Rachael Wyrick drops 112 pounds and lands a feature in People Magazine

LA Weight Loss's Rachael Wyrick was one of only three women chosen across the country to flaunt her new bikini body in the People Magazine that hits newsstands today!

Before showing off her amazing new figure, Rachael struggled with her weight for most of her life. After she gained 50 pounds with each of her two pregnancies her husband became concerned with her health. Rachael did not want to pass on an unhealthy lifestyle to her family, so she decided to make a change with the help of LA Weight Loss.

Rachael went from eating a lot of starches and creamy, fatty sauces to eating cereal, oatmeal, turkey, salads, chicken, and tuna. LA Weight Loss helped her learn to make healthier choices as well as how to control her portions. In addition, Rachael began incorporating exercise into her new lifestyle. It took some time, but she was able to build up her stamina and now spends over an hour doing cardio exercises at least five times a week!

It's no surprise that all her hard work landed her in People Magazine. But that's not all, Rachael was invited onto ABC's Good Morning America. She will be appearing on the show next Tuesday, May 26th. Make sure to tune in to see her amazing transformation!

Congratulations Rachael, you look fabulous!

Life gets a little easier for this Kentucky mother

Heather Scott is a 25-year-old mother from Mayfield, Ky. She struggled with her weight all of her life, leaving her uncomfortable and insecure. Weighing as much as 260 pounds as a teenager made high school anything but easy. In fact, if you ask Heather, she'll tell you the only good thing that came out of high school was the day she met her future husband.

Heather's husband has never judged her, even when she continued to gain weight after high school. But that still did not ease Heather's insecurities. Wherever Heather went, she felt like people were pointing at "the fat girl."

As if dealing with the thought of people stereotyping her wasn't enough, Heather also had to deal with the physical demands of being heavy. She was always out of breath, and her joints constantly ached.

She had a hard time doing everyday tasks. Getting out of bed every morning was an obstacle for Heather. When she was nine months pregnant with her daughter, she was so large she couldn't even fit in a booth at a restaurant.

Shopping was never a good experience. Heather used to go shopping with her older sister, and would be jealous of all the cute clothes her sister could wear and how much more items she could buy. Heather's clothes cost more, and she was always stuck wearing whatever was made in her size, which was generally big t-shirts and sweats.

Heather never quite understood why she was so much bigger. She didn't eat much, but she would justify a day of starving for a late night batch of brownies. She chose pizza and fast food or cooked dinners loaded with starches. Healthy was never an option for Heather.

She finally had enough when she couldn't even play with her young daughter. Heather's mom had joined the LA Weight Loss program and was very successful. So along with the support from her mother and husband, Heather made the commitment to the LA Weight Loss program in May 2007.

LA Weight Loss worked for Heather because she joined for herself. She didn't want to lose weight because someone else wanted her to -- she wanted to lose weight for her health and her children.

Heather preferred the one-on-one counseling LA Weight Loss provided. She kept a food journal to keep track of her meals, and the counselors worked with her to realize what foods helped her gain or loose.

Now Heather's diet consists of turkey bacon and yogurt for breakfast, plain turkey burger for lunch with no bread, a salad for dinner and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in between. She also started walking at least one mile a day.

And the results have shown. Heather's lost over 100 pounds! She now feels like she can communicate better with people. She realizes her insecurities lead her to believe everyone was judging her. She also has more options to chose from when she goes shopping, and can shop at any store, not just the stores that carry plus sizes. She can even wear heals!

Heather's biggest obstacle was resisting temptations. She learned that eating foods that are bad for you is not worth the five minutes you can actually taste it in your mouth. Anytime Heather would get off course, especially around the holidays, she would walk extra and work harder to get back on the right mindset.

Way to go, Heather! We're proud of you!

Here's Heather at 301 pounds:



And here she is today at a much slimmer 197 pounds.



You look great Heather! All your hard work has paid off! Keep it up!

FAST FACTS

Name: Heather Scott
Hometown: Mayfield, Ky.
Age: 25
Height: 5'6"

Starting weight: 301 pounds
Goal weight: 170 pounds
Current weight: 197 pounds
Program start date: May 2007

Favorite food: Pizza.

Biggest temptation: Chocolate or sweets.

Biggest motivator: Shrinking into a smaller size and watching the numbers dropping on the scale.

Biggest obstacle: Being around other people who were not dieting.

Old eating philosophy: Chowing on pizza, brownies, cookies, candy bars, chips, and soft drinks.

New eating philosophy: Eating meals with fish, yogurt, turkey, chicken, and fresh vegetables and fruit.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling good about herself, and knowing that she is healthier to play with her daughter.

Best weight loss secret learned: Reducing intake of sodium will help you drop the pounds.

Mother-daughter duo rely on each other

Kathy Fendley and her daughter Emily Jenkins are from Knoxville, Tenn. They decided to join their local LA Weight Loss center together in January 2006. Kathy and Emily share similar stories with their weight struggles.

Kathy was active growing up, but was always heavier. In college, she lost 50 pounds, and after that, she would yo-yo. Emily struggled through middle school up until after college. Both women knew their choice in food was not the healthiest. They would eat a lot of fast food, and Kathy would skip meals and instead eat a milkshake. She found ways to justify her eating.

When Emily was asked to be in a friend's wedding in August 2006, she knew she wanted to get the weight off. She asked her mom to join the LA Weight Loss program for the added support. Kathy was very excited to get the extra weight off too, but she knew she would not be able to lose as much as Emily would.

Little did Kathy know, she and her daughter went pound for pound. Along with eating healthier, receiving one-on-one help and support from LA counselors and each other, Kathy and Emily exercised at least three days a week. They would do a circuit training that LA Weight Loss offered, walk outside or on the treadmill, weight train, and all around became more active.

Emily also wanted to lose weight for her own wedding. Ever since Emily was a little girl, she dreaded picking out her wedding dress. She thought she would have to pick a dress out to cover her up. But when she did marry just about a year ago, she could pick out the dress of her dreams.

The mother-daughter duo thanks LA Weight Loss for their healthier lifestyle. They have noticed a change in their overall quality of life. Kathy loves taking her daughter shopping and seeing how excited she gets when she feels comfortable in what she wears.

They no longer dread putting on a bathing suit to go to the beach. They always make sure they bring their own snacks and drink a lot of water. Teamwork is what led this mother and daughter to the happiest they have ever been in their own skin.

Emily and Kathy before:



Emily and Kathy after:



FAST FACTS:

Name: Kathy Fendley
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
Age: 61
Height: 5'1"

Starting weight: 179 lbs.
Goal weight: 135 lbs.
Current weight: 132 lbs.
Program start date: January 2006

Favorite food: Hamburgers.

Biggest temptation: French fries.

Biggest motivator: Getting rid of clothes that no longer fit.

Biggest obstacle: Cooking/preparing her own food to follow the plan.

Old eating philosophy: Ignoring calories, and just eating anything that was fast and tasty.

New eating philosophy: Planning ahead, having good and healthy food in the refrigerator, and talking to the waiter if she goes out to eat.

Best thing about losing weight: Having more energy, feeling better about herself, and not having to stand in front of the closet and wonder what pair of pants she can get into today.

Best weight loss secret learned: Don't let yourself get hungry. Stay ahead of your hunger pain.



Name: Emily Jenkins
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
Age: 26
Height: 5'4"

Starting weight: 185 lbs.
Goal weight: 132lbs.
Current weight: 143lbs.
Program start date: January 2006

Favorite food: Any kind of cake.

Biggest temptation: Cake and pizza.

Biggest motivator: Being able to buy clothes she wants to buy.

Biggest obstacle: Watching her husband eat, because he can eat whatever and stay skinny.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whatever was there.

New eating philosophy: Controlling portions.

Best thing about losing weight: Getting compliments and knowing she looks better.

Best weight loss secret learned: Use fat-free Cool Whip on fruits to make it more like a dessert.