You were asking in your column what motivates me. This year, it's a silly goal of fitting my butt into The Racers at Kennywood Park. Every year on the second Tuesday of July, it's our community day. Year after year after year, the seat on The Racers got smaller and smaller until last year when I was almost too big to get the seat belt on. I tried not putting the seat belt on, but they caught me. At 36 years old, I had to have some college kid stuff the seatbelt around my gut. My eight-year-old son had no idea what was going on. He just thought there was a problem with the seat belt. I spent the rest of the day moping and upset with myself. How did I get this way? When did this happen? Well, it took years and years to put this weight on. Since Jan. 9, I have lost 19 pounds. Sometimes I backslide and gain a few here and there, but that is my motivation.

The amount of weight that you have lost is amazing and I wish I had read your articles from the beginning.

The other thing that motivates me is getting the bejeezers scared out of me with my triglyceride levels. I've got two sons who I'd like to see grow up and possibly give me grandchildren.

--Shelley Peters