My defining moment was a combination of things. My Uncle died from Hypertension/Diabetes in early 2002, and then a few months later my Grandmother had a stroke. Shortly after that a friend told about his success with Atkins. So, I decided to go on it. I was already experiencing some of the problems my Uncle had had...If I didn't go on this diet, I would have probably been the next person they put in the ground.

I also wanted to get back together with an old Girlfriend, who I knew in school. She hadn't seen me since I'd gained most of the weight. I was only about 10-20 pounds overweight when we first met. Her Dad moved her to a Religious HS, so thats why we hadn't seen each other in person since then, though I have emailed her a few times.