Margaret Howard sheds stress by the pound

Stress affects everyone, every day. Some relieve it by talking a walk. Others, by listening to music. But many relieve it by eating.

That was Margaret Howard's problem. Whenever she was stressed, she reached for fried foods, ice cream, pies, cookies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She started gaining weight.

One of her most embarrassing weight stories happened on the first day of eighth grade. Her teacher, whom Margaret also had in seventh grade, squeezed her arm and said, "You've put on some weight, haven't you?"

Margaret was devastated. From that day on, she never felt comfortable with herself. She continued to eat regardless of whether she was hungry. By adulthood, Margaret was 250 pounds.

At that point, her knees couldn't handle the excess weight anymore. She needed surgery to replace them. The good news: The scary diagnosis motivated Margaret to get serious about losing weight.

She wanted more than ever to be successful in the rehab program, and improve her quality of life. She decided to join L A Weight Loss in October 2001.

She started cutting out fried foods, butter, and shortening. Instead she used Pam to cook vegetables, and sauteed fresh fish such as tilapia. She also liked to eat apples, plain fat-free yogurt, chicken, and turkey.

Margaret rarely kept cookies in the house, and enjoyed ice cream every now and then. She also always packed fresh salads when she ate out in case the restaurant didn't serve them.

And she recorded this all in her personal weight loss diary, which kept her accountable and prevented her from falling into old eating habits.

The pounds started melting away. Margaret underwent knee surgery two months after joining L A Weight Loss. Her doctor was extremely encouraging, and her post-op therapy went very well.

She continued eating according her L A Weight Loss plan, and attended her local center three times a week. She loved talking to her personal weight loss counselor Lori, who always listened to Margaret's weight loss concerns.

Margaret knew every time she went to the center, she could "unload" her stress, and find help and new motivation to keep losing weight.

Margaret is now 169 pounds -- that's an 81-pound reduction! She has no shame or guilt about the way she looks. She holds her head high, and likes to wear shorts and go swimming. She also loves to play with her 11-month grandson.

Margaret feels her life has direction now, and she doesn't have to struggle with her weight. She knows she has the tools from L A Weight Loss to maintain her weight loss, healthy eating habits, and new stress-free life!

Great job, Margaret!

This is Margaret before, at 250 pounds:



And here's the calm and cool Margaret now, at 169. Way to go, Margaret!



FAST FACTS

Name: Margaret Howard
Hometown: Hopkinsville, Ken.
Age: 60
Height: 5'2"

Starting weight: 250 pounds
Goal weight: 155 pounds
Current weight: 169 pounds
Program start date: October 2001

Favorite food: Chicken and tilapia.

Biggest temptation: Ice cream and cake.

Biggest motivator: Not wanting to return to the way she was.

Biggest obstacle: Overeating from stress, and getting lonely.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whether she was hungry or not.

New eating philosophy: Eating only when she's hungry, and drinking a lot of water.

Best thing about losing weight: Being healthier and feeling better.

Best weight loss secret learned: Write down everything you eat.