Tennessee mom discovers fountain of youth

It's amazing what having kids can do to your body. All of a sudden, bulges that never existed are squeezing out from under your clothes. It can be depressing and extremely frustrating when your efforts to lose weight just aren't working.

Kim Duckett of Maryville, Tenn., was once in that boat. She was energetic and active when she was young, cheerleading and playing softball. But after she had kids, her weight problems began.

She gained 50 pounds during her first pregnancy, and didn't lose very much of it. After giving birth two more times, Kim's weight ballooned to 228 pounds.

Being a stay-at-home mom kept her weight in the red. Kim wasn't as active, and always gave into her cravings for chocolate, potato chips, and fast food. Even when she started working again, Kim still turned to high-calorie snacks after work.

Baggy clothes hid an unhappy Kim from the world. She didn't have much energy, and felt terrible about herself. Her knees and ankles also hurt when she walked. Plus, her mom had high blood pressure and diabetes, and Kim feared developing these conditions.

She tried several diets, but her weight only yo-yoed. At age 43, Kim realized she was too young to feel this old. She was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

Meanwhile, Kim's friend Barbara was on the L A Weight Loss plan, and lost a lot of weight. So Kim decided to see if L A Weight Loss could work for her too. She signed up in October 2006.

The personal weight loss counselors taught Kim how to change her cravings so she desired less unhealthy foods, and more healthy foods. She learned how to opt for grilled chicken Caesar salads over pizza, apples instead of potato chips, and L A Lite bars rather than chocolate.

She also ate six smaller meals a day. This made Kim skeptical as she felt she was eating too often. But her thoughts soon changed when she lost 20 pounds after only four weeks!

Kim stuck with the program, and her weight drooped as quickly as it had increased. Total weight loss: 69 pounds on the L A Weight Loss program, down to 159 pounds!

Now, buying baggy clothes is a thing of the past. Kim loves shopping for smaller sizes. Plus, she receives compliments on her looks, which she hadn't gotten in years. Her daughter tells friends and family that her mom is prettier now than ever before!

Kim is also much closer to her husband. They now enjoy hiking in the Smoky Mountains together. She also walks two miles daily, something she couldn't have done at her heaviest.

Kim's energetic, outgoing personality of her youth is back. She feels losing weight has significantly improved her health, and helped save her life. She knows she'll stick with the L A Weight Loss plan to keep her weight low and confidence high.

There's no more feeling old for this mom! Congrats, Kim! Keep up the great work!

This is Kim before at 228 pounds:



And this is the new, younger-feeling Kim now at 159! Looking fabulous, Kim! Way to go!



FAST FACTS

Name: Kim Duckett
Hometown: Maryville, Tenn.
Age: 44
Height: 5'4"

Starting weight: 228 pounds
Goal weight: 160 pounds
Current weight: 159 pounds
Program start date: October 2006

Favorite food: Grilled chicken Caesar salads.

Biggest temptation: Sour cream and onion potato chips.

Biggest motivator: Being encouraged by her husband to improve her health.

Biggest obstacle: Curbing the munchies.

Old eating philosophy: Enjoying lots of pizza, fast food cheeseburgers, and potato chips.

New eating philosophy: Balancing healthy portions of fish, chicken, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling better physically, and loving the way her husband looks at her now.

Best weight loss secret learned: You can eat six times a day and lose weight!