I was always on a diet as a child, teenager and young adult. I would eat small amounts of healthy food in front of family and friends, but I hid food and would eat a huge amount in secret. As I got older and left home, I turned to food for comfort in response to boredom and pain. I struggled with depression, anger and rage. As a result, over the course of a few short years I reached 283 pounds. Through all these years, I kept dieting and doing strenuous exercise to lose the weight, but the more I tried the worse it got. Then I heard about Weigh Down and ordered The Weigh Down Diet book. I devoured the book instead of food. I learned about the basics of hunger and fullness and looking to God to fill me up instead of the food. From January of 2006 through November of 2007 I lost 160 pounds, and went from a size 26 (4X) down to a size 4. My doctors were amazed and took me off harmful diuretics needed to maintain my blood pressure as well as inhaler prescriptions and puffers I had used for chronic asthma for over 15 years. My cholesterol went down over 80 points without using medication—merely by reducing my food intake. The pain in my hips from Bursitis and swelling achy knees and feet that I had experienced for so long no longer caused the daily pain I had been under! No more swelling ankles or hands. I was able to walk, skip and dance for the first time since high school! I now stay the same size while eating small amounts of delicious food like I did when I was a child!