| Hi and welcome to the forum! I am new here also, and in a similar situation to you. I am 48 years old and I had gained 50 pounds in the last few years while going through menopause. I also had smoked 1 1/2 to 2 packs of cigarettes a day for the last 35 years. Suddenly in March of this year I got the urge to quit smoking. Added another 15 or so pounds! So here I am. My husband and I both have decided that it is time that we change to a healthier lifestyle. So we are eating differently and we joined a gym. I am still not smoking and I have lost 24 pounds. We both feel so much better. I am looking at it as a lifestyle rehab rather than a diet. I do want to be down to my goal weight by my 50th birthday however. I would love to turn 50 healthier than I have been for 30 years, and that is my ultimate goal. | 
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