Before weight: 225 pounds
After weight: 155 pounds
Height: 5'1"
Age: 43
Roma West, 43, had always struggled with her weight, but when she developed careless eating habits, her weight jumped to an all-time high—230 pounds. “A lot of times I just didn’t care what I ate, and that’s simply what it boils down to,” she says. “When I first got married I ate a lot of fried foods and rarely exercised.” As a diabetic with high blood pressure, she knew gaining excessive weight was risky, but she never found a way to maintain weight loss: “I would diet on and off. I wanted to lose weight but was never serious.” (Related: Keep-It-Off Weight Loss Tips from Biggest Loser Winner Ali Vincent)
The Turning Point
When Roma was 40, her mother passed away from heart disease at age 68. “She grew up eating a lot of fatty foods,” she says. At the time, Roma was being treated for high blood pressure, and she had been taking insulin for diabetes for more than 10 years. Some of her relatives had even lost limbs from the disease. It was time to take her health seriously. “I decided I didn’t want food to be the main reason I left this earth.”
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The Lifestyle
Roma’s doctor suggested she start exercising, so she began working out 3 days a week. She was nervous to exercise alongside more seasoned gym-goers at first, but she quickly found her niche when she registered for a step class. “Years and years ago I had started doing step classes, so I decided to try doing those again. I would go maybe once and twice a week at first.” Today she hits the gym every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for step class, plus every Sunday for an additional workout. “Now I can’t even imagine not going to step class,” she says. (Search: Step class routines)
In addition to getting active, Roma whipped her eating habits into shape. She gave up white bread and fried food and switched to wheat pastas as much as possible. Before dining out she’ll research the menus ahead of time for calorie, sodium and fat content. (Related: Salty Restaurant Foods)
The Motivation
Roma keeps her gym routine on track by going to classes with a neighbor, but she draws the most motivation from her children: “I want to be around for them as long as possible.”
The Reward
“The shopping is phenomenal,” she says. “I’d blossomed to a size 20. To imagine that now I can wear some size 10 clothing is still really crazy.”
Having gone through a divorce, Roma’s slim-down also gave her a crucial self-esteem boost. “Weight loss has helped me build confidence. I don’t think I’m going to be by myself anymore.”
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Roma’s Tips
Make smart food choices. “When I go out to eat I’ll research the menu before I go, because it’s easy to fall back into the habit of eating heavy because you’re working out later in the week.”
Don’t feel guilty. “When I have a breakdown moment I don’t guilt myself. I just make sure I get back into my gym routine and make sure to remind myself why I am doing this.”
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