You just don’t know where someone has been or what their life is like. This is just one example.

How did you get your first bike? Did you get an allowance as a child? I didn’t get an allowance. My parents told us that we were a family and we needed to work together to make ends meet. Our allowance was food on the table and a place to sleep. I got my first bike by saving money from birthdays, working as a paper route sub, and baby-sitting.

How did you get your first car? I was lucky enough to have my parents sign a bank note for $800, I had my first car loan. I worked a lot of hours while in high school to pay off that loan and to save for college.

I paid for college. No my parents were not able to help me with books or tuition. I was lucky to live with them while studying and working. It took me a few years to get my associate degree but I got it free and clear. Going away to college was a dream that I couldn’t afford. Cutting loose and partying is something I kind of regret not doing but it was a good choice to stay at home and work.

Working is something I have done since I can remember. I learned the valuable lesson of buying what you can afford. Sometimes it takes a long time to save.

How old is your car? Mine is over 9 years and has over 136,000 miles on it. I take good care of it and it is running like a champ.

Someday I’m going to be driving a BMW or something else that is nice. I’ve been saving a long time. Think what you want but not all people with nice things are jerks. Not all people are just given things...some work really hard and can afford them and appreciate them.

It is time to make a deal

The deal is the facts. Yes, the honest truth is the deal. I have a difficult time losing weight. My resolve is strong, I like to exercise, and my diet is healthy. Now is the time to write it down and figure it out. I have a polar heart rate monitor that tracks my exercise and a new app for my phone to track calories eaten.

The plan is to workout at the gym 2-3 times a week and burn 1,000 calories each visit. In edition to the gym I want to add 1-2 workouts at home or on the weekend. My goal for total calories eaten is 1,200-1,500 daily. I would like to follow this plan for a month and see what happens. If I lose weight no further action is required. This will mean that I’m back on track. If not, back to the doctor. The last time I lost weight I had to follow a special very low cal diet that I got from a naturopath. I don’t want to do that again unless it is necessary. I’m so afraid of becoming anorexic. I get very frustrated with my situation and feel so out of control. The only way I feel in control is to eat very little. I know that is not healthy.