Slimdown Success
In my work for the Today Show, I meet dozens of inspiring women and men who have battled (and conquered!) obesity. That's why I started a segment called the Joy Fit Club, which features people who have lost 100 pounds or more using their own strategies—no pills, potions or surgery. Each of them would say, "If I can do it, anybody can." Three Joy Fit superstars—Stacy Allendorf, Rosie Coates and Cari Hartman—have had incredible journeys. Use their insights and draw strength from their stories to reach your own goals.
In my work for the Today Show, I meet dozens of inspiring women and men who have battled (and conquered!) obesity. That's why I started a segment called the Joy Fit Club, which features people who have lost 100 pounds or more using their own strategies—no pills, potions or surgery. Each of them would say, "If I can do it, anybody can." Three Joy Fit superstars—Stacy Allendorf, Rosie Coates and Cari Hartman—have had incredible journeys. Use their insights and draw strength from their stories to reach your own goals.
Stacy Allendorf,
Columbia, S.C.
AGE: 52; HEIGHT 5'7";
AGE: 52; HEIGHT 5'7";
BEFORE: 288 LB; AFTER: 168 LB; Total Lost: 120 lb
As a single mom and a devoted teacher, Stacy spent her life taking care of others—and eating heavy cafeteria food and homemade baked goods from her students' parents. In 2001, Stacy's father died from heart disease, so she began to rethink her habits. Four years later, when she had to ask for a seat belt extender on a plane ride, Stacy decided it was finally time to take action and change her lifestyle. She started by waking up at 4 A.M. every day to work out for 5 minutes on a glider machine. After a month she was exercising 30 minutes every other day. In addition to exercise, she began changing her diet by asking herself one simple question: What foods would be easiest for me to do without? She eliminated some fried foods and cut out excess fat, like mayonnaise. Two years later, she reached her goal weight. "I still have my favorites, only healthier. I can enjoy eating and enjoy life," she says.
As a single mom and a devoted teacher, Stacy spent her life taking care of others—and eating heavy cafeteria food and homemade baked goods from her students' parents. In 2001, Stacy's father died from heart disease, so she began to rethink her habits. Four years later, when she had to ask for a seat belt extender on a plane ride, Stacy decided it was finally time to take action and change her lifestyle. She started by waking up at 4 A.M. every day to work out for 5 minutes on a glider machine. After a month she was exercising 30 minutes every other day. In addition to exercise, she began changing her diet by asking herself one simple question: What foods would be easiest for me to do without? She eliminated some fried foods and cut out excess fat, like mayonnaise. Two years later, she reached her goal weight. "I still have my favorites, only healthier. I can enjoy eating and enjoy life," she says.
Stacy's Best Tips and Meal Plan
PAIR UP—WHEN YOU'RE READY. "In the past, I dieted and exercised with friends, but what worked for them didn't always work for me. I would get frustrated and give up," says Stacy. "This time, I walked with a friend only after I'd lost 80 pounds. I had to succeed on my own for a bit before I included a0nyone else."
| BEFORE | AFTER | |
| Breakfast | 3 fried eggs 2 pieces white toast3 pieces bacon | Lowfat sweet potato pancake (from a box mix) with fresh fruit |
| Lunch | Ham sandwich with mayo Lots of diet soda | Salad with chicken or fish and sundried tomato dressing |
| Dinner | Batter-fried chicken Mashed potatoes with butter and gravy Corn with butter and salt; lots of bread and butter | Fish or chicken, broiled or grilled Steamed vegetables Lowfat fudge pop |
| Snacks | Candy and cookies throughout the day | Apple, celery or carrot sticks |
Note: Start slow. At first, Stacy ate lowfat or no-sugar-added pudding to wean herself off candy and sugary snacks. As she ate fewer sweets, she craved them less. Eventually she was able to satisfy cravings with fruit.
Rosie Coates,
Tacoma, WA
AGE: 44; HEIGHT: 6'0"; BEFORE: 300 LB; AFTER: 193 LB; Total Lost: 107 lb
Staring at the television as the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, Rosie was struck by the feeling that she couldn't afford to waste another moment of her life. She weighed 300 pounds and was eating up to 10,000 calories a day. She wanted her daughter to grow up with a healthy self-image but realized that she was a terrible role model.
Rosie started by making one conscious choice: to stop overeating. She recorded everything she put in her mouth in a journal and planned out all of her meals. Rosie also realized that she had to get in touch with her "real" hunger and eat only when she felt it. As she started eating on a regular schedule, she learned to identify those stomach grumbles. Through it all, Rosie walked daily on a treadmill for 30 minutes. She built up to running on a track as well as weight training and biking.
On September 1, 2003—her birthday—Rosie stepped on the scale and saw 200 appear. She yelled to her husband, "I did it!" She had lost 100 pounds. That sense of accomplishment made her want to help others do the same. So, she became a certified personal trainer. "I know I can accomplish anything," she says. "I have a faith in myself I didn't have before. What empowers me now is empowering others."
Rosie's Best Tips and Meal Plan
ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE AND START THERE. "Once I finally admitted how much I was eating, I could realistically figure out how many calories I needed in order to lose weight," says Rosie. "I started by cutting my daily intake to 3,000 calories, which meant I was shaving off 7,000 calories per day!"
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. "I keep multiple water bottles in the house and one in my purse so I can sip throughout the day to keep myself full," says Rosie. "The wide-mouth bottles are best because they're easier to clean."
| BEFORE | AFTER | |
| Breakfast | 1/2 box sugary cereal 4-6 eggs over hard 3 sausage patties | 2 vegetable sausage patties Nutrition bar Fruit |
| Lunch | 3-4 hot dogs | Sandwich (ingredients: tuna salad, cheese, Miracle Whip, lettuce, onions and sweet relish) Salad |
| Dinner | 2 large hamburgers with ketchup, mustard and mayo; bag of chips (4 servings)4-5 cups white ricePackaged baked goods | 4 eggs over hard with oil spray 2 slices whole-wheat toastBroccoli sautéed with sea salt |
| Snacks | Grazed on cakes, cupcakes and at least 2 king-size candy bars | Fruit, nutrition bar, 100-calorie snack pack |
Note: Have breakfast for dinner! Many A.M. staples packed with fiber and protein (eggs are a great example) are not only nutritious but help keep you full and nix late-night snacking.
Muskegon, MI
AGE: 38; HEIGHT: 5'9"; BEFORE: 307 LB; AFTER: 163 LB; Total Lost: 144 lb
After a childhood of turning to food for comfort after her parents' divorce, Cari was admitted to an eating disorders treatment center when she was 18 in 1993. She weighed almost 300 pounds. Doctors diagnosed her as a compulsive overeater, but she didn't understand what that meant. She lost 80 pounds, but when she went back to real life, her old habits kicked back in and the weight crept back on.
Finally, in 2005, Cari got a wakeup call at her annual checkup when she stepped on the scale and it said 307. She was shocked-and determined to lose weight. Four days later, Cari joined a gym. She started riding a stationary bike for 10 minutes and slowly curbed her 200-ounce-a-day diet soda habit. She ate sweets just three days a week and packed her lunch instead of eating fast-food burgers and fries.
It took Cari four years to lose the excess weight. She now satisfies her urges to stress-eat with coping mechanisms like taking a walk. "I learned that making yourself a priority feels a lot better than eating a doughnut," she says. "Healthy habits aren't just a hobby-they have to be a part of your everyday life!"
HAVE A MANTRA. "The one I used at the begin-ning was 'Never set a goal that's too hard to reach,'" says Cari. "I aimed for 10-pound weight loss increments, and when I lost 10 pounds in the first month, I realized that I really could succeed. Over time, I started using new mantras, like 'Focus on how far you have come, not how far you have to go,' which reminded me to just take it one meal at a time and not get overwhelmed."
BE CREATIVE. "I experimented with different recipes to satisfy my hunger in a healthy way," says Cari. "For example, I invented my own delicious version of an egg sandwich, using a high-fiber English muffin, two egg whites and a slice of turkey bacon. It got my day offto a tasty and high-protein start!"
| BEFORE | AFTER | |
| Breakfast | 32-oz diet soda Breakfast toaster pastries Large doughnut | Whole-wheat pumpkin pancakes with a touch of butter and syrup Coffee with skim milk |
| Lunch | Cheeseburger Large fries 60-oz diet soda | Big salad with shredded chicken, pita chips and hummus |
| Dinner | Fast-food chicken tenders with ranch dip Mozzarella sticks with ranch dressing Chocolate shake | Garlic chicken Oven-roasted zucchiniLowfat chocolate pudding or a square of dark chocolate |
| Snacks | Cookies, candy Ice cream Potato chips | Protein bar, banana with peanut butter |
Note: Protein bars are a great snack, but they can be overly processed. Look for ones with 200 calories or less, no more than 14 g sugar or 2 g saturated fat.
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