In my day job, I am the Director of Client Services for a company that delivers and proctors computer-based exams all across the globe. I'm also a wannabe novelist.

I work from a virtual office. I love not having to commute to work every day.

I'm obese for a few reasons. The smallest contributors are the fact that I don't have a thyroid and I have sleep apnea; I'm also an insomniac, so my days tend to run longer than the recommended 16 hours (and therefore I tend to eat more).

The biggest contributors, though, include zero impulse control when it comes to sweets and carb-rich foods. I grew up in a very poor family, and we literally went days sometimes with nothing more to eat than a slice of bread with a little bit of sugar spinkled on it. As a result, through most of my adult life, I've tended to "panic eat".

If the cupboards are getting a little low, even though I'm now in control of when I shop, and I can afford to keep my larder well-stocked, I still freak out and eat everything left in the house as fast as I can.

Two years ago, I topped out at 297 lbs, and I couldn't stand the thought of getting any heavier. I started losing weight by fighting the panic eating and trying to control my portions. The whole thing was pretty hit or miss, though.

Then earlier this year (2014), at 50 years old, I had a stroke. It wasn't a major one, and I've recovered fully, but it scared the crap out of me. So, with my diabetes completely out of control and the threat of another stroke over my head, I've finally really started taking responsibility for myself.

I'm following a strict nutrition plan (not a diet), exercising (a little), working on quitting smoking (almost there!) and just in general having a little more respect for myself. I'm down to 251 lbs as of the date of this entry, and I'm looking forward to a better quality of life going into my senior years.