Dee Lindamood leaves her wedding weight in the dust

There's many women out there who wish they were the same size today as they were on their wedding day. But 28 years after her wedding, Dee Lindamood wanted to shed some major pounds, and leave her wedding weight in the dust.

Dee struggled with weight her entire life. As far back as she can remember, she had a few extra pounds to lug around. She hadn't been athletic, and her diet was lacking. Dee didn't eat particularly unhealthy foods, but she ate too much of everything on her plate.

In particular, she chowed down on breads and heavy starches. When Dee went out to eat, she could often eat an entire loaf of bread before the main course even arrived. And as her age increased, so did her weight.

Dee struggled emotionally and physically because of her weight. At 300 pounds, she had constant knee, joint, feet, and back pain. And she couldn't walk far without losing her breath. Plus, at her weight she knew it wouldn't be long before she was plagued with illnesses that ran in her family, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.

Even worse, Dee was embarrassed to be seen in public, especially with her husband and daughter, who didn't have weight problems. She always felt like people were looking at her and judging her. And she hated never being able to shop in "regular" women's stores.

But Dee didn't want it to be this way. She knew she was a good mom, but she wanted to get healthy so she could be an even better one (and eventually, a great grandmother too). After a number of failed diet attempts, Dee decided to try L A Weight Loss.

In September 2007, she joined her local Hickory, N.C., L A Weight Loss center, where she was paired up with a one-on-one weight loss counselor. Her counselor helped Dee see the error of her eating ways, and create a diet plan that fit her life.

Dee cut back on all the carbs and starches, and she added more fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, and water to her diet. Now, instead of steak, Dee will have fish. Instead of a baked potato, she'll have a salad. And instead of a Dr. Pepper, she'll have a glass of water.

With these little changes, Dee saw big results. Almost immediately, Dee started to shed pounds. And as her weight decreased, her confidence and energy increased. Before long, Dee was sweating it out with other gym-goers at her local athletic club. Then the pounds really melted away.

After less than a year on the program, Dee has lost a total of 155 pounds! At 145 pounds, she's 5 pounds lighter than her goal weight (and 35 pounds lighter than she was on her wedding day almost 30 years ago)!

Dee she feels like her entire life has changed. Her relationship with her husband is better than ever, and she's thankful to him for his constant support throughout her entire weight loss process.

She can do things that she couldn't do before, such as ride amusement park rides, wear cute clothes, play with kids on the floor, fit into restaurant booths, and work out for extended periods of time.

Best of all, she feels great. She loves going shopping with her husband at regular department stores, and feels great when he picks our something totally feminine for her. Congratulations, Dee! We're proud of you!

Here's Dee weighing in at 300 pounds:



And here she is today, looking fit and fabulous at 145 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Dee Lindamood
Hometown: Newton, N.C.
Age: 47
Height: 5'4"

Starting weight: 300 pounds
Goal weight: 155 pounds
Current weight: 145 pounds
Program start date: September 2007

Favorite food: Flat Bread.

Biggest temptation: Resisting the bread at restaurants.

Biggest motivator: Getting constant support from her husband.

Biggest obstacle: Resisting brownies and other sweets in the lunch room at work.

Old eating philosophy: Constantly eating bread and butter, pasta, pizza, potatoes, nachos and soda.

New eating philosophy: Making meals with flat bread, salad, vegetables, and fish; and drinking more water

Best thing about losing weight: Fitting into a size 8.

Best weight loss secret learned: You can still eat what you love and lose weight.

LuAnn Zipp zips to her weight loss goal

Many factors can cause a person to become overweight at an early age: lack of self-control, a sweet tooth, a troublesome childhood, or a family tendency to overeat. But LuAnn Zipp had to deal with them all.

Growing up in San Diego, LuAnn was skinny as a bean pole during childhood, even though obesity ran in her family. It wasn't until adolescence that she began to turn to food as a comfort during difficult events. At age 12, LuAnn gained 107 pounds in one year.

The weight gain didn't stop there. In middle school and high school, she was often picked on for her weight. And the more LuAnn was teased, the more she reached for the candy bars, chips, and huge helpings. So as LuAnn grew older, her waist line grew wider.

Eventually LuAnn met and married Robert Zipp. Robert was a U.S. Marine, and they were soon relocated to Texas, where they started their family. During each of her four pregnancies, LuAnn steadily packed on more weight, soon reaching 310 pounds.

And with the extra pounds, came extra health problems. LuAnn suffered from extreme asthma, high blood pressure, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, and acid reflux. In fact, her asthma was so bad she couldn't even sleep through the night, and could never lie flat on her back.

Then LuAnn's grandmother died due to complications from being overweight. LuAnn knew if she was ever going to be healthy and avoid a similar fate, she needed to lose weight.

LuAnn tried a number of diet plans, but nothing worked for her. She knew she had to get serious, and in August 2006, she joined her local Killeen, Texas, L A Weight Loss. Working with her personal weight loss counselors, LuAnn added fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and water to her diet.

Instead of skipping meals, and snacking throughout the day, she started taking the time to prepare herself healthy, home cooked meals. While dinner time used to mean huge servings and tons of carbohydrates, it now meant portion control and well-balanced meals.

Then life drastically changed for the Zipps. LuAnn's husband was deployed to Iraq in October 2006. But while her husband was gone, LuAnn continued to drop the pounds, viewing his return as motivation.

After one year with L A Weight Loss, LuAnn shrunk to half her size!!! She reached her weight loss goal, and now weighs in at 155 pounds. The difference is incredible, as LuAnn feels liberated from all the factors that led to her overeating.

Plus, almost all of her health problems are gone, and LuAnn has much more confidence in public. She even joined her local gym!

The best part: When LuAnn sent Robert pictures of her new body, he was shocked. Now, she can't wait for him to come home in December, when the Zipp family will enjoy a whole new kind of Christmas cheer! Way to go, LuAnn!

Here's LuAnn with her husband, weighing in at 301 pounds:



Here she is now, looking amazing at 155 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: LuAnn Zipp
Hometown: Fort Hood, Texas
Age: 30
Height: 5'7"

Starting weight: 310 pounds
Goal weight: 155 pounds
Current weight: 155 pounds
Program start date: August 2006

Favorite food: Mexican.

Biggest temptation: Chocolate.

Biggest motivator: Avoiding living the same overweight and unhealthy life that caused her grandmother's death.

Biggest obstacle: Resisting the temptation to cheat.

Old eating philosophy: Eating huge portions and multiple servings.

New eating philosophy: Munching on salads and other vegetables, and drinking a lot of water.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling lighter, and fitting into a size 6!

Best weight loss secret learned: Moderation is the key to everything.