No family duty too great for Andrea Floyd

Caring for a family is a huge responsibility. But unlike most mothers, Andrea Floyd had double duty as she cared for two. Unfortunately, it left her with little time to watch her own health.

When Andrea was 16, her mother was placed in a wheelchair. Meanwhile, her father suffered from diabetes and her sister from mental disability. Andrea supported them. After she married, her entire family moved in with her so she could continue to help them.

Soon she had a family of her own to care for, too. Andrea juggled raising three children, caring for her husband, and supporting three ailing adults. With little personal time remaining, Andrea became a stress eater, and used her few free moments to grab fast food.

Her waistline grew. She usually dined on fried foods, and had a weakness for all things chocolate. Before she knew it, she weighed 207 pounds.

In 2005, Andrea was dealt even more devastating news when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. But Andrea kept her hopes and determination high, and continued to do her best to fulfill her familial obligations.

After undergoing surgery, she became cancer-free in October of that year. But Andrea still wasn't healthy. Her goal now was to lose weight.

In January 2006, Andrea joined her local Greenville, S.C., L A Weight Loss center. She was paired with a one-on-one counselor who helped her get her diet in check. Andrea cut down on red meat, and eliminated her fast food binges. She also cut down on sweet snacks.

She replaced these L A Weight Loss no-no's with fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and water. Andrea learned how to make smart snack choices with L A Weight Loss biscotti cookies, and starting bringing her Controltrim with her when traveling and eating out.

Andrea also added more physical activity to her daily routine. She started walking her dog every night, and took an extra stroll when the weather was warm.

She also did the little things, such as parking further away from stores, taking stairs instead of elevators, and squeezing walks into her lunch breaks for some afternoon energy.

It's paid off. After one year on the program, Andrea has lost 41 pounds. At 166 pounds, she's only 12 pounds away from her goal weight of 154.

Andrea is thrilled with her progress, and knows that she's done everything she can to ensure she'll be around for her family for a long time. She's so glad she took this extra step to getting healthy!

Her family is also very proud of her, and so are we! Congratulations, Andrea! You're an inspiration, and your family is blessed to have you!

Here's Andrea at 207 pounds:



And here she is today, looking fantastic (and a picture of health) at 166 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Andrea Floyd
Hometown: Greenville, S.C.
Age: 35
Height: 5' 6"

Starting weight: 207 pounds
Goal weight: 154 pounds
Current weight: 166 pounds
Program start date: January 2007

Favorite food: Snack cakes and chocolate.

Biggest temptation: Fried foods.

Biggest motivator: Feeling healthier and looking better.

Biggest obstacle: Resisting eating too many carbs.

Old eating philosophy: Binging on fast food combo meals.

New eating philosophy: Eating more fruits and vegetables.

Best thing about losing weight: Fitting into all of her clothes, and looking better in them.

Best weight loss secret learned: Drink plenty of water.