Holly dropped 80 pounds!

Holly Hathaway
Lake Worth, Florida
Age: 40
Height: 5’1”
Inches lost: bust3; waist 5; hips 4

Biggest obstacle
Planning ahead. Going to the grocery store and stocking up on healthful meals prevents me from eating fast food. I also make appointments with myself to exercise so I won’t neglect taking care of myself.
Weekly exercise program
Weight training: 20 minutes/1-2 times a week; Glider: 20-60 minutes/ 2-3 times a week
Eating philosophy
I eat 4-6 meals a day, each containing 300- 400 calories and filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.
What I learned

-Plateaus are normal. Your body needs time to adjust to the changes. Don’t worry if you don’t lose weight for a couple of months. Stay with it and your body will catch up.
-Get educated. Find someone who can give you unbiased information that you can use.
-Take it slow. You didn’t gain weight overnight, so you can’t expect to lose quickly.

After having two kids in less than two years, I became a stay-at-home mom. I was bored and isolated from my friends, and often ate to pass the time. Food was also my companion when I ended an unhappy marriage. By age 33, I reached my highest weight of 220 pounds.

My turning point came when I realized my size-14 pants didn’t fit me any more. I knew that if I didn’t make changes and lose weight now, I would only get bigger and I didn’t want to go to the store to buy a size 16.

I started by getting advice from my younger sister, who was knowledgeable about nutrition and healthy eating. One of the first things she taught me was how to read a food label and decipher the calorie and fat listings. She also stressed to me the importance of eating 4-6 small meals a day to keep my metabolism in high gear.

When I went to the grocery store, I stocked up on plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereal and pasta, and low-fat and nonfat dairy products. At home, I started cooking healthier meals for myself while making my family their usual meals.

Since exercise was key to weight loss, I bought an aerobics glider and exercised on it while my kids were napping or playing. At first, I could barely get through five minutes before I was exhausted, but I did three five-minute workouts a day to build up my stamina. After a few weeks, I was doing 15 minutes a session.

Each time I worked out, my self-confidence grew and the weight came off almost effortlessly. I kept up with my new program faithfully for the next five months and lost 40 pounds. Then I hit a plateau and my weight didn’t budge for several weeks. Frustrated, I went to my sister for advice. She told me this plateau was normal and my body’s way of adjusting to all the changes I had made. Instead of giving up, I needed to stay with my program. I stayed on track and after a total of four months I broke through this plateau and my weight loss restarted. Then four months later, I reached 140 pounds. It had taken me a year and a half but I reached my goal.

Now I love my body and wear skirts and dresses with confidence. I’ve kept the weight off for five years now. The confidence I’ve gained from my weight loss has led me to pursue a singing career. I’ve always loved to sing, but felt too self-conscious to be onstage when I was heavy. Now I get paid to sing in clubs and it’s my second career. My weight-loss journey has taught me that any dream is within my reach.