Look at me.  I mean, take a good, close look at me.

In case you don't know who I am, my name's Marlayne.  Marlayne Goodwrench.  I am now fifty years old, and I am a whole new person--inside and out.

I last wrote five years ago, when I weighed over 450 pounds.  Let's face it: I was a real chubbo.  I was ruining my health because at the time all I cared about was eating (or food).  I had arthritis, was on the brink of becoming diabetic, had high blood pressure, other problems.  I was always sick, or always going to the doctor's for one thing or another.

Now I am half my size: have lost over 200 pounds (and plan on losing more!).  I can get around better, I exercise regularly, and I know the right things to eat.  It was very hard to have to go on a diet; however, I had no other choice.  I was killing myself.

I can walk over 1 mile now when before I couldn't walk 20 feet without stopping to gasp for air.  At night I was on oxygen; I was always air hungry, and the weight only made my breathing problems worse.  It was very scary not to be able to breathe.

One time I had such a bad breathing attack I collapsed.  When I woke up later, I was in the Intensive Care, hooked up to all sorts of monitors and stuff.  I was very ill; I nearly died.  It was only by the grace of God that I lived.

That's another thing.  I have since committed my life to Jesus Christ.  I now attend church every week; get so much out of it.  God has brought me through a horrible time in my life; I'm now mentoring other obese people, sharing my story (testimony if you will) with them, telling them that if I can do it, then by God so can they.

I don't know why I ate so much.  Guess I was bored.  When  I wasn't working, all I would do was eat or sit around, watch television.  Now I attend aerobics class every week, and I walk a mile every day, twice a day.

Best of all, I'm working; have been working now steadily for over three years.  I work at a school for children with special needs, and I absolutely love it!  The kids are all so sweet!  If I could take some of them home with me, believe me, I would, in a heartbeat!

Well, I have to go now.  Am going to get ready to go to bed; want to be fresh for tomorrow.  I have a meeting after work; don't expect to be home until after five thirty when I usually get home by three, four in the afternoon.

I will write in here again soon.  I was thinking about y'all, wanted to let y'all know what I was up to.  As you can see, I've been transformed, not only healthwise, but by God's grace.  I am a living, walking miracle, and I am living proof that with God, all things are possible!

God bless you mightily; He has certainly done a number in my life!

~Love, your friend, Marlayne Goodwrench.

P.S.: I am putting a picture of me when I was fat.  Let's face it: I was gross!!