Sydney Bowen empties the nest and dumps the weight

For parents, when all the kids move out and the nest is empty, it can be difficult adjusting to the new household dynamic. But it's also an opportunity to try to new things. For Sydney Bowen, the empty nest was the push to take control of her obesity and get her life back on track.

Weight had been an issue for Sydney since childhood. Sydney remembers being left home alone after school and turning to food for comfort. Her parents both worked and her siblings had their own lives. To fill the time, Sydney snacked.

She started her first diet program at age 11, attending a weight loss center with her mom. As the youngest of five, she became her mother’s dieting sidekick.

Still, she couldn't help but indulge in Chinese, Mexican, and McDonalds. Never a big fan of sweets, Sydney enjoyed "real" food, in large quantities. She enjoyed eating out, and loved to fill her plate at barbecues. But food was only a temporary comfort. Sydney was miserable most of the time, toting around at 283 pounds.

Then Sydney got one of the worst scares of her life. She was diagnosed with borderline type-2 diabetes. But she was immune to insulin, and had to take pills to maintain her health and prevent full development of the condition.

With a family history of diabetes, Sydney feared she was headed down the same unhealthy path. She also had borderline high blood pressure, but refrained from medication. She needed to lose weight to get her health back on track.

Sydney's doctor prescribed her a diet pill. She lost 80 pounds on the medication, although eventually became immune to its effects and gained back the 80 pounds, plus some.

She felt miserable and couldn’t bear to feel that way, especially after all of her children moved out. She didn't want to be alone, unhealthy, and depressed.

She considered gastric bypass surgery, but realized it was too expensive. Then she saw L A Weight Loss member Sharla Pincock on the cover of People Magazine's Half Their Size issue, and on TV. Sharla's success inspired Sydney, and she decided to join L A Weight Loss.

She was matched up with a personal weight loss counselor, who taught her how to eat her favorite foods in the right portions. Sydney learned to not eat for pleasure, but eat to live. She cut out fast food, and instead filled up on healthy amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole-grain carbs.

Today, Sydney is 125 pounds lighter. She weighs 158, just three pounds away from her goal weight of 155 pounds. Sydney no longer needs diabetes medication and has stopped taking diet pills. She vows never to take a diet pill again, and encourages others to do the same.

The reaction of family members and friends who haven’t seen her for a while is enough to keep her going on her path to success. She’s gotten to this place by mentally committing to losing weight.

She continues to eat healthy foods, including fruits, veggies, chicken, and fish. A new habit of Sydney’s is preparing her own food. She still eats out occasionally, but enjoys having control of what goes into her meals, and how much. Now, when she goes to a barbecue, she doesn’t feel the need to fill her plate. Sydney also enjoys L A Lites to curb her occasional sweet craving.

Pleasure in the little things is what Sydney loves most about her weight loss. She can play with her grandkids, shop anywhere, and fit comfortably into a waiting room chair. She even got a trampoline! Sydney jumps daily, a pastime that she had forgotten when her weight got in the way.

Most impressive is Sydney’s recent accomplishment of running in two 5K marathons. She is now training for the 1/2 marathon next year in Salt Lake City. For Sydney, training for these marathons is a hobby. Great choice of a hobby! Good for you, Sydney!

Here is Sydney at 283 pounds:



And here she is today, looking great at 158 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Sydney Bowen
Hometown: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Age: 43
Height: 5'5"

Starting weight: 283 pounds
Goal weight: 155 pounds
Current weight: 158 pounds
Program start date: Jan. 2, 2007

Favorite food: Cheesy Taco Salad in the L A Weight Loss cookbook.

Biggest temptation: Mexican food.

Biggest motivator: Being able to pick up her grandchildren.

Biggest obstacle: Falling into a plateau.

Old eating philosophy: Eating tacos, enchiladas, chips and salsa, McDonalds, and Chinese daily.

New eating philosophy: Cooking chicken, turkey, fish, broccoli, spinach, salad, and strawberries instead of going out.

Best thing about losing weight: Getting off of type-2 diabetes medicine and feeling healthy.

Best weight loss secret learned: It's all about your mindset.

From clean plate to clean slate

For many people struggling with their weight, "cleaning your plate" has been an all-too-familiar phrase. It's been a major reason their weight has increased over the years. Just ask Kathy Bracher.

As a kid, Kathy didn't get regular exercise, and knew little about healthy eating habits. She was part of the "clean plate club," as she calls it. She and her three younger siblings ate everything that was put in front of them.

She took those habits into adulthood. When she topped out at 288 pounds, Kathy knew she needed help. She wanted to try weight loss her own way, but wasn't sure where to begin. At the advice of her husband, she gave L A Weight Loss a try.

She worked with a one-on-one weight loss counselor, who adjusted her eating regime to include five smaller meals a day, rather than three larger meals. At first, the change didn't make sense to Kathy. Eat more to weigh less?

But with her trust in her counselor, Kathy gave it a shot. She ate smaller meals of chicken, fish, vegetables, and fruits.

Soon, she started to see the pounds disappear. To date, she has lost 125 pounds and hopes to keep losing. Now at 163, she surpassed her initial goal weight of 200 pounds, and is very close to reaching her new goal weight, 150.

With nearly half her weight gone, Kathy is starting a new with a clean slate. She is more active now, and uses her treadmill and gliding machine for 30 minutes a day, six days a week.

Kathy continues to eat five meals a day, because she sees how the simple plan has drastically changed her life for the better. L A Weight Loss taught her eating right and losing weight requires portion control and conscious food choices. Add in some perseverance and persistence, and you've got a winning combo!

Kathy is also an avid fan of the L A Lite cookbook, and uses it daily. She recently started using ControlTrim too, and likes it very much.

Keep up the great work, Kathy!

Here is Kathy at 288 pounds in February 2006:



And here she is today, at 163. Wow, what a transformation! Congrats, Kathy!



Name: Kathy Bracher
Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minn.
Age: 61
Height: 5'5"

Starting weight: 288
Goal weight: 150
Current weight: 163
Program start date: February 2006

Favorite food: Pumpkin pie from the L A Lite cookbook.

Biggest temptation: Brownies.

Biggest motivator: Going to her L A Weight Loss center three times a week.

Biggest obstacle: Working through the plateaus.

Old eating philosophy: Ignoring portions and eating whatever she wanted.

New eating philosophy: Eating five smaller meals a day.

Best thing about losing weight: Liking herself more.

Best weight loss secret learned: Don’t call it a diet. It’s a lifestyle change for the better!

Tenn. man gains (portion) control of his life

There are many things that can send someone's life spiraling out of control. Drugs, alcohol, a tragic event, or even food, to name a few.

Often, people don't realize they're losing control until it's gone. That's how Matt Beal felt about his weight gain.

Matt gradually packed on pounds after college. The combination of eating out often, dining on fatty foods, and eating at irregular times of the day fueled his weight gain.

When Matt ate out, he ordered humongous portions and ate until he physically felt like he couldn't eat another bite. Then he washed it all down with high-calorie soda or sweet tea.

Matt soon weighed 320 pounds. He worked in retail, which kept him on his feet all day. But carrying around so much weight made his feet ache. Matt also suffered from high blood pressure, and struggled with sleep apnea and snoring.

Matt's weight affected him emotionally as well. He hated having to constantly worry about fitting into places. When he flew, he had to ask for seat belt extensions. And squeezing into roller coasters and other rides was always a struggle.

After returning from a trip to Mexico, Matt saw a picture of himself and was shocked at how heavy he looked. It seemed like Matt's weight had spun out of control without him even noticing. He knew he had to do something to regain control of his body and his life.

Matt tried dieting a number of times, but he couldn't shed the weight. He thought about gastric bypass surgery, but then a better idea struck. He decided to take the less invasive path and join L A Weight Loss in July 2006.

L A Weight Loss paired Matt with one-on-one weight loss counselors who helped him adjust his diet. He added fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and fish to his meal plan. He replaced his sodas and sweet teas with water. Most important, Matt learned portion control.

Matt loves that he can still go to his favorite restaurants, but knows how to make better meal choices. Instead of ordering the 14 oz. steak and baked potato, Matt will order the 7 oz. steak and a salad. Now, he eats until he's full, not until he's absolutely stuffed.

Throughout his weight loss journey, Matt was motivated by constant encouragement from his friends and family. Little by little, Matt whittled the weight away. After one year on the L A Weight Loss program, he lost 110 pounds!

The same day Matt reached his goal weight of 210, he was promoted at work! That's what I call a fabulous day! Matt's success with L A Weight Loss inspired him to keep going and set a new goal weight of 188 pounds. He's on track to meet it, now weighing 195 pounds. That means his total weight loss is 125 pounds so far!

Matt's entire life has changed since he lost the weight. He can't believe how much better he feels, emotionally and physically. Matt says he never knew how tired he was until he started feeling more energetic, and he never knew how depressed he was until he became happier.

And the best part about losing weight is the reactions from people who haven't seen him in a while. It's fun and motivating to bump into old coworkers and friends, and watch their jaws drop when they realize it's Matt. Our jaws dropped too!

With a healthy body, a healthy mind, and a great new position at work, Matt has regained full control of his life. And he looks great!

Here's Matt before at 320 pounds:



And here he is now at 195 pounds -- almost half his size! Wow! Great job, Matt!



FAST FACTS

Name: Matt Beal
Hometown: Cookeville, Tenn.
Age: 34
Height: 5'10"

Starting weight: 320 pounds
Goal weight: 188 pounds
Current weight: 195 pounds
Program start date: July 19, 2006

Favorite food: Apple pie.

Biggest temptation: Pizza.

Biggest motivator: Stepping on the scales, looking in the mirror, and seeing the changes.

Biggest obstacle: Resisting the temptation to eat bad food.

Old eating philosophy: Eating what tastes good, and eating until he was stuffed.

New eating philosophy: Having the right portions of the right foods at the right times of day.

Best thing about losing weight: Looking great and feeling even better.

Best weight loss secret learned: It's not about secrets, gimmicks, and tricks. It's about common sense.