Hi Beth,
Thanks so much for your note. What a wonderful thing to get warm wishes from people I have never met. I am really touched.
I read your profile. We have a lot in common. I am also 43. I have a black lab named Pepper who is my shadow and my oldest, my son, one of my 2 lights (with my daughter) just got accepted to college! We will also get healthy and skinny together!
I read your comments about feeling bad for wanting fast weight loss. Beth - that's what we all want. Even though we are doing this for health, a huge motivation for me, and I am sure for others is to be a "normal" weight so we can live a "normal" weight, free of all that comes from being overweight. Good for you for admitting it. You have nothing to feel bad about.
I hope you get your visit goes smoothly and you will soon be on your way!
All the best!