Stressometer says it's time to try something different!

My name is Carey. I will be turning 39 on June 2nd, and participating in this study is my birthday gift to myself. I am a busy mother of four teenage boys and also have about 250 students that I am responsible for on a daily basis. I have always considered myself fairly healthy, up until about two years ago when I broke my neck and was unable to get up and walk around, let alone be physically active. I lost a lot of my muscle, and all of my motivation to exercise.
Today, I am weighing in at 150 lbs on the nose. I like to have muscle, so it has never been important to me what the scale says, but 150 lbs just doesn’t sound healthy for a 5 foot 3inches tall person. So for me, this is about losing only 15 lbs or so, lowering body fat (which I imagine is somewhere around 36% at this point), and building my muscle mass back up.
I have developed some VERY bad habits over the past few years. My eating habits are atrocious! It is not unusual for me to go two or three days without eating. Because of that, I am exhausted all the time, but I can’t sleep. I sleep about 2 hours per night and it’s not continuous. My life is chaotic. My job is stressful off the charts. So, to combat the fatigue and stress, I picked up an additional bad habit….smoking. I smoke about a half a pack per day, sometimes more, depending on my stress level. My other “drug of choice” is caffeine. I drink TONS of diet soda….like 6 liters per day (no, I’m not exaggerating) and when I’m really dragging, I drink coffee, too! (Diet Coke in one hand, coffee in the other.) Then, the only water I drink is the tiny bit that sneaks up my nose when my boys and I go surfing….which is like…..five times a year. Many times, my idea of a “well-rounded meal” is 2 Bud Lights and a Laffy Taffy (again…..maybe more than 2 depending on my stress level). I know that these habits are not helping the situation.
After reading the first 7 chapters of the book, I have discovered that I am in the “sick” category. My immune system is not working well. My doctor just diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, apparently the result of the bout of Mononucleosis I had, FOR THE SECOND TIME, earlier this year. My vision is acting up and I get a lot of headaches. I’m even starting to have mood swings…. REALLY BAD MOOD SWINGS! To make matters worse, I have a family history that could give the best horror movie a run for its money
I am participating in this because I am fearful that I won’t be around to see my grandchildren if I don’t do something to change.