Texas woman swaps soul food for sound food

Some families are defined by hair or eye color. For Kendall Seale-Diakhate's family, it was good ol' fashioned soul food.

Food was a source of comfort for Kendall growing up. When her parents divorced during Kendall's childhood, family members consoled her by spending quality time together. It always included heaping portions of rice, butter, macaroni and cheese, and ice cream.

With all the rich servings, it didn't take long for Kendall to balloon. And she felt the pains of growing up as an overweight child. In high school, Kendall felt left out as her friends paired up with boyfriends.

Kendall suffered physically from her weight too. Already diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, her weight led to asthma, which left her constantly tired and out of breath.

She tried a number of diets, but nothing worked. Kendall married, and planned on buckling down to lose weight after her three pregnancies. When she hit the 300-pound mark, however, she knew for the sake of her health, she couldn't afford to wait any longer.

In May 2006, Kendall joined her local College Station, Texas, L A Weight Loss center. She immediately fell into weight-loss sync with the support of her one-on-one counselor.

Kendall learned all about the do's and don'ts of healthy weight loss. She added fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, and water to her diet. She also cut back on her butter, red meat, dessert, and snack food intake.

More importantly, she learned about proper portion sizes. Kendall now eats smaller meals throughout the day. Best of all, she never goes hungry, and never feels deprived.

After two years on the L A Weight Loss program, Kendall has lost 123 pounds. She's not as tired anymore, and her asthma has greatly improved. Things are so good, she's pumped up her exercise regime to her daily routine.

Every day Kendall is getting closer to her weight loss goal of 150 pounds. And when she does, she'll be exactly half the size she was when she began the program! Wow!

Now weighing 177 pounds, Kendall is a much happier and healthier person. Now that she's so close to accomplishing her weight loss goal, Kendall feels she can accomplish anything. Her next goal is to become a fitness instructor, and she's enrolled in a certification course.

Kendall's happiness has extended to her entire family. By cooking healthy meals and encouraging active lifestyles, she's doing everything she can to make sure her own family never has to battle with their weight. Amazing job, Kendall!

Here's Kendall in 2006 at 300 pounds:



And here she is today weighing in at a happy, healthy 177 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Kendall Seale-Diakhate
Hometown: College Station, Texas
Age: 37
Height: 5'5"

Starting weight: 300 pounds
Goal weight: 177 pounds
Current weight: 150 pounds
Program start date: May 2006

Favorite food: Peanut butter and light jam on toast.

Biggest temptation: Not eating off of her children's plates.

Biggest motivator: Feeling healthier and lighter on her feet, and watching the scale go down.

Biggest obstacle: Getting past plateaus.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whatever she wanted.

New eating philosophy: Being aware of everything she eats.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling a sense of accomplishment, and feeling fit and healthy.

Best weight loss secret learned: Eat smaller meals throughout the day, and don't eat to the point of being stuffed.