling hungry, and have helped reduce my body fat. Carb Matrix and Lipo Matrix were also vital to use during my splurge meals. I know because I didn’t gain any weight the next day. I don’t ever want to go without them!

At the end of my 12 week Challenge, I had trimmed away 21.5 inches from my body, I lost 65 pounds, I was down eight pant sizes, my cholesterol went from 238 down to 172, my triglycerides went from 111 down to 64, my HDL or good cholesterol went from 50 up to 64, and my LDL or bad cholesterol, went from 166 down to 95. In actuality the changes were probably better than shown, because my starting Lipid profile numbers were from 03/02/06, when I had weighed 230 lbs. I started the Challenge on 1/20/07 at a weight of 244 lbs., so my cholesterol numbers were probably much higher than indicated. As time went by, I was able to increase the speed and intensity of the last 10 minutes of my morning and evening walks, and for the last month I joined a gym to attempt to get back some muscle tone. I was no longer falling asleep or nodding off in the afternoons at work. More proof that the Slim Body Secret plan works to perfection.

I used to shy away from friends and acquaintances because I was embarrassed about being overweight, the way I looked, and the image I projected. I also believed that my weight problem had caused many to avoid me as well. I even felt bad when my seven adult children introduced me to their friends. Now I feel like I'm a new person, I look great, feel great, and I can talk to anyone with pride because of what I've done for myself, with the help of the Slimbody Coach family. I am a free-lance photographer for a high school sports non-profit website, and the embarrassment I've always felt about being over weight and out on the sidelines will turn into pride for this fall's football season. Then there's my wife's summer family reunion--I'll sure enjoy going there--and a wedding in August! I dreaded such get-together's, now I can't wait. This spring and summer, I'll be walking up and down the hills by my home with my grandchildren, without that big gut hanging over my shorts. Being so over weight used to bother me and kept me from having fun, now that feeling is gone forever.

I am 55 years old, the father of seven adult children, and I have two grandchildren. I've had rheumatoid arthritis for over 20 years, and had a hip replacement in 1996. I've been on the diet yo-yo of losing then gaining more pounds back for over 30 years. At the highest weight of my life, I challenged myself to lose more weight than I had ever lost and got back to my high school weight, all in just 12 weeks. I followed the Slim Body Secret plan by eating five mini meals a day, drinking over a gallon of water a day, getting plenty of exercise (treadmill walking), not eating two hours before sleep, and taking Tonalin CLA after three of my mini meals. I used the SlimBodyCoach.com Journals and Forums to receive and give support that has helped so many participants succeed. I am an excellent example of someone of age and with disabilities who was able to carry out the Slim Body Secret plan to perfection.

Even considering all of the above, how many first time members have set such a difficult goal and achieved it, supported many other members, and been such a great example of what the Slim Body Secret system can do for all of the other participating members. Just look at the reply and view numbers on all of my posts, and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone matching my numbers for Round One in 2007. I can't recall ever being supported by a male coach on SlimBodyCoach.com. You could really use a male, say "Coach Tom", who is a great example of how well the Slim Body Secret plan works and knows how to support others. The best reason for why I should be chosen as a winner of this contest is because SlimBodyCoach.com has made me a winner at life and for life.

Many mornings at 4:00 A.M. and evenings after 5:00 P.M., I've had to push myself to my limits because of my rheumatoid arthritis, and the aches and pains that had developed. In the past, the slightest aches and pains would shut me down for days, and sometimes end my entire weight loss attempt. With the support at SlimBodyCoach.com, and early success, I was absolutely sure I could work my way through any problem that came up. I noticed that as problems arose at work, I would just start attacking the problems and finding solutions. In the past, I had sometimes panicked with problems that had come up before working them out. When I would awake and see snow on the ground, I used to become instantly depressed and feared driving to and from work because I lived atop a steep hill. Since starting the Challenge, I warm up the car and go to work not worrying at all.

I am totally confident that having changed my life for the better, with the help of the SlimBodyCoach.com family, I will do a lot of things I've shied away from in the past as well. An example of that is that sometime after week six, I was called about being a singer in a 60's/70's rock and roll band, and we've been practicing ever since. Then I volunteered to give a eulogy for my Uncle John, who died in week 11 of my challenge.

I used Tonalin CLA after three of my five mini meals daily. Every time I had dieted previously, I experienced plateau after disappointing plateau. I believe that the CLA, five mini meals, all the water and exercise, made it so that I did not experience a single plateau until I reached my goal. I found this to be simply amazing. Everything Coach Josh, SlimBodyCoach.com, and GNS suggested worked perfectly for me. It was for me, a life changing experience. I couldn't be more grateful for that experience, and for how it will forevermore better my life.