Living her dream

JEWEL'S CHALLENGE

Overweight from a young age, Jewel Heisig was convinced she was destined to be heavy for the rest of her life. "I believed that some people were born to be overweight and I was just one of them," she recalls. After school, she would watch TV and eat junk food instead of playing outside with other kids. As the pounds piled on, her peers teased Jewel mercilessly, isolating her even further. In her early 20s, she did make one attempt to improve her health: She bought a two-year gym membership. "But I felt too self-conscious to go," she says. By then, Jewel weighed 250 pounds and her self-esteem was almost nonexistent.

HER TURNING POINT

Six months before Jewel's unused gym membership was to expire, her sister-in-law mentioned that she wanted to get in shape for a friend's wedding. When she found out that Jewel's membership allowed her to bring a guest to the gym for free, she asked Jewel to take her. "I was sure it was going to be a waste of time, but since I had someone with me, I thought it could be bearable for a couple of weeks," Jewel remembers.

HER WEIGHT-LOSS & EXERCISE PLAN

Jewel and her sister-in-law started their fitness program by walking on the treadmill. "I barely made it through the first five minutes before gasping for breath," Jewel says. "But I did it again the next day, adding another five minutes to my time, and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it." A month later, Jewel was walking, biking or stair climbing four to five times a week for a half-hour. She knew she also needed to change her eating habits, but didn't quite feel ready.

MAKING SUCCESS HAPPEN

As the weeks progressed, the pounds started to drop off and Jewel felt more energetic. "For the first time in my life, my clothes were too big on me," she says. That fueled her motivation to stick with her workouts. She started weight training to tone up, and her cardio workouts expanded to include Spinning.

Jewel finally saw how her behaviors could have a positive impact on her health and well-being. With that confidence, she finally changed how she ate, giving up empty-calorie items such as soda and fast food and switching to healthful salads and fruit. "Whenever I had a craving for something unhealthy, I reminded myself of all the hard work I did at the gym that day," Jewel says. When she ate out, she opted for grilled chicken, salads and other lowfat fare.

Jewel varied her workouts by taking as many different fitness classes as she could--everything from Tae-Bo to core conditioning. "When I mixed up my activities, I had more fun," she says. As a result, she

lost 110 pounds in one year.

Now at a healthy 140 pounds, Jewel is studying for her personal-training certification so she can help others who are like she once was: unhealthy and lacking the confidence to get into shape. "When I was overweight, being fit and healthy seemed like an unattainable goal," Jewel says. "But now I'm living my dream."

RELATED ARTICLE: JEWEL HEISIG, 26, COLORADO

* Height: 5'7"

* Pounds lost: 110

JEWEL ON ...

* DOWNSIZING

"Before I lost weight, I had a 42-inch waist and had to buy my clothes in the men's department. Now I wear a size 8."

* CURBING CRAVINGS

"I love chocolate, and instead of depriving myself all day and then overindulging on a candy bar in the afternoon, I add a tablespoon of hot-chocolate mix to my morning coffee and start off the day with a delicious treat."

* GROUP OUTINGS

"Every few weeks, I gather friends together for a hike or a bike ride. It's a nice way to socialize and get a great workout."

COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group