South Carolina woman plants seeds of health

Willie Cox was never much of a gardener. Throughout her life, she related more to couch potatoes than growing potatoes. But all that would change when she hit 233 pounds.

She spun the scales because of one thing. She enjoyed her dinners fried and her snacks sweet. As Willie aged, though, she worried that her weight would become a major health problem. She already had asthma, and needed knee-replacement surgery after an injury. The extra weight made recovery twice as difficult.

Willie also suffered from shortness of breath. She couldn't walk up stairs without gasping for air. Her mother and three sisters -- all of whom were overweight -- had diabetes, and Willie knew she was on the fast track to a similar fate.

Willie tried a number of diets, but couldn't kept the weight off. At 233 pounds, Willie decided to try L A Weight Loss. In January 2006, the 59-year-old joined the Greenville, S.C., center, where she was paired with a one-on-one weight loss counselor.

Her counselor taught her simple tips and tricks to give her diet a healthy makeover. She cut out her candy binges, and ate more fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Willie also began baking chicken instead of frying it. For a fat-reducing boost, she added L A Weight Loss's Controltrim to her baked goods, salad dressings, and sauces.

Adding the fresh fruits and vegetables was easy for Willie. As she lost weight, she gained energy to work in her garden, where she grew corn, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, and tomatoes. With all the good food coming in, it wasn't long before Willie's weight loss gained momentum.

To further accelerate her weight loss, Willie walked regularly. As the pounds melted away, she increased her distance. Every mile made a difference.

After two years on the program, Willie has sailed past her weight loss goal of 170 pounds and now weighs 162 pounds, for a total weight loss of 71 pounds.

Losing weight has changed Willie's life. She feels younger than ever, and can carry her grandson without getting tired, something she couldn't do before.

Willie feels much better about herself. Her husband loves the progress she's made, and tells her every day she's beautiful. He also built a home gym in their backyard for Willie to maintain her weight loss.

Willie's dive into healthy living proves that eating healthy can be as easy as planting a seed and watching it grow. Way to go, Willie!

Here's Willie at 233 pounds in 2006:



And here she is today, 71 pounds lighter at 162 pounds. Smoking!



FAST FACTS

Name: Willie Cox
Hometown: Travelers Rest, S.C.
Age: 61
Height: 5'4"

Starting weight: 233 pounds
Goal weight: 170 pounds
Current weight: 162 pounds
Program start date: January 2006

Favorite food: Spinach.

Biggest temptation: Gummy Bears.

Biggest motivator: Receiving constant support from her personal counselor.

Biggest obstacle: Getting past plateaus.

Old eating philosophy: Eating fried foods and binging on sweet temptations.

New eating philosophy: Baking instead of frying, and eating plenty of vegetables.

Best thing about losing weight: Being able to carry her grandson.

Best weight loss secret learned: You can lose weight and maintain it if you stick with the program.

Margaret Howard sheds stress by the pound

Stress affects everyone, every day. Some relieve it by talking a walk. Others, by listening to music. But many relieve it by eating.

That was Margaret Howard's problem. Whenever she was stressed, she reached for fried foods, ice cream, pies, cookies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She started gaining weight.

One of her most embarrassing weight stories happened on the first day of eighth grade. Her teacher, whom Margaret also had in seventh grade, squeezed her arm and said, "You've put on some weight, haven't you?"

Margaret was devastated. From that day on, she never felt comfortable with herself. She continued to eat regardless of whether she was hungry. By adulthood, Margaret was 250 pounds.

At that point, her knees couldn't handle the excess weight anymore. She needed surgery to replace them. The good news: The scary diagnosis motivated Margaret to get serious about losing weight.

She wanted more than ever to be successful in the rehab program, and improve her quality of life. She decided to join L A Weight Loss in October 2001.

She started cutting out fried foods, butter, and shortening. Instead she used Pam to cook vegetables, and sauteed fresh fish such as tilapia. She also liked to eat apples, plain fat-free yogurt, chicken, and turkey.

Margaret rarely kept cookies in the house, and enjoyed ice cream every now and then. She also always packed fresh salads when she ate out in case the restaurant didn't serve them.

And she recorded this all in her personal weight loss diary, which kept her accountable and prevented her from falling into old eating habits.

The pounds started melting away. Margaret underwent knee surgery two months after joining L A Weight Loss. Her doctor was extremely encouraging, and her post-op therapy went very well.

She continued eating according her L A Weight Loss plan, and attended her local center three times a week. She loved talking to her personal weight loss counselor Lori, who always listened to Margaret's weight loss concerns.

Margaret knew every time she went to the center, she could "unload" her stress, and find help and new motivation to keep losing weight.

Margaret is now 169 pounds -- that's an 81-pound reduction! She has no shame or guilt about the way she looks. She holds her head high, and likes to wear shorts and go swimming. She also loves to play with her 11-month grandson.

Margaret feels her life has direction now, and she doesn't have to struggle with her weight. She knows she has the tools from L A Weight Loss to maintain her weight loss, healthy eating habits, and new stress-free life!

Great job, Margaret!

This is Margaret before, at 250 pounds:



And here's the calm and cool Margaret now, at 169. Way to go, Margaret!



FAST FACTS

Name: Margaret Howard
Hometown: Hopkinsville, Ken.
Age: 60
Height: 5'2"

Starting weight: 250 pounds
Goal weight: 155 pounds
Current weight: 169 pounds
Program start date: October 2001

Favorite food: Chicken and tilapia.

Biggest temptation: Ice cream and cake.

Biggest motivator: Not wanting to return to the way she was.

Biggest obstacle: Overeating from stress, and getting lonely.

Old eating philosophy: Eating whether she was hungry or not.

New eating philosophy: Eating only when she's hungry, and drinking a lot of water.

Best thing about losing weight: Being healthier and feeling better.

Best weight loss secret learned: Write down everything you eat.