What was your starting weight/height? What weight are you at now? I am 5’2″ and my starting my weight was 278, my current weight is 187.

What was your thought process that made you decide to lose weight? I knew that I was going to be getting married on Nov. 10, 2012 and I didn’t want to look at my photos and wonder why I was so unhappy with my body image! I also wanted to stop feeling so tired all the time.

How did you stay motivated? Staying motivated has been tough, but I just have to keep reminding myself of how far I have come since Nov of 2011. It helps that my fiance motivates me and goes to the gym with me.

What would you say is the most important factor in your weight loss? Changed eating habits? Exercise? Changed thinking? Something else? I think the most important factor for me was changing my eating habits by eating smaller portions, and watching what I eat. Exercise is definitely an important factor; going to the gym 4-5 days a week for an hour or more has been helpful, and it has been a stress reliever for me as well. It took me a while to change the way I think, I used to think the gym was for super in shape people and I was embarrassed to go to the gym but the first time I walked into my gym I realized that everyone there was like me, they all wanted to be healthy.

Describe the diet or healthy eating plan you’re following. Do you allow cheat days? Basically I eat a dannon light and fit yogurt (about 60 calorie)s in the AM, for lunch I usually have a salad with grilled chicken and balsamic dressing, and for dinner 6 ounces of chicken with 1/2 cup of green veggies. I do allow myself 1 cheat day a week. I do mix up my food,  I don’t eat the same things every day.

What is you exercise plan like? What keeps you motivated? I go to the gym 4-5 days a week depending on my work schedule 2-3 days a week I do cardio, and the other 2 days I do some weight training.  I do yoga or tai chi every morning. What motivates me to keep exercising is how good I feel afterward, and the results I see when I look at myself.

How do you feel about your curves now? I love my curves now! I have always been curvy, when I was younger I hated it; I wanted to be stick thin like the super models, but the older I have gotten the more I have learned to love myself. I like the fact that I look different than other women.

How has your weight loss affected your life? The weight loss has affected my life in so many ways; I feel much better, have more energy, and I have a bit more confidence. I still try to buy bigger sized clothes, and I still see myself as the fat girl. I am more comfortable wearing my vintage clothes then I was before I began losing my weight!