This Former Chef Lost 156 Pounds and KEPT It Off!

Before: 307 lbs.
After: 151 lbs.
Program Used: Weight Watchers

Since our first story: LaDawn relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, and faced the challenge of keeping healthy during a move. “I gained 10 lbs. in the process,” she says. “I had to pack my kitchen tools, so I ate a lot of fast food.” Keeping active was tricky, too, because her elliptical machine didn’t fit in her new home. She works around this by sneaking 30-minute walks into her lunch break. “I’ve noticed that working out during lunch causes me to make better food choices later in the day because I don’t want to ruin the good work I’ve done,” says LaDawn.

Tricks and treats: Now that she has settled in, LaDawn hopes to get back down to 150 lbs. “I’ve been stricter about keeping to my Weight Watchers points, using tricks to cut calories: I substitute turkey for pork, avoid rice and always add a green vegetable to my plate,” she says. And what about splurging? “I don’t need a piece of cheesecake — I know what it tastes like,” says LaDawn. “Eating it will not get me back to where I want to be.”

Her secret motivator: “I try to keep a pair of my big granny panties at arm’s reach to remind myself that I don’t want to be that size ever again!”

Weight Steady: "Don't go overboard with the scale; it will mess with your mind. Pick one day a week to weigh yourself and stick to it."

No looking back! Meeting new friends reminds LaDawn of how far she has come: “People say, ‘I can’t imagine you weighing 307 lbs.,’ which is the best compliment.” She feels more confident in her job in customer service at Time Warner, too. “I volunteered to make a presentation in front of a group of co-workers,” she says. “Before, I would have been afraid that they were looking at my backside!” Best of all, she’s ready for new adventures. “If someone says, ‘Let’s go bungee jumping,’ I’m up for it!” source: quickandsimple.com