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Stephanie Cyr
Age: 35
From: Woodbridge, Virginia
Before: 221 lb., size 14-16
Now: 119 lb., size 2-4
Pounds lost: 102
How she did it: Scrolling through old Facebook photos and seeing how much weight she'd gained inspired Stephanie to begin walking for an hour every night. Then, she added a Jillian Michaels DVD and began using the elliptical in her basement. She also tracked her calorie intake with the MyFitnessPal app.
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Tamyala Ezell
Age: 35
From: Warner Robins, Georgia
Before: 250 lb., size 18-20
Now: 145 lb., size 4
Pounds lost: 105
How she did it: A month after giving birth, Tamyala began telling herself, "I am tall, slender and a size 8!" In addition to her newly found positive inner voice, she traded fast food and sugary treats for lean poultry and lots of veggies. She also joined a local church's aerobics ministry.
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Michele Auguste
Age: 32
From: West New York, New Jersey
Before: 280 lb., size 18-20
Now: 163 lb., size 6-8
Pounds lost: 117
How she did it: Michele signed up for Weight Watchers and lost her first 20 pounds in 8 weeks. With her eating under control, she joined a gym, starting out with short sessions on the elliptical and working up to Zumba classes and barre-based workouts.
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Tracie Ross
Age: 36
Before: 293 lb.
Now: 163 lb.
Pounds lost: 130
How she did it: When Tracie reached nearly 300 pounds she took charge of her health. She started walking on lunch breaks, cutting calories, and facing emotions head-on instead of eating the pain away. Tracie said jogging and a group of supportive friends helped her keep the weight off for good!
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Amber DeBeer Larson and Amanda Bard
Left: Larson, Age: 30
From: Orrville, Ohio
Before: 250 lb.
Now: 135 lb.
Pounds lost: 115
Right: Bard, Age: 27
From: Syracuse, NY
Before: 245 lb.
Now: 149 lb.
Pounds lost: 96
How they did it: Walked, talked, and ran off more than 200 pounds after starting new jobs at the University of Buffalo. They joined Weight Watchers and began walking around campus during their breaks. While they live in different cities now, they have found a great excuse to visit each other—running races together.
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Melissa Kubiak
Age: 31
From: Lansing, Michigan
Before: 291 lb.
Now: 166 lb.
Pounds lost: 125
How she did it: Melissa her friends held their own Biggest Loser-style weight loss contest, and she won! She worked out on an elliptical four days a week and did two weight-training sessions a week, while tracking calories and using meal ideas from Jillian Michaels.
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Carter Higgins
Age: 33
From: Burbank, California
Before: 312 lb.
Now: 175 lb.
Pounds lost: 137
How she did it: Carter started going to boot camp five mornings a week, and was motivated to stick with it thanks to the camaraderie. She also kept a food journal, swapping chips for veggies along the way, and dropped 137 pounds in just under a year.
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Doree Kalfen
Age: 52
From: Deerfield, Illinois
Before: 230 lb., size 20
Now: 126 lb., size 4
Pounds lost: 104
How she did it: Doree started walking (and then running!) and eating six small meals a day full of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean meats.
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Angie Filardo
Age: 35
From: Verona, Wisconsin
Before: 368 lb., size 26-28
Now: 128 lb., size 4-6
Pounds lost: 240
How she did it: Angie cut calories and started exercising. She rewarded herself along the way with a new handbag or workout gear for reaching mini targets, like walking 15 minutes each day.
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Sarah Schallern
Age: 36 From: Falls Church, Virginia Before: 300 lb., size 28 Now: 155 lb., size 10 Pounds lost: 145 How she did it: Sarah joined Weight Watchers and started biking.
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Petrita Red
Age: 37
From: San Francisco
Before: 274 lb., size 20
Now: 162 lb., size 12
Pounds lost: 112
How she did it: Petrita traded candy bars, fast food, and soda for veggies, and started jogging and kickboxing.
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Sydney Pershing
Age: 32
From: Miami
Before: 287 lb., size 22-24
Now: 125 lb., size 4-6
Pounds lost: 162
How she did it: Sydney started biking, first just a few blocks at a time, eventually building up to longer rides. Sydney also started eating more vegetables and lean protein instead of pizza, and eventually lost 162 pounds!
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Michelle DeGennaro
Michelle DeGennaro
Age: 43
From: Warwick, NY
Before: 244 lb.
Now: 142 lb.
Pounds lost: 102
How she did it: On the verge of weight-loss surgery, Michelle gave Nutrisystem and exercise one last try and peeled off an incredible 102 pounds.
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20572199_4,00.html
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