Nikki Robinson finds her happy number

Eighty-six is a semiprime, a nontotient, a noncototient, a happy number, and a self number. It appears in the Padovan sequence, right after 37, 49, and 65. And it's the amount of weight Nikki Robinson plans to lose with L A Weight Loss.

Nikki struggled with her weight her entire life. Throughout childhood, she kept active with a variety of sports. But high school and beyond saw Nikki's lifestyle significantly slow, and her weight gradually climb.

By the time she was 21, Nikki weighed a hefty 250 pounds. She was pre-diabetic, and on medication for high blood pressure. Worse, Nikki couldn't do many of the things girls her age were doing, because she didn't have the confidence to flirt with boys or wear cute clothes. And she felt sluggish all the time.

Nikki knew she was too young for such burdensome health problems, and became determined to lose weight. She tried other diets, but didn't learn about balanced eating, and never felt accountable for what she ate.

Then in April 2006, Nikki joined her local Morristown, Tenn., L A Weight Loss center. There, she was paired up with a personal weight loss counselor, who helped slim down her diet. Nikki learned about proper portion sizes, and added fruits, vegetables, and lean meats to her meals.

It wasn't long before she started dropping weight. In fact, Nikki's already lost 51 pounds. And that puts her at 193 -- only 28 pounds from her weight loss goal of 165!

The support has been fantastic. Nikki's family and friends have backed her the entire way, and celebrate all of her weight loss milestones with her.

Watching Nikki succeed has motivated her younger sister to join L A Weight Loss, too! And the compliments from guys haven't been too bad, either. ;-)

Plus, Nikki's energy is soaring. She feels like an entirely different person. Her health has improved, and she's off all of her medications.

Best of all, Nikki feels good about herself. And she knows that as her weight keeps dropping, life will only get better. Eighty-six certainly is a happy number -- Nikki's happy number. Keep up the good work!

Here's Nikki at 250 pounds:



And here she is today, looking much slimmer at 165 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Nikki Robinson
Hometown: Morristown, Tenn.
Age: 21
Height: 5'8"

Starting weight: 251 pounds
Goal weight: 165 pounds
Current weight: 193 pounds
Program start date: April 2006

Biggest motivator: Getting compliments from friends and family.

Biggest obstacle: Resisting temptation.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whatever she wanted.

New eating philosophy: Sticking to proper portions.

Best thing about losing weight: Enjoying all the new attention.

Best weight loss secret learned: If you're committed to losing weight, it will happen!

Cory Thomas follows golden weight loss rule

California is the Golden State, but if you're an overweight resident, you're probably not feeling so radiant. Meet Cory Thomas.

Cory started packing on the pounds in her 20s. Between school and work, there was little time to eat healthy or exercise. Often, she'd grab a burger, fries, and soda for meals; and snacked on chips and candy.

Cory's unhealthy eating routine followed her into marriage and motherhood, where she topped out at 198 pounds.

She struggled to get out of bed in the morning, and lacked the energy to play with her two kids. She felt uncomfortable in public, and made excuses to not go out. Buying clothes was depressing.

But Cory didn't consider how much weight she packed on until three years ago. It wasn't until her son, looking at her wedding picture on the wall, asked her who the lady in the photo was.

Cory was shocked that her son didn't recognize her, and realized how serious her weight problem was. She needed to do something about her eating habits right away.

So she tried a few diet programs. Cory didn't like the first one, because she felt uneasy sharing her weight struggles in front of strangers. The second program was no better, because Cory had to cut out carbs and eat more protein, which made her concerned about her cholesterol.

Then she learned about L A Weight Loss's one-on-one counseling and portion control. It sounded like the right plan for her, and she signed up.

She worked with personal weight loss counselor Sandra at the Oceanside, Calif., center to modify her eating habits. Cory added more vegetables, fruit, and chicken to her diet, while minimizing fried foods.

She liked to start her day with a bowl of oatmeal accompanied by a smoothie with mango, non-fat yogurt, and skim milk. She had L A Lite bars for snacks, and plenty of water throughout the day.

The result was a 180-degree flip. Cory dropped 51 pounds, and now weights 147! She has a more positive outlook on life, and can't wait to start her day. Shopping for clothes is fun again, as plus-sized clothes are a thing of the past.

Cory motivated her dad to join L A Weight Loss, too. He's lost 30 pounds! But that's not all she can impart to others struggling to lose weight. She says the secret is to stick with your L A Weight Loss plan and let it work for you. The counselors are your compass!

And it looks she's discovered the gold! Way to go, Cory!

Here's Cory before, at 198 pounds:



And here she is now, glowing at 147! Great job, Cory!



FAST FACTS

Name: Cory Thomas
Hometown: Oceanside, Calif.
Age: 36
Height: 5'2"

Starting weight: 198 pounds
Goal weight: 150 pounds
Current weight: 147 pounds
Program start date: February 2005

Favorite food: Mexican food.

Biggest temptation: Cheesecake.

Biggest motivator: Starting the program and not wanting to let herself down.

Biggest obstacle: Trying to stay on track while her husband is fighting in Iraq.

Old eating philosophy: Eating without thinking.

New eating philosophy: Learning how to eat healthy while fitting her favorite foods into her plan.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling better about herself.

Best weight loss secret learned: Freeze some L A Lite bars and take them with you! They help when you're going out.

Cancer survivor gets a new life with a new weight

No one ever wants to hear their doctor say cancer. But being diagnosed twice in your lifetime is a nightmare few can say they've survived. Jennifer Clement is one of those people.

In July 1999, Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer, and treated with a regular series of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Her spirits hit an all-time low when her hair fell out just a week before her daughter's wedding.

While her morale was sinking, her weight was rising. Jennifer's cancer treatments drained her of energy, and she often found herself slumped on the couch with a bag of fast food.

Six months after the breast cancer diagnosis, tragedy struck again. Jennifer's doctor told her she also had uterine cancer -- a reaction to her breast cancer medication that affects about one in a million people.

She underwent a double mastectomy for her breast cancer, and continued chemo and radiation for the uterine cancer until January 2000.

When Jennifer finally completed her treatment, she was 75 pounds heavier. And her existing hypothyroid problem made the prospect of losing weight seem a distant possibility.

To add insult to injury, Jennifer went through a divorce, which caused her to eat even more. But the worst thing about being heavy was feeling heavy. She had trouble playing with her grandchildren, and had difficulty breathing.

Then, Jennifer heard about L A Weight Loss. Because she had tried other weight loss methods that didn't work for her, Jennifer was hesitant to try something new.

But try she did, and Jennifer watched the pounds melt away. Jennifer's personal L A Weight Loss counselors helped her ditch her fast food habits for lots of fruits, vegetables, chicken, and fish.

With L A Weight Loss, she learned that eating the right portions of the right foods was the key to a healthy lifestyle. And after such a turbulent year, healthy is the only thing Jennifer wanted to be.

Since starting the program in May 2007, Jennifer has shed a total of 51 pounds! She's happier, more social, confident, and -- best of all -- cancer-free! Jennifer has plenty of energy for exercising now, and has even started dating.

Losing weight has changed Jennifer's life in more ways than she could have imagined. She truly feels like she has a new lease on life. Great job, Jennifer!

Here's a 264-pound Jennifer with two of her adorable grandchildren:



And here's a much happier and healthier Jennifer today. You look fantastic, Jennifer!



FAST FACTS

Name: Jennifer Clement
Hometown: Appleton, Wis.
Age: 54
Height: 5'5"

Starting weight: 264 pounds
Goal weight: 200 pounds
Current weight: 213 pounds
Program start date: May 2007

Favorite food: Vegetable pizza, or chicken and broccoli.

Biggest temptation: Chocolate.

Biggest motivator: Enjoying her new self and her new life, and looking forward to everything that's in store!

Biggest obstacle: Worrying that if she stops the program, she will pick up old habits.

Old eating philosophy: Eating quick and easy foods -- fast food, meaty pizza, junk food.

New eating philosophy: Eating right -- salads, vegetables, fresh fruits, and lots of water.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling good inside, and looking good outside.

Best weight loss secret learned: If you eat the right portion sizes and the right foods, the pounds will melt away!