These 4 women lost major pounds, transforming their bodies—and their lives. Learn the secrets behind their success
By: Cristina Goyanes
With beach season around the corner, it's prime time for some shape-up motivation. Who better to turn to than Women's Health readers who successfully lost their excess baggage and gained confidence, happiness, and fit bodies? Here, how four inspirational women accomplished their head-turning trim-downs.
Ready to jumpstart your own diet and exercise plan? Learn how to organize your kitchen for maximum weight loss.
Working in the kitchen of an assisted-living community, Sherise Campbell spent eight hours a day, five days a week surrounded by fries, pizza, pasta, and soda. Ten years into her job, this 5'4" former "skinny girl with no curves" was a size 16. It didn't help that her chef husband, Tafari, worked the late shift and brought home fried chicken or tacos at 10 p.m. that Sherise would share despite having eaten earlier. (Search: The worst restaurant foods.) She ignored her doctor's advice to lose weight until she hit an all-time high of 205 pounds in the summer of 2009.
Because her weight gain was so gradual, Sherise didn't realize just how many pounds she'd tacked on. That is, until she flipped through a photo album from her wedding-anniversary cruise in the Bahamas and spotted a shot of herself in a red halter dress. "Curves are good, but I didn't like the way those curves looked," she says.
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In October, Sherise set sail with her husband on another cruise, and this time she didn't dread the vacation photos. At a svelte 140 pounds, she sported a tankini. "For the first time, I enjoyed buying clothing for a trip," she says. "It felt incredible to buy size-6 shorts." And that dress from the Bahamas? "I can't wear it now—it falls off me."
Bonus: 6 foods that burn off fat
Jessica Whitehead was never one to pass up a good time—especially if food was involved. For years she met friends every night for dinner, ordering the largest sizes and every add-on: extra cheese on her pizza, extra mayo on her overstuffed sandwiches, and a side of chips or fries with her meal. (Learn how to spot the healthiest meal on the menu when you pick up a copy of Eat This, Not That!)
"Eating big and trying everything was symbolic of success and living my life fully—I literally 'lived large,'" she says.
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Today, "living large" to Jessica means hiking, rock climbing, and running 5-Ks. "I'm making up for lost time. I'm not going to waste a minute of my new life," she says. And now that she's 200 pounds lighter, nothing seems impossible. (Have a dream of running a 5-K? Make it possible by following our step-by-step running plan.)
"I've accomplished the one thing I thought I could never do—lose weight and be fit and active and truly healthy—so now I know I can do anything."
When Mary Renwick moved with her husband, Tim, who was in the Navy, from Monroe, Michigan, to a military base in Sicily in 1999, her six-foot frame was lean and willowy. But while Tim worked odd hours at his new job, Mary filled her lonely days with food. "I ate for comfort and indulged in the local cuisine—oily pasta, buttered bread, lots of cannoli," she says. By the time Tim was discharged and they returned to Monroe in 2002, she was 90 pounds heavier and depressed. In the next seven years, Mary gave birth to two boys, which improved her spirits but not her weight.
In December 2009, Mary reached down to pick up her youngest son, Parker, then 5 months old, and felt a stab in her back. A visit to the doctor revealed two bulging disks and a pinched nerve. "When I learned my weight was the main factor in my injury, I decided I could not, would not, live like that anymore," she says.
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"Not only is my back fine, but I also have a strong core and I'm more fit than I've ever been," she says. In fact, Mary has become such an exercise junkie that she may make it a career. "I went from being embarrassed at the gym because I was obese to being asked if I was a personal trainer," she says.
"I still haven't stopped smiling!"
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Despite a family history of type 2 diabetes, Misty Gauthier, 5'5", ignored her growing waistline for most of her life. Exercise seemed like torture, and it was easier to grab takeout than cook for herself. In fact, it wasn't unusual for her to eat out at every meal—a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on her morning commute, junky catered work lunches, and slices of pizza for dinner. She gained 60 pounds over the course of four years, reaching a high of 236.
Bonus: One-day diet solutions
Now that she's no longer carrying around an extra 90 pounds, Misty is healthier, lighter on her feet, and full of energy. "I went from five cups of coffee a day to two, and I feel invigorated instead of exhausted after a six-mile hike," she says.
"I feel accomplished. If I can make this change, anyone can."
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