Get motivated to achieve your 2012 weight loss resolutions thanks to these 10 amazing real-life transformations
By: Erin C. Hicks
It’s easy to resolve to lose weight come January. The hard part is following through. Research shows only 46% of people are still committed to their New Year’s promise 6 months later. (Search: New Year’s resolutions statistics) But anyone who has successfully lost weight can tell you, it takes time, patience, and a lot of dedication. So it’s important to find inspiration wherever you can. That’s when the following stories come in: These individuals committed to losing weight and eventually dropped 50, 100, even 300 pounds. Read their reflections about what it took to reach these incredible milestones and let their transformations inspire you to achieve your own diet and fitness goals in 2012 and beyond.
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Jennifer Leonard, 37, weighed more than 200 pounds when she graduated from high school, and gained another 100 pounds during her college years at Belmont University in Nashville. At her heaviest, Jennifer weighed a whopping 436 pounds.
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After adopting her daughter, Jennifer started making small changes, cutting out only Dr. Pepper the first week of her diet. She also began tracking everything she ate. Eventually she joined a gym, hired a personal trainer, and was able to lose more than 300 pounds.
Find out how she did it!
Edward Cooper, 44, said his issues with food started as a child. When he was 8 years old, he remembers his father telling him he had to finish his whole plate of food—or risk punishment. He carried his childhood eating habits into adulthood and ballooned to 260 pounds on his 5'10" frame.
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After doing some soul-searching and realizing that food was an addiction, Edward devised a specialized eating and fitness plan that he could stick to. He still eats out at least one meal a day, but uses Eat This, Not That and online menus and nutrition facts to make smarter decisions. One hundred pounds lighter, Edward encourages others to lose weight on his blog.
Michelle Vinson, 42, had been on and off a diet since the third grade. Boredom had always been a trigger for her eating, and as a kid she’d have a book in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. Eventually she reached a high of 316 pounds and suffered subsequent health problems such as migraines and lack of sleep.
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Michelle cut out her morning McDonald’s run and started carrying a lunch from home. She works out for an hour a day, six times a week and has lost more than 160 pounds. With a couple of 5-Ks under her belt, she’s looking to run a half-marathon next.
Find out how she did it!
The first job Paul McDaniel, 42, ever had was working at a fast food restaurant and he’s had a fast food addiction ever since. His doctors put him on five different medications for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and suggested he have gastric bypass surgery to lose the weight fast, or risk full-fledged diabetes.
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Paul and his wife joined Weight Watchers and dedicated themselves to learning—for the first time—how to eat right. Now he loads his shopping cart with fresh fruits and vegetables, and in the process has lost close to 200 pounds. A new man, Paul exudes confidence and is even taking an improv class.
Shelli Charnquist, 50, had her son when she was 30 years old and gained about 70 pounds during the pregnancy. She had never had a weight problem before and was “mystified” about what to do. After divorcing her critical husband, she continued to gain weight, ballooning to 238 pounds on her 5'7" frame.
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Shelli followed Atkins and Weight Watchers to help her get a grasp on her eating habits. Now she’s back to her fighting weight of 149 pounds. She’s dating again and at 50 years old, says she feels better than ever.
Find out how she did it!
Derrick Snodgrass, 24, was easily fatigued and lacked the energy he needed to even walk around at his job as a McDonald’s manager. Diabetes runs on both sides of his family and he didn’t want to end up with the same poor health as his relatives.
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Today Derrick eats balanced meals, tries to limit carbohydrates and sugar, and exercises several times a week to stave off weight-loss plateaus. He lost about 110 pounds and has to set the record straight when people ask him if he underwent gastric bypass surgery.
Find out how he did it!
Just walking across the room would cause Daphne Mills, 40, to break into a sweat. It was so bad that she used to carry paper towels with her everywhere she went. “I’d look like I’d just completed a 30-minute high-intensity cardio workout.”
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Though she can’t afford a gym membership, Daphne pounds the pavement for free or does kickboxing in her living room five or six times a week. She traded in her Golden Oreos and party mix for fresh fruits and vegetables, and is now down to 149 pounds.
Find out how she did it!
After Monica Thayer, 42, graduated from high school, the former cross country athlete says she “got comfortable” and settled into a sedentary adult life, tipping the scales at a high of 258 pounds.
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This fall Monica ran two races: a 10-miler and a half-marathon. Now she runs 5 days a week and lifts weights twice a week for all-over toning to maintain her 153-pound physique.
Find out how she did it!
Once Logan Stringfellow, 26, had her baby, she started an unhealthy routine of eating fast food and watching TV every night. On New Year’s Eve in 2009 she resolved to lose the weight for good and set a positive example for her daughter.
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Logan set small goals for herself at first, such as walking on the treadmill for just 15 minutes twice a week. Slowly she started increasing her time, then the speed. Now the 26-year-old is 100 pounds lighter and feels better than ever.
Find out how she did it!
If you dropped pounds and got in shape, we want to hear about it. Send us your story and photos, and you may appear in a future slideshow.
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