I remember walking into Dr Moore, my endocrynologist in early January 2010. At the time, I was taking two medications (including insulin) for diabetes, two medications for high blood pressure and a medication for cholesterol. All told, I was easily spending over $100 a month on medications and not including the quarterly doctors visits, lab tests and other tests. Dr Moore looked at my last lab results and asked, "Which do you want to do, the surgery or try a diet." I chose the diet. I was 55 and I knew to many people who had the surgery and either had complications, or had regained much of the weight. I weighed in at 406 lbs at the time of the doctor visit. So later in January, I attended the HMR orientation, and signed up! There has been no looking back. I did the decision free for about 14 weeks, moved to the health solutions for about another 12-14 weeks and I am now on Phase II and still losing weight. I still stick to the healthy solutions program and I am finding now that I have been on the program so long that it I am finding it to be more natural to choose healthy, low calorie foods when shopping or eating out. I have been off all my medications for a year now, and the only doctor visit is for my annual physical. I feel healthy, and great and I feel like I am missing something if I do not do some form of physical activity on a daily basis.I travel a lot and I am not shy in asking hotel restaurants to fix me something not on the menu that is healthy. They have never said no. In fact in Atlanta, one hotel liked how one dish they prepared for me so much they decided to add it to their regular menu. I am now a member of the National Weight Loss Registry. The people I work with are amazed and suddenly there has been an increased interest on their part to do more healthy foods at our little office parties and when we go out. I enjoy being in Phase II and I have told my group that as far as I am concerned, I will be a lifer. I have heard to many stories about people leaving HMR at some point, and then after gaining much of the weight back, they end up coming back again. So, why leave in the first place?