Best friends through thick and thin

Remember Thelma and Louise? That's what I thought of when I heard this weight loss story!

Becky Sanders and Ruth Stockell of Nashville, Tenn., are a pair of peas in a pod -- best friends since childhood. They did everything together, from going to school, to playing outdoors, to gaining weight.

Becky was also hypothyroid, which slowed down her metabolism and made her more susceptible to weight gain. That was enough to give her high blood pressure, and her doctor put her on medication to treat both conditions. By then, she had hit 225 pounds.

For Ruth, it was getting laid off at work that pushed her over the edge. She turned to food for comfort, and chocolate was her worst enemy. At 303 pounds, she became unsteady on her feet, and felt very unhealthy.

Then Becky and Ruth saw an ad on TV for L A Weight Loss in September 2005. They said to each other, “If you do it, I'll do it.” They called the Hermataige center, and told the counselors they were in this together. That day, Becky and Ruth formed a “buddy system” to lose weight -- and never looked back.

The friends cooked together, discussed their eating habits, and kept tabs on each other's progress. If one was having a bad week, just a few words of encouragement from her best friend was all she needed to keep going.

And Becky and Ruth have fabulous results to prove it. Becky has lost 79 pounds, and is down to 146 pounds. And Ruth is now at 192 pounds, losing 111 pounds so far. In total, the friends have lost 190 pounds!

Everyone around Becky and Ruth are noticing the beautiful ladies. Becky's friends and family compliment her on her fabulous new body, and Ruth and her ex-boyfriend are now dating again.

The gals also enjoy going shopping together, and feel younger and more vibrant now that the excess weight is gone. And how could you not? Congrats, ladies!

Want to hear more? I sure did, so I got on the phone with Becky and Ruth and chatted about their weight loss story. Listen in, and find out just how powerful a friendship can be!

This is Becky before, at 225 pounds:



And here's Becky after, at 146 pounds! Looking fabulous!!



FAST FACTS:

Name: Becky Sanders
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Age: 42

Starting weight: 225 pounds
Goal weight: 121 pounds
Current weight: 146 pounds
Program start date: September 2005

Favorite food: Salads.

Biggest temptation: Fast food.

Biggest motivator: Her best friend, Ruth Stockell.

Biggest obstacle: Feeling depressed.

Old eating philosophy: Eating fried and junk foods.

New eating philosophy: Steaming vegetables and baking foods.

Best thing about losing weight: Getting compliments about how good she looks.

Best weight loss secret learned: Don't cheat. Just do what you're supposed to do, and the plan will work.



Here's Ruth before, at 303 pounds:



Here's Ruth after, at 192 pounds! Way to go!



FAST FACTS

Name: Ruth Stockell
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Age: 45
Height: 5'3”

Starting weight: 303 pounds
Goal weight: 140 pounds
Current weight: 192 pounds
Program start date: September 2005

Favorite food: Mexican dishes.

Biggest temptation: Chocolate.

Biggest motivator: Her best friend, Becky Sanders.

Biggest obstacle: Getting past the sweet cravings.

Old eating philosophy: Eating fried chicken, potato chips, lots of bread, and chocolate.

New eating philosophy: Cooking chicken, vegetables, and other healthy foods in her crock pot.

Best thing about losing weight: Not hating herself when she looks in the mirror.

Best weight loss secret learned: Don't look at it as if you have to lose X pounds. Look at it in 10-pound increments, and you'll find it's much more manageable!