Update: Courtney Dawson is going strong

Courtney Dawson has had a lot of exciting publicity since shedding 166 pounds on the L A Weight Loss program. This Louisiana native has jet-setted across the country to be featured on the cover of People Magazine and NBC's Today Show to tell everyone about her weight loss success.

Now that the dust has settled since her big public debut, Courtney has stayed strong. Everything is going great for Courtney, and she couldn't be happier with her new weight and new life.

Here's Courtney today, looking as fantastic as ever at 168 pounds:

Courtney and Sharla together on screen again

Since losing weight, half-their-sizers Courtney Dawson and Sharla Pincock haven't stopped talking about it. They've shared their amazing weight loss stories on radio, in newspapers, on television, and (of course) on our blog.

I showed you Sharla's commercial last week, and now we're debuting their joint commercial below. Enjoy!

From blog, to magazine cover, to TV, these ladies do it all

The new year is off to a great start for Courtney Dawson of Louisiana and Sharla Pincock of Idaho. After slimming down to half their size on the L A Weight Loss program, they caught the attention of People magazine's editors.

The women were selected among thousands of candidates across the country to be featured on the Jan. 14th cover of People's Half Their Size issue.

Courtney went from 334 pounds to 168 pounds. And Sharla dropped from 301 pounds to 150 pounds. Click here to check out their magazine cover debut. That's Sharla on the left, and Courtney on the right.

Also take a look at their profiles on People's Web site, where Courtney and Sharla share their incredible weight loss stories with America. Congratulations, ladies!

But the news didn't stop there. NBC's Today Show caught wind of their stories, and interviewed the women live this morning. What a whirlwind!

Stay tuned, as I'll be sharing Courtney and Sharla's experience with People and the Today Show. I can't wait to hear about their morning with Matt Lauer. ;)

Louisiana woman makes family history by breaking it

There's no question that obesity can run in families. Unfortunately for Courtney Dawson, her family was one of them.

Weight was an issue for Courtney's family for generations -- and the genes didn't skip her. All of the extra helpings of fried food and soda didn't help. By age 12, she tipped the scales at a whopping 180 pounds.

Being young and overweight wasn't easy. Classmates in her 6th grade class teased her when she couldn't fit in her desk. Boys told her she was pretty, but too heavy to date.

Nevertheless, Courtney learned to live with her weight, and continued her bad eating habits into adulthood. After giving birth to her second child, Kaleb, she tipped the scales at 334 pounds.

Courtney's blood pressure was through the roof. Doctors were concerned, and told her she needed to go on medication to lower it if she didn't lose weight immediately.

Motivated by the threat of medication, Courtney decided to lose weight on her own by exercising. She shed some pounds, but reached a plateau. She realized she couldn't do it alone.

So in May 2006, she joined her local Bossier City Louisiana L A Weight Loss center with her mother, who was also suffering from obesity and high blood pressure.

Courtney was paired up with a one-on-one weight loss counselor, and learned how make her diet as healthy as possible. She added fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and water, and cut out many fried foods. She also learned the importance of portion control.

Courtney supplemented her weight loss by walking almost every day for 45 minutes at a local park, while her kids played at the playground. She also joined a gym where she took step aerobics classes and pilates, and did an hour of cardio a day, six times a week.

Now Courtney weighs 168 pounds -- half her size! The 31-year-old no longer suffers from high blood pressure or exhaustion. She can fit comfortably in movie theater seats and restaurant booths, and has energy to play with her kids in the park.

She is also shopping for her new size-10 figure, and glows from the inside out with pride of her accomplishment! She hopes she can start a new chapter in her family history -- one with healthy and slim figures! Great job, Courtney!

Here's Courtney at 334 pounds before she joined L A Weight Loss:



And here she is today, at a stunning 168 pounds. Looking great, Courtney!



FAST FACTS

Name: Courtney Dawson
Hometown: Princeton, La.
Age: 31
Height: 5'8"

Starting weight: 334 pounds
Goal weight: 150 pounds
Current weight: 168 pounds
Program start date: May 2006

Favorite food: Cheeseburgers.

Biggest temptation: Fried foods.

Biggest motivator: Getting healthy.

Biggest obstacle: Resisting old eating habits.

Old eating philosophy: Eating out all the time, and feasting on fried and fast foods.

New eating philosophy: Preparing well-balanced meals at home.

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

Best weight loss secret learned: Portion control is everything.