I like to think of this post as not bragging about ourselves, but acknowledging our great qualities and the good things we do for people.

I know a few of you have written posts about how you're having some trouble with the site and the message boards, but I want to assure you that if you have taken all the measures on your end, i.e., cleaned your browser of cookies, etc., then our end is constantly working to ensure that you have the best experience whenever you log on to our site.

Now let's talk about the good things Weight Loss Buddy does on a daily basis.

I know that before joining buddy, I had a tendency to think I was alone in my battle with weight loss. I mean, sure, I knew I was not alone, but when you're struggling with your weight, it might feel that way sometimes. Simply knowing there are others out there who have either the same or similar troubles as I do. So that's one thing buddy did for me.

Another thing it did was bring me information. I continue to learn things from our experts and especially from your own blog posts. Buddy has now begun reaching out to those who might not know about on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and I encourage all of you to check us out and add us to your own pages.

But here's what I want to know: what has buddy done for you? What would you say to someone who is not yet on buddy to encourage them to join?

As I was trying to squeeze into one of my favorite pairs of white pants from last year-and let me start by saying yes, they did fit, but no, not as well as last year-it occurred to me that this is the Year of Fat.

What I mean is, everyone I know has gotten fatter this year.

I personally don't look at them and see that they have gotten fat, but I don't know a single person who hasn't said that they are fatter this year than they were last year. In my own closet, it appears that my YOF did not actually happen over one year, but perhaps it was progressive. Two years ago was the smallest I've ever been, and it was also when I bought most of the pieces that make up the current wardrobe I have today. The wardrobe in which 70 percent of the clothes don't fit me anymore. Or maybe it did happen just in one year, as pants I bought last year don't come close to fitting anymore.

Whatever the reason, I got to thinking, why is this?

My co-workers and I were talking about this over lunch, which we have weekly together (which was probably a contributor to all of my co-workers and my YOF) and the idea got tossed around that perhaps this has something to do with the economy. They said that the rise in weight came with the rise in eating out at cheap fast food restaurants.

That is one theory.

Another they came up with is that we are all getting older and that when you get older, you tend to let yourself go a little more. The last theory was that we all have office jobs, whereas we're sitting at the office all day and not getting as much exercise as we have in the past.

With each piece of clothing I try on that doesn't fit, my YOF becomes more and more apparent, but the question remains: do I care? Part of me, a big part of me, wants to seriously take control and do everything I can to slim down into fitting into my entire wardrobe again. Part of me, though, wonders if I'll ever be able to fit into that wardrobe again as I was 21 then, I am 23 now, and possibly my body is just changing as I get older.

When I look in the mirror, I am not terribly unhappy with what I see. Sure, I could lose a few, I think we'd all like to. But, for the most part, I am not disgusted (unless I'm wearing a bathing suit). I  don't love the numbers that I see when I step on the scale, but maybe I should just not step on a scale. Maybe I should keep the weight I have, but tone up a little bit.

So, my question is this: should you try to get back to a place you were two years ago, or be happy with who you are now, as long as you're taking measures to stay healthy, and see what that brings you in the future?