Tag Archives: true weight loss

Noel Rich Lost 60 Pounds By Making Good Choices Part of Her Daily Routine

Noel Rich has a story that many people can relate to. As a self-described, “chubby girl” throughout her childhood, she accepted her “large frame” as the way she was simply destined to be, but after she graduated high school and got married, she added another thirty pounds.

Today, though she has struggled with setbacks and pushed her way over many plateaus, she’s been successful in losing 60 pounds and keeping it off. She was recently diagnosed with celiac disease which has her switching up her diet once again, but she’s determined not to let this new challenge get in her way or sabotage all the weight she’s lost.

Heather Martinez Walked, Boxed and Kicked Off 185 Pounds

Heather Martinez spent many years adapting to her weight gain instead of addressing it. Heavy since elementary school, she remembers not being able to participate in sports or other activities. She admits she would eat her lunch and then eat what was left of her friend’s lunch too. After school she chose fattening snacks like cookies, chips and candy. Her weight struggle progressed through junior high and high school, eventually reaching 326 pounds.

Today, Heather is 185 thinner and has maintained the loss for several years. She wants her story to inspire others saying, “You can begin to live healthier at any point in your life. You have the power to change at any moment.”

Jessica Crow Shed 160 Pounds When She Stopped Being the Victim of Her Story and Became the Author

On the Facebook page, Full Length Mirror, where she chronicles her weight loss journey, Jessica Crow recently posted this: Stop being the victim of your story and start being the hero. After all, you are the author. Jessica knows a little something about self-blame. At one time she weighed just shy of 300 pounds and was very hard on herself because of it. That is until she realized she was worthy, of happiness, true love and good health.

Joseph Vindiola’s 241 Pound Weight Loss Started with Atkins

Joseph Vindiola’s story is one that many of our readers can relate to. He had been overweight most of his life and still remembers the bullying and ridicule that eventually led him to drop out of school. Even though friends, family and even his doctor expressed concerned about his health and asked him to lose weight, he wasn’t ready. He knew he wouldn’t be successful until he made the decision to get healthy for himself. The day he woke up and said, “This is enough,” he started his journey with the Atkins diet.

Joseph reveals more about his journey in today’s true weight loss story –

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? As a kid I was sick a lot and wasn’t allowed to do any physical activities. I come from a family that likes to indulge in food. As I got older, I stuck to what I knew best. That meant no exercise and I ate what I wanted.

How did you lose the weight? I started the Atkins diet and followed the plan strictly during my first year of weight loss. I stayed under twenty carbohydrates a day. It was very hard for me to adjust my lifestyle, but I pushed through. I’ve also made other changes including not drinking soda. I still continue the Atkins lifestyle on the maintenance stage. It has changed my life.

(more…)

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Dani Stone

Devin Alexander Lost 70 Pounds and Became a Bestselling Cookbook Author

Today, cookbook author,Devin Alexander discuses her inspirational true weight loss story. After struggling with loss at a young age, Devin turned to food for comfort. She remained overweight until she learned that cutting a small amount of calories can add up to a big loss. Below, Devin tells more about her struggle, the epiphany that changed her perspective, and how she’s using what she learned to help others

Tell me when your weight struggles began: I was around 8 when my struggles began in a way that you could see it on me, but I remember eating five whole hot dogs with buns at a church picnic when I was 6 or 7. By the time I was a teen, I was brutally bullied and had a really hard time. I had been on the cheerleading squad in Little League then got chubby by Jr. High and didn’t make the squad, but ALL of my friends did. I desperately wanted to be back on the team but I just kept getting chubbier. All of my former friends were busy going to cheerleading practice and games, and I wasn’t.

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? I had experienced loss as a kid and the fear that others close to me might also die unexpectedly had me turn to food for comfort. Then, after getting a little bit chubby, I was no longer jumping around as a cheerleader or in other active ways – mostly because it’s just not fun when you’re heavier. Once things spiraled out of control, I didn’t know how to fix it. I felt overwhelmed.

(more…)

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Dani Stone

Gabi Rose Lost an Incredible 168 Pounds After a Scary Asthma Attack

While gasping for air I told my 4 young children that mommy was going to sleep and daddy was on the way.

The day Gabi Rose uttered those words to her children, she was pulled over on the side of the road, gasping for breath during a serious asthma attack. It was a moment that stayed with her long after she regained consciousness. Admitting her weight was causing serious medical setbacks forced her out of the fog of denial. Being alive to take care of her children became her prime motivator.

Now, 168 pounds later, she has not only slimmed down, she’s helped her entire family adopt a new healthy lifestyle.

Shortly after the incident on the roadway, Gabi saw a picture of herself that initially she didn’t recognize. “I saw a picture of a morbidly obese woman sitting on the beach with a baby in her arms staring back at me,” she described. “I was mortified when I realized that the woman in the picture was me.”

Gabi worked in the health care field and had access to “medicinal, health and nutritional symposiums.” She became a student of health, studying the science of nutrition and fitness. She discovered the food her family was consuming was not only fattening, it was downright toxic.

(more…)

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Dani Stone

Kristen White Lost 85 Pounds After Defying the Freshman15

When Kristen White moved away to attend college, she defied the odds by losing 30 pounds instead of gaining the dreaded, “Freshman 15.” Faced with a new routine, different foods and, “more natural movement around campus,” Kristen lost weight without really thinking about it. The epiphany that she could lose weight without fad diets and by simply eating in a more mindful way, gave Kristen the motivation to lose more. Now, 85 pounds thinner, she’s excited to focus on her next learning experience, a new baby!

Family strife can have a profound effect on the way we take care of ourselves. Kristen’s parents divorced when she was just nine years old. She recalls this life event being the catalyst for future years of emotional eating. “I didn’t know how to manage all the emotions that stirred up,” she explained. “I did a lot of comforting myself through food. This became a habit that took years to break.” She tried losing weight in high school, but the diets never stuck.

After losing 30 pounds during her first year in college, Kristen felt empowered. For real weight loss, she focused the following:

Getting healthy on the inside; healing old wounds was a huge factor of success for me.
Learning to eat more mindfully (i.e., eating when I was hungry, stopping when I was full).
Learning about food and nutrition so I could understand what would be healthy for my body.
Learning to exercise in a way that I enjoyed.

(more…)

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Dani Stone

Ramani Durvasula Lost 81 Pounds When She Jumped to the Dirty Plate Club

When Ramani Durvasula’s young daughter became ill, she took stock of her life and realized that her daughter’s condition may be out of her control, but her personal health was not. As a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, Ramani was in tune to why she was overweight, she just needed a new perspective. By adopting some “old school,” habits, Ramani lost 81 pounds.

As the mother of four children, Ramani noticed the creeping-on of weight over the years. She attributed it to less activity, not being mindful of what she ate and the common pitfall, emotional eating. “I used food as a one stop shop – lover, friend, numbing agent, celebration tool, kleenex – just about everything,” she said.

Like many women, Ramani thought she knew what she weighed but after a frustrating night preparing for a date with her husband, she began to wonder. “I knew I had put on a little weight, but figured I should be able to toss on some oversized garments my mom brought me back from India,” she explained. “I put these big tent clothes on and dress after dress ripped. I was mortified, sad and confused. I stepped on a scale – assuming I would weigh in at about 160 pounds. I stepped on and it registered 202 pounds.”

(more…)

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Dani Stone

Alisa Gonzalez Lost 67 Pounds with Bob Greene and Cardio Barre

“I’m not sure what changed, or where I found the strength to start, but in May 2024 I went on a diet.”

In 2006, Alisa Gonzalez watched her mother succomb to congestive heart failure, one week after her 73rd birthday. Like her mother, Alisa struggled with obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and she was also a borderline diabetic. Eight months after her mother died, Alisa simply got tired of heading down the same path. Now, she’s 67 pounds thinner, and helping others find the strength to get healthy.

Like many people who come from a family that seems to be genetically predisposed to obesity, Alisa says being overweight was just the norm, “Every female person, on my mom’s side of the family, is overweight in varying degrees,” she explained. “Although I didn’t like being overweight, it didn’t bother me – it’s just who I was.” Instead of trying to offset her unlucky genes, Alisa did the opposite. “I loved eating junk food, fried and high-fat foods,” she admitted. “I was never an “over-eater”, however, I made very poor food choices and I NEVER exercised. I wanted to eat whatever I felt like eating, even if it meant that I was going to be fat.”

“I have tons of energy and my digestion issues have vanished. Now, I eat for health.”

Alisa started her weight loss journey by following the Bob Greene Best Life Plan. By eating 5-6 small meals each day including foods high in fiber and protein, she was able to stave off hunger pangs. She also cut out diet soda, which she admits to drinking a lot of. In addition to eating smaller meals, Alisa learned to eat foods that were good for her body. After suffering with stomach and digestion issues, she consulted with a doctor and holistic nutritionist who encouraged her to eliminate gluten, dairy and animal protein from her diet. “It’s absolutely amazing how wonderful I feel,” she said. “Now I eat lots of beans, lentils, quinoa, fruits, nuts, nut butters, and tons of vegetables.”

(more…)

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Dani Stone

David Diaz Shed 100 Pounds in 6 Months by Being Accountable

When David Diaz was a child, a debilitating asthma attack sidelined him from strenuous activity for a brief period. Once the asthma was controlled, he was reluctant to resume his normal level of play, fearing another attack. This downward spiral of fitness, combined with a reliance on sugary soft drinks and fast food, only compounded his weight gain. Though it’s taken David many years to learn how to eat well and take care of himself, now he’s committed, accountable and has 100 fewer pounds on his frame to show for it.

After a modicum of weight loss success in college, David soon fell back into old patterns. “It wasn’t long before I treated food the way some people treat cigarettes or alcohol, namely as a way to feel better,” he admitted. “From there I just got worse and ballooned to my maximum weight of 280.”

During this time, David felt so uncomfortable in his own skin that he rarely allowed himself to be photographed. When he saw a photo that had been taken without his knowledge, he was dumbfounded. ” To them it was just a photo of me, but to actually see myself in that way, my gut as wide as it was, my face all puffy; I couldn’t believe I’d allowed myself to get that fat.” That was the turning point.

(more…)

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Dani Stone

Josh Steele’s 250 lb Weight Loss: Inspired by Biggest Loser, Achieved Through Hard Work

The Biggest Loser is a popular show about average people who have not been successful losing weight by themselves. They see the show as both a last resort, and a second chance. Thousands try out each year but only 16 make the cut. Josh Steele knows all about this process. He’s been writing to the Biggest Loser for years, but was never chosen for the show. What happens to BL contestant hopefuls when they don’t make the cut? If you’re Josh, you embrace the old-school motto, “eat less, move more,” and by doing so, Josh lost a phenomenal 250 pounds! This is his story.

At nearly 7 foot tall, Josh Steele is a man who can afford to carry a few extra pounds and still be healthy, but the day he weighed in at just shy of 600 pounds, he knew his height couldn’t compensate any longer. Always a big strapping lad, he said he didn’t even really notice the weight coming on because it happened so gradually. “I think back and realized I just became lazy,” he confessed. “Partying and late night eating caught up to me.”

(more…)

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Dani Stone

Tag Archives: true weight loss

Advertising Disclosure