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.

Judy hatches a plan for a healthier future

We all inherit features from our family gene pool -- height, eye color, nose shape, foot sizes ... the list goes on. But Judy Hatch got weight gain, too.

Judy’s family always loved country cooking in big portions. Her mom's calorie-dense specialties were fried chicken, pork, homemade desserts, and bread.

Judy carried those childhood eating habits into adulthood. Before long, she weighed a whopping 251 pounds, and couldn’t even climb a flight of stairs without getting winded. Worse, she became depressed whenever she saw her body in pictures.

Judy's unhappiness came to a head during Christmas 2002, when she saw a particularly unattractive snapshot of herself. This sixth-grade teacher from Louisville, Ky., finally had enough. She was so tired of carrying that extra weight that she thought she’d rather be dead than heavy.

Judy decided she needed structure in her diet to turn her life and health around. So she talked to the counselors at L A Weight Loss, and signed up for the program in January 2003. The personal counselors stuck with her the whole way, giving her guidance, support, and encouragement.

They also taught her a new way to eat. Judy learned to stay away from bread and desserts, instead eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, and fish. And when she dropped the first 50 pounds, Judy began ballroom dancing with her husband -- something she hasn’t done in nearly 35 years.

By April 2004, Judy reached her 138-pound goal weight -- and has been on maintenance ever since! Going from a size 24 to a size 10 has made shopping fun again, and helped her confidence skyrocket.

Judy also appreciates the constant love and support from her family. But it's the admiring looks she now gets from friends and acquaintances that really motivate her to keep going. Way to go, Judy!

Here’s Judy at 251 pounds in the holiday photo that changed her life:



And here she is at 138 pounds one Christmas later, with her husband. Happy Holidays, indeed!



FAST FACTS

Name: Judy Hatch
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
Age: 57
Height: 5'7"

Starting weight: 251 pounds
Goal weight: 138 pounds
Current weight: 158 pounds
Program start date: January 2003

Favorite food: Bread.

Biggest temptation: Bread.

Biggest motivator: Looking in the mirror.

Biggest obstacle: Comforting herself with food when stressed or worried.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whatever made her feel good.

New eating philosophy: Eating what makes her happy -- apples, pineapples, and smoothies with skim milk and fresh fruit.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling like she is living life again.

Best weight loss secret learned: Make yourself wait, have patience, and think before you eat.

Florida woman proves the power of positive thinking

Negative thinking begets negative thinking -- a common problem for overweight people. One look in the mirror, and they think, "I'm ugly, and that's just the way it is." So they continue to wallow in misery, and do nothing to help themselves.

Jennifer Winchester has been there. She struggled with her weight since she was 15 years old. When she got married, she moved from New Orleans to Panama City, Fla. Homesick and depressed, she turned to food for comfort.

Jennifer regularly ate three servings at dinner, and drank a lot of soda. But fast food was her nemesis. She often hit the drive-thru, and then went home to have dinner. By the time she hit her early twenties, she topped out at 260 pounds.

When Jennifer took her six-year-old son Cedric to the park, she was exhausted after five minutes. Her body constantly ached, and she ended up sitting around the house all day.

Plus, she had a negative attitude about everything. She hated the way she looked, and thought that she would just be overweight for the rest of her life.

But the worse part for Jennifer was the effect her weight struggle had on her marriage. Her negativity drove the couple apart, and they didn't spend much time together.

Their conflict came to a head one day at the mall. The couple parked, but Jennifer didn't get out of the car. She couldn't bring herself to walk inside and be around thinner people.

That was Jennifer's defining moment. Two days later, she called the Panama City L A Weight Loss center.

She immediately started working with personal weight loss counselor Carrie Smidt to develop a healthy eating plan. Jennifer replaced the fast food binges with proper portions of chicken, turkey, and vegetables. She also started drinking more water.

Jennifer says L A Weight Loss's accountability really helped her. She visited the center three times a week, and walked out feeling focused and on track. Plus, the counselors' encouragement and guidance helped Jennifer feel more positive about herself.

The proof? Jennifer lost 113 pounds to reach a trim 147 pounds! Now going to the mall is an enjoyable pastime. She also exercises regularly, plays baseball on the weekends, and has plenty of energy to keep up with her son in the park.

The best part: Her husband loves the new Jennifer, and tells her every day how great she looks. The couple is closer than ever!

Just goes to show how much of a difference attitude can make. Way to go, Jennifer!

Here's the unhappy Jennifer at 260 pounds:



113 pounds later, Jennifer is all smiles! Great job, Jennifer!



FAST FACTS

Name: Jennifer Winchester
Hometown: Panama City, Fla.
Age: 24
Height: 5'6"

Starting weight: 260 pounds
Goal weight: 147 pounds
Current weight: 147 pounds
Program start date: September 2005

Favorite food: Chicken Parmesan and pasta.

Biggest temptation: Cookies and cake.

Biggest motivator: Her husband.

Biggest obstacle: Overcoming her negative attitude.

Old eating philosophy: Consuming everything and anything in sight.

New eating philosophy: Focusing her diet on the right portions of grilled chicken, salad, and vegetables.

Best thing about losing weight: Being able to go out in public and shop for her new smaller size.

Best weight loss secret learned: Make up your mind to lose weight, and you'll see the pounds melt away!