Canadian woman ditches those three little words

"The heavy one." Those three words can strike dread in the hearts of thousands. No one wants to be the heavy one.

But Heather Elliot was. She struggled with weight her entire life in a family with two skinny sisters. School was no different. Heather always felt she was the heavy one among all of her friends, too.

Once she graduated college, Heather treated herself to months of relaxation and celebration. She constantly chowed down on chips and sweets. The weight piled on.

Then her grandmother -- one of Heather's biggest supporters -- pointed out the young woman's weight gain. That's when Heather decided she was sick and tired of feeling heavy.

She joined her local L A Weight Loss center in Burnaby, British Columbia, in April 2006. But she was devastated at her weigh-in when the scaled tipped to 276 pounds. That convinced Heather to lighten her life.

She immediately connected with her personal L A Weight Loss counselors. Heather felt they understood her, and could motivate her through her weight loss journey, even when she hit a plateau.

Around the same time, Heather's dad was diagnosed with diabetes. So they took on the challenge of transforming their diets together. He offered her tons of support, and his compliments inspired her to keep losing.

Heather went through a complete lifestyle change with L A Weight Loss. She learned the importance of portion control, and didn't even want to eat unhealthy foods anymore. Plus, it became easier to make the right decisions.

Soon her diet was filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and lots of water. And the knowledge she learned at L A Weight Loss helped her make the right decisions when she ate out.

Her dedication paid off in a big way -- 65 pounds, in fact! Now Heather has a whole new life. Her relationships with family and friends are stronger than ever, and she can do all the things she loves.

For example, she has become a better baseball player (which thrilled her coach); rides all the amusement park rides; teaches children with disabilities; enjoys working out; and adores shopping and hiking.

Plus, Heather is enjoying her newfound confidence, which has launched her into the dating world for the first time ever! Best of all, she loves her new body and her new outlook. And she knows that she will never be the heavy one again.

Here's Heather weighing 276 pounds:



And here she is now, looking fantastic and feeling better than ever! Way to go, Heather!



FAST FACTS

Name: Heather Elliott
Hometown: New Westminster, British Columbia
Age: 22
Height: 5'7"

Starting weight: 276 pounds
Goal weight: 211 pounds
Current weight: 211 pounds
Program start date: April 2006

Favorite food: Salad.

Biggest temptation: Beer and chocolate sweets.

Biggest motivator: Seeing constant results with her weight loss.

Biggest obstacle: Cutting out bad foods from her diet.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whatever tastes good, especially sweets.

New eating philosophy: Eating healthy with the right portion sizes.

Best thing about losing weight: Watching her self-confidence skyrocket.

Best weight loss secret learned: Eat smaller portion sizes more often throughout the day.