Becky Hallstrom finds herself the perfect pair

Certain things go together. Tables and chairs. Razors and shaving cream. And for Becky Hallstrom, TV and junk food.

Growing up, Becky constantly parked herself in front of the TV, nibbling on snacks for hours at a time. This sedentary childhood led to an overweight adulthood, barring a brief period when she was able to slim down.

However, it wasn't long before Becky's weight began creeping back up. Her old eating habits never truly died, and Becky found herself dining on fried and fatty foods more frequently.

Soon, Becky was tipping the scales at 278 pounds. Her weight slowed her down and made her short of breath. She couldn't keep up with her three kids. Becky felt depressed too, and though she was on anti-depressants, nothing made her happy about her weight.

This led Becky to avoid mirrors and scales -- a habit that caught up with her when she saw pictures of herself on vacation, and was shocked by her size. But she reached her breaking point when a man approached her in the grocery store and mistook her for his sister, who was "big, just like you."

Becky tried countless diets, yet nothing taught her how to eat healthy foods properly. She needed a realistic plan to teach her accountability, and enable her to lose weight and keep it off for life.

When Becky discovered L A Weight Loss in December 2005, it seemed different than the fad diets she had tried. So she joined her local Forest Lake, Minn., center to give it her best shot.

There, she was paired with a personal weight loss counselor who taught her everything she needed to know about a healthy diet. Out were the deep fried dinners and high calorie snacks in front of the TV. In were lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.

Most importantly, Becky learned about portion control. She put an end to eating until she felt sick, and learned how to say no when she became comfortably full. Becky was surprised at how much better this made her feel.

Since beginning her weight loss program, Becky has dropped 108 pounds! She can now shop in any store for cute clothes. And while getting dressed used to be a chore, Becky now finds picking out new clothes each morning is fun again.

Her waistline isn't the only thing that's changed. Her relationships with everyone in her life have improved, and she feels like she can handle any problem.

Plus, Becky's energy level is way up -- so high, in fact, that she ran two marathons this past summer! And she's completely off the anti-depressants, making her feel like she's finally the happy person she was meant to be.

Best of all, Becky's success has inspired her mom and a few friends to join L A Weight Loss too. That's team work, ladies!

Now if you ask Becky about things that go together, she'll say weight loss and happiness. Way to go, Becky!

Here's Becky at 278 pounds in 2005:



Here she is today, looking fit and fantastic at 170 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Becky Hallstrom
Hometown: Mora, Minn.
Age: 37
Height: 5'8"

Starting weight: 278 pounds
Goal weight: 170 pounds
Current weight: 170 pounds
Program start date: December 2005

Favorite food: Seafood.

Biggest temptation: Cheesecake.

Biggest motivator: Going to weekly meetings.

Biggest obstacle: Not eating while watching TV.

Old eating philosophy: Comforting herself with food.

New eating philosophy: Being kinder to herself, and choosing healthy foods.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling good about herself.

Best weight loss secret learned: Endorphins from exercise are addicting.