Her Story

I repeatedly gained and lost weight over the years, and continued my bad eating habits. Over time, I reached a point where I gained so much weight that I started having mobility issues. Moving from place to place took a great deal of effort and became very difficult. As I got larger and larger, my world got smaller and smaller. I stopped traveling. I knew when I couldn't get on a plane to go to my nephew's wedding that I had reached my all-time low. I had to do something.

How I Did It

I lost 200 pounds over the course of two years by eating right and exercising. There was no magic solution. I followed recommended guidelines for eating lots of fruits and vegetables, so that I felt full on fewer calories. I was no longer hungry all the time. I stopped eating processed foods, and I threw out all the junk food from my house.

I also started exercising. This was very difficult at first. Eventually, I got up the nerve to join a formal exercise program. I met a wonderful woman there who had lost a lot of weight, and she took me under her wing and encouraged me. I gradually increased my endurance, exercising for 10 minutes,then 15 minutes, and eventually 45 minutes.

Biggest Challenge

Being mindful of the number of calories I'm consuming. I just turned 50, and I cannot eat as many calories as I used to without gaining weight.

Maintaining the Weight Loss

I work my good habits into every day life. I do a lot of traveling for work now, and the places I stay offer healthful food choices, often right next to the waffles and doughnuts. It is possible to stick to a healthy program while traveling. It's all about personal responsibility and personal choice — making the healthy choices, not the bad ones.

The Biggest Thrill

The ability to take 50-mile bike rides. Nothing makes me happier than being able to take long bike rides, when just a couple of years ago I couldn't exercise for more than 10 minutes.

• Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and salads. It is amazing the quantity of food you can eat by choosing foods with fewer calories.
• Eating smaller portions of foods with higher calories. I know that a fist full of nuts is one serving, for example. So I will eat that and not the whole can.
• Getting regular exercise. Now that I'm 50, being active is even more important to helping me maintain my weight loss.