Solid family ties help thin Idaho mom's waistline

Take a look at your family, and it can be easy to see why bad eating habits are hard to shake. If you're constantly surrounded by people who pile on the portions, it can be tough to limit your servings and control your weight.

That's why Sara O'Connor struggled with her weight her entire life. Her family ate huge portions with fatty meats and starches. Vegetables rarely made their way to the dinner table.

Sara's bad eating habits followed her into adulthood. She often snacked on candy, and didn't get balanced nutrition. Her two pregnancies pushed the scale higher, topping out at 318 pounds.

Sara suffered from back and knee pain, and knew it was a matter of time before more serious health issues sprung up.

Worse, she didn't have the energy or stamina to keep up with her two young children. Her weight also made her self-conscious. Sara was uncomfortable meeting new people. And the thought of squeezing into an airplane seat to visit her husband's family in Ireland was horrifying.

Then Sara's cousin came for a family visit. She had also been overweight her entire life, and recently shed over 100 pounds. Her secret: L A Weight Loss.

Sara was shocked by her cousin's transformation. Even more shocking was the fact that her cousin could eat normal foods like everyone else. Sara decided to take control of her weight too, and joined her local Pocatella, Idaho, L A Weight Loss center.

She worked diligently with her one-on-one counselors to change her bad eating habits. Sara substituted red and fatty meats for lean chicken, and added plenty of fruits and vegetables to her meals.

She also made little diet tweaks, such as switching from whole milk to skim milk, and cutting back on candy and ice cream consumption. Determined not to let her children grow up eating poorly, Sara incorporated the healthy changes into her family's diet too.

Sara quickly began dropping the pounds. Her L A Weight Loss counselors kept her motivated when she was temped to cheat. And the L A Lite bars and supplements helped keep her on track by quashing her sweet cravings.

Now Sara weighs 185 pounds! That's 113 pounds down, making her only 20 pounds away from her goal weight of 165. Sara believes that losing weight has changed her life. She has a new sense of self-confidence, and doesn't shy from challenges.

Sara can now fit into cute, professional clothes, and she thinks her new look helped her get a better position in the president's office of a local university. But she's not stopping there. She's continuing to enhance her professional life by taking classes to get her master's degree.

Sara is happier in her family life, too. She has more energy to play with her children, and is glad to see her husband drop weight thanks to her healthy, new cooking style.

Best of all, Sara loves her new life, and is thankful for the motivation her cousin gave her to gain control of her weight. She has shown that while weight problems might be all in the family, so are weight solutions.

Way to go, Sara! Keep up the good work!

Here's Sara weighing in at 318 pounds:



And here she is today, at 185 pounds. Wow! Looking great, Sara! Congrats!



FAST FACTS

Name: Sara O'Connor
Hometown: Pocatello, Idaho
Age: 36
Height: 5'9"

Starting weight: 318 pounds
Goal weight: 165 pounds
Current weight: 185 pounds
Program start date: September 2005

Favorite food: Ice cream.

Biggest temptation: Ice cream and chocolate.

Biggest motivator: Wanting to be able to do more with her two boys.

Biggest obstacle: Trying to find time to exercise while having two kids and a job.

Old eating philosophy: Eating big portions.

New eating philosophy: Eating more fruits and vegetables.

Best thing about losing weight: Getting a better job, and being able to sport professional clothing.

Best weight loss secret learned: Eat lots of vegetables to fill up.