In the last 48 hours, I shared my story with Huffington Post and Daily Mail.
I shared the ups and downs of my weight loss, the on-going journey I’ve been on, and how it has emotionally impacted my life for nearly thirty years.
Then, this morning, I went to a theme park with friends, oblivious for what was to come.
I had no idea how many people would be impacted by reading my story. I kept feeling my phone buzzing in my pocket and finally, around 12pm, I decided to check it.
Thirty new people had liked my Facebook fan page.
Over 800 people per hour were visiting my blog.
And people were sending me personal messages and comments, telling me how my story touched them and how they could empathize with my struggle.
I had no idea so many people shared the same pain. The same joy. The same fight with numbers on a scale.
To my new friends, to my old friends – thank you for your support. I want you to know that you are BEAUTIFUL, inside and out, for showing compassion, kindness, and love to someone you do not know. I am humbled by the messages I’ve received and the personal notes that have been left on the comments section of several of my posts.
You – yes, YOU – are proof that society will one day supersede the superficial tendencies it has adopted and that intelligence, altruism, and acceptance will prevail. Until then, we’ll just have to learn to love ourselves, to nourish and take care of our bodies, and to surround ourselves with genuine people. I’m blessed that I’m on the path to all three.
On that note, bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
The Memoirs of a Yo-Yo Dieter 
I am one of your new followers. I really admire you and admit freely that I am completely jealous you are winning the weight war. It is one I am battling and feel like I am losing. It is a few pounds down, more pounds up. It is exhausting and I just want to win. I want to feel good and look good. I desperately want to be thin.
Don’t focus on being thin: focus on the things you gain through a healthier lifestyle.
* Going up a flight of stairs without getting winded.
* Having your child wrap their arms around you.
* Baking a batch of healthy treats and having everyone ask you for the recipe.
* Running your first 1/2 marathon.
A watched pot doesn’t boil. If you focus *just* on numbers on a scale, they won’t move. Look for other metrics to judge your success, and you’ll see the fruits of your labor much faster.
We’re in this together, C.
~ Tori
You are right. Very right. Guess I just needed the reminder. I do appreciate it so much. It is a long journey and a hard one at that.