My 40 Pound Weight Loss Success Story

What do eDieter Ann H. and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have in common? They’re both underdogs who achieved overwhelming success despite the odds!

Just as the Tampa team had never held an NFL title prior to the 2003 Super Bowl, Ann had never enjoyed a major victory when it came to weight loss. Time and again, she would shed the extra pounds, only to drop the ball and gain back the weight. But all that changed when she traded teams and turned to eDiets for guidance. The leader in weight loss had the game plan that guaranteed success.

With eDiets on the sidelines, our featured 45-year-old Texan was finally able to win her own personal Super Bowl with discipline, determination and plenty of hard work. Like the Buccaneers, Ann needed a miraculous makeover -- a new coach, a perfectly planned strategy and a virtual stadium of fans cheering her on.

Once she had all the right equipment, everything fell into place. Since becoming an eDieter last August, Ann has dropped 40 pounds, making the transformation from a frumpy 160 pounds to a slim and trim 120. The size 18 clothes she once hid behind have been replaced by figure-accentuating size 4s and 6s.

“eDiets made it really easy to do. Everything was right there for me to follow the plan. I learned what I could and couldn’t eat. I learned portion control. I learned not to eat off the plan.”

By gaining the knowledge to live healthily, she’s been able to lose the extra baggage for good. In the past, Ann had placed her faith in liquid diets, food combining, weight loss pills and starvation to drop the pounds. She learned the hard way that these "diets" were nothing more than a breeding ground for bad habits.

Ann would go for days without eating much. And when she did eat, the meals were far from healthy. She would feast on fast food and soda. At home, she would fill her plate with fried foods and then go back for seconds. It wasn’t uncommon for her to devour a bag of Fritos and a can of bean dip while deciding what to eat for dinner. She would graze on junk food throughout the evenings.

Since her trucker husband Jimmy was constantly on the road, Ann only had to worry about herself when it was time to eat. For her, the eDiets convenience plan was the obvious choice. Not only did she have three square meals a day, but she also had healthy snacks for those in-between times. She immediately realized she was getting more food then shed ever eaten before... but this time it was all nutritious. She started with a few small changes, especially when it came to integrating fruits and vegetables into her diet.

“At first, I started buying the bags of ready-to-eat lettuce," she notes. "I would throw in some tomatoes. Then I started adding carrots, different varieties of tomatoes, broccoli slaw, cauliflower and other vegetables. Within three or four months, my tastes began changing and I started craving fruit and vegetables.

“Now, I reach for things that are better for me. I don’t think about going to eat at Taco Bell... I just don’t have the desire to make that kind of choice. I know that I can eat what I want. I can make a healthy choice or an unhealthy choice. The healthy choice appeals to me much more. That’s what I want for myself.”

Perhaps the most drastic change for Ann has been in her activity level. The plate that was once filled with unhealthy foods is now filled with exercise. From cardio workout tapes to weight training to treadmill work to rock climbing, there is no form of fitness Ann won’t try. And not a day goes by that she doesn't find time for some form of exercise.

At least five days a week, she does strength training. In addition to doing an exercise video on a daily basis, Ann also tries to get in a brisk walk... either outside or inside on the treadmill. About three days a week, she works out at the local Curves for Women. Somehow she manages to sneak in a few sit-ups and stair climbs while at work. Most recently she began a belly-dancing class.

Ann is a self-proclaimed fitness junkie. She cannot get enough of exercise. But she proceeded slowly at first.

“I didn’t pressure myself," she says. "I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do a tape for an hour. I started out doing as much as I could whether it was 15 or 30 minutes and built up to an hour. I started out doing 5 sit-ups. Now I can do 25.

“It’s an endorphin rush. At first it was like I was almost doing it because I had to. Now it’s something I do because I love it.”

It wasn’t just the two-pound loss she saw every week that kept her going strong. Ann said she was inspired by her fellow eDieters as well as Master Motivator Julia Griggs Havey. Anne became a huge fan of the former Mrs. Missouri and even began corresponding with Julia online. Having the personal encouragement of Julia was an invaluable resource.

Julia had quite an impact on the determined dieter. In fact, Ann recently provided a videotaped testimony for the motivator’s new Awaken the Diet Within infomercial.

But it wasn’t Julia alone who kept Ann on the path to wellness. Anne also had the support of her fellow eDieters. An active member on the bulletin boards, Ann puts in a regular appearance on the 40-Something Board as well as the internal challenges.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot of the women. They’ve supported me. I’ve gotten a lot of good ideas,” she says.

Her mate has also been great.

“My husband has been very supportive," Ann says. "He would come home once a month and be like, ‘Oh you’re losing weight.’ I would be losing six to eight pounds at a time. It was like coming home to a new woman.”

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