Melissa lost 49 inches & 140 pounds!

Melissa Dischert
St. Louis, Missouri
Age: 27
Height: 5’9.5”
Inches lost: bust 15; waist 17; hips 17

Biggest obstacle
Finding the time to work out as a single mom. I have a treadmill at home and work out while my son is asleep.
Weekly exercise program
Walking or Running; 30 minutes/ 3-5 times a week
Eating philosophy
I follow the Jenny Craig eating plan that calls for 5-6 small meals throughout the day.
What I learned
-Skip the scal.
-Size matters. I look at my size 28 jeans as a reminder everyday!
-Find the right workout for you. Don’t settle for anything, do something that works best for you.

Whenever I had a bad day, nothing soothed my hurt feelings better than a plateful of cookies or a bag of chips. Because I didn’t exercise, this unhealthy habit led to the pounds building up and by the time I started college, I weighed 300 pounds. On the outside, I looked happy and confident, but deep down inside, I knew I wasn’t healthy and needed to change. The thought of losing 100-plus pounds was daunting and frankly, I was too lazy to change.

A year after graduating from college, I became a single mother to a wonderful little boy. When my son was a year old, I had ballooned to 330 pounds. That’s when my father (who was active and fit himself) commented that at the rate I was gaining weight, I would never be the type of mom who would keep up with her son and in fact, I probably wouldn’t be around to see my son grow old. I was hurt deeply, but I knew he was right.

The next day, I decided to get started on my mission to lose weight. I knew I needed some guidance, so I went to the local Jenny Craig center. At the center, I was assigned a counselor who helped me establish a healthy weight-loss goal. Instead of focusing on a number, I decided to work toward getting down to a size 14 (I was wearing a size 28 at the time).

With Jenny Craig’s prepackaged meals, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, I started to eat every two to three hours. (In the past, I would not eat for hours and then end up famished and overeat.)

Because exercise was crucial, I talked to my dad about getting started on a program. When he saw that I was serious, he bought me a treadmill so I could walk in my living room. This was the perfect for me because I didn’t have to worry about finding child care. I walked for 15 minutes 2-3 evenings a week after putting my son to bed. In just three months, I had lost 45 pounds. This accomplishment showed me that I could actually do it. I joined a gym and started a weight-training program with my dad. I also met with my weight-loss counselor each week to check in and make sure I was getting the right nutrients. I continued to lose 5-10 pounds a month and a year later, I was 80 pounds lighter.

Day by day, I felt awesome. Not only did I have more energy, but doing small, everyday things, like being able to cross my legs or walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded was a joyous celebration.

Twenty pounds later, at 230 pounds, my sister-in-law invited me to join her for a run. After losing 100 pounds, running seemed like a dream come true. We started to meet at 8 a.m. every morning with our kids buckled in their strollers and worked out.

It took me three years to reach my current weight of 190 pounds. I now wear a size 14 and I love that I don’t have to buy clothes in plus-size stores any more. After losing 140 pounds, I can’t imagine being heavy ever again. I’ve learned that feeling fit is amazing and as long as I keep following my healthy new habits, I will be this way for the rest of my life.