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By TBO.COM
Published: September 08, 2011
Jennifer Hodges, 40, Land O' Lakes
HEIGHT: 5-foot-8
STARTING WEIGHT: 369
CURRENT WEIGHT: 157
WHY I DID IT: In 2008, I hit rock bottom. I was a full-time graduate student, a stay-at-home-mother and I weighed 369 pounds. It was extremely difficult for me to take care of my children's daily needs, let alone get on the floor and play with them and chase them around the backyard. So here I was with a 1-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, and I realized I was their role model. I knew I had to lead by example, and I also knew I needed some time for myself.
HOW I DID IT: I knew if I tried to work out at home, with my children underfoot, I wouldn't last long. Though I had a triple stroller, I knew I wouldn't go outside and walk with the children. And I knew I needed a gym that was close to my home or I would use the "It's too far to drive" excuse.
Enter Lifestyle Family Fitness. A new gym opened three miles from my home, and they offered childcare for up to two hours per day. At right around $50 per month, the gym was affordable for our single-income family.
Not only was I losing weight and toning my body, I was getting some quality "me time." I found a love for group fitness classes: step aerobics, body combat and, my favorite, spinning. I even discovered I could run outside and was really good at it! I've run countless 5Ks, 10Ks and 15Ks, and I'll be running two half-marathons and one marathon this year.
Once I had the exercise routine down pat, I started to work on my diet. I joined Weight Watchers and, using their Momentum Plan, I lost 175 pounds. In November, they changed the plan to the new Points Plus plan, which my body really responded to, and the last 40 or so pounds just fell off.
Read her entire story at http://www2.tbo.com/lifestyles/life/2011/sep/08/i-lost-it-i-lost-a-person-but-found-myself-ar-256165/
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