Women share their stories: How I lost 100 pounds

If you have more than 100 pounds to lose, chances are you’ve tried simply eating healthy and exercising, without much success. Today, real women who have beaten the battle of the bulge are sharing their secrets with us!

Meet Gina

Gina, a health coach for Take Shape For Life, and her now-husband Joe pushed their wedding date back a solid two years in order to lose weight. They told family and friends they were “saving money,” but in reality they were unhappy with their weight and didn’t want to spend thousands on wedding photos knowing they wouldn’t want to look at them. Gina struggled with her weight for more than 15 years and felt miserable overall on a day-to-day basis. Her work suffered due to her lack of confidence in herself.

Gina and Joe tackled their weight loss goals together. She’s lost a massive 108 pounds to date and he’s lost 95 pounds. They encouraged each other and held each other accountable. There really is no magic pill to make you thin (if so, we’d all be skinny!), but having a partner to go through the journey with makes it much more enjoyable.

Meet Stephanie

Stephanie was 242 pounds when she gave birth to her son in July 2011 and now weighs less than 150 pounds. Though her weight has gone up and down a bit over the years due to stress, she’s found a relatively simple plan that works for her and her lifestyle.

Stephanie ate healthy when she was pregnant, and went back to that diet in order to shed the pounds. She ate lean meats like chicken and fish, with fruits, veggies, whole grains and natural juices. She regularly does natural herbal cleanses, and get this — she hasn’t set foot in a gym since giving birth to her son! Stephanie is living proof that weight loss is 80 percent what you eat.

Meet Haley

Haley weighed 280 pounds at one point and now weighs a healthy 170 pounds. It took her just one year to lose the weight. Haley never had issues with weight until a knee injury in high school forced her to live a sedentary lifestyle. She went on to gain the “freshman 15” in college, followed by even more weight from the stress of grad school. Like a lot of us, she felt there was always something more important to give her time and attention to than herself.

Her old diet consisted of fast food, nightly desserts and plenty of carbs. She began following the Atkins diet of fresh veggies and lean meats, and has ditched her former fast food ways. When she’s craving something sweet, she reaches for nuts, seeds or Atkins bars. Haley also makes it a priority to stay active and on the go. Her favorite activity is walking.

We hope these stories have been encouraging for you. These three women lost weight by committing themselves to a plan and sticking to it. Whether you wish to follow a strict diet like the Atkins or would love to have an exercise buddy to motivate you, do it now! Life’s short — and there’s no better time to start taking care of yourself than now.

More on losing weight

5 Weight loss tips without a diet
Summer slimdown: 7 simple tips to lose weight
Long-term weight loss tips