From my Ladies Home Journal blog:

This post marks the one year anniversary of my joining Jenny Craig. Sure – it’s posted two days too late – but I’ve had other things on my mind. Some of the other New Year-New You winners have posted their blogs already, and I thought I should probably mark the occasion in some way as well. This will also mark the last day I’ll be posting to the Ladies Home Journal web site. Anyone wishing to follow along my weight-loss journey can do so at my personal blog – www.willosweb.com.

It has been an interesting year to say the least. The excitment when we all first won the prize, the bit of confusion when we found out only 5 of us were headed to Beverly Hills, the reality that we were going to be learning the tools we’d need to take back control of our eating, and the every day struggles to stay on program! I am very proud of my “Paradise Sisters” – as we’ve grown to call ourselves. While some have lost a bit more than others – we’ve all survived through this crazy year and are much stronger women because of it!

When I took a look back at my year I was at first disappointed that I hadn’t worked harder at losing weight. But as I was thinking today – this year … this journey … has been about far more than just losing weight. It’s been about me coming to peace with myself, to heal my mind and my spirit. I often reference things I see on TV .. I watch far too much of it .. but I watch a new show called Eli Stone. On it was a man dieing from cancer, who claims that God told him to stop chemotherapy and live his life. He said that it wasn’t so much a voice he heard, but a feeling of overwhelming peace that had come over him. That he had prayed for an answer – and when the response came it lifted a weight from his shoulders and he found his peace.

That’s the way I feel at the end of this year. I’ve found my peace. I made a tough decision to stay here in Florida with my son … it’s where we both belong. I know this without fail now … this is where I am meant to be at this moment in my life. I made plans at the beginning of the year … and I am following those plans. They are working out … and I’m starting to feel happy again. I’ll move into the new house, I’ll get my son off to college, and I’ll start looking for work. I’m seriously thinking of doing Temp work so that I have a flexible schedule. I’m also seriously considering working for Jenny Craig .. if they’ll have me.

I lost 40 pounds over this past year, and I have 105 pounds to go. If I lose 50 pounds by the end of this year I’ll be happy, and then the final 55 pounds next year. I don’t have to lose the weight at rapid speed. I just need to take this battle one day at a time, and in the end I know that I WILL win!

My journey continues with Jenny Craig, as I feel this is still the best way for me to lose weight. Once my son goes to college I’ll have no more junk food laying around to tempt me. The convenience of the Jenny program will work best for me, I won’t have to cook and I won’t have big messes to clean up! When I reach my half way mark I’ll start to incorporate “real food” in to my program. But I know that right now I still have a lot to learn! I’ve still got to make it through one week maintaining 1500 calories a day without snacking on junk food in the afternoons. That is my focus these next weeks. I’m gonna take it just one day at a time!

A huge thank you goes to the ladies at Jenny Craig corporate – for selecting our ten videos and changing our lives. To my local Jenny Craig center for making me feel right at home … and my Jenny consultant for just being a wonderful person. To Ladies Home Journal for hosting the contest, and for the surprise package filled with the magic beauty advice we all can’t wait for – that I am sure will arrive any day! To Charlie – the BEST PR person you’ll ever come across – and my wonderful opportunity on Daytime. It is an experience I’ll never forget! And finally to those 9 other beautiful and strong women who have taken this journey with me. You have all touched my life in ways I can not explain. You couldn’t put together a group more different than we are .. but I think we’ve learned that though our personalities are unique – we are all facing the same battle. I think that bond will be part of my life forever.