How to lose 266 pounds : together, these three women have not only lost hundreds of pounds —they've kept them off. Read on to find out how they've done it, plus their favorite healthful recipes - or even just 20 - 459, to be exact - Weight-Loss Special

Shape, March, 2004 by Mary Ellen Strote

Karen Arnett's story

When Karen Arnett showed up at the emergency room in the middle of the night complaining of leg pain, her weight was wildly out of control. Heavy since the age of 4, she had managed to lose as much as 60 pounds several times, but now she was up to a staggering 416. Arnett's life was so limited, she remembers, "that I wouldn't even let my son play T-ball because it was too much effort to sit and watch him." That night in the ER she must have felt particularly vulnerable because, at 2 a.m., she found herself listening to an overweight nurse talk about a "fat-counter" diet. When Arnett went home the next day, she began counting every speck of fat she ate, limiting herself to 20 grams daily.

"I still ate pizza," Arnett says, "but I'd order thin-crust veggie pizza and say 'easy on the cheese.'" Over the next six months she lost 68 pounds. When a friend at church invited her to a Bible-based, nationwide weight-loss group called First Place, she hesitated because the program was so strict, but then committed herself to it, including a diet founded on the lowfat American Diabetes Association (ADA) regimen, and she started keeping an "awareness journal." She soon realized that she binged out of boredom while watching TV, so she gave up watching and started reading.

The program also requires exercise, so Arnett began walking not quite a mile down her street. "Soon I was going three miles five or six days a week," she recalls, "and the pounds came off fast." Toward the end of her weight-loss journey, she took up strength training and now uses her weight bench and free weights three times a week, walking 3 1/2 miles on alternate days. "My workout is one hour plus 20 minutes of stretching," she says. She doesn't even count as exercise the 30 minutes she spends on school days walking her daughter to the bus stop. "I call that getting fresh air," she says.

Arnett remains on the ADA-based eating plan and is no longer tempted by unhealthful foods. "Believe it or not," she says, "I work for a bakery, delivering items to a local grocery-store chain--and I never eat any of the sweet stuff."

3 recipes from the 'pros'

One of the most important lessons from the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) has been just how individual weight loss and weight maintenance are: Each person needs to find what works for him or her. Here, the women we profiled share three of the delicious, satisfying recipes that have helped them stay on track.

Renee Fornelli's Grilled Korean Chicken

"The taste of this dish is unique, but the recipe is simple. There's no need to go to specialty stores for ingredients."

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes

  4      tablespoons light soy sauce
  3      tablespoons white wine
  3      tablespoons sesame oil
  2      tablespoons Splenda (granulated sugar substitute)
  2      tablespoons dried onion flakes
  2      tablespoons minced green onions
  2      teaspoons minced garlic
  1 1/2  teaspoons ground ginger
    1/2  teaspoon black pepper
  1 1/2  tablespoons sesame seeds
  1      pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1- to 2-inch
         chunks
  4      kebab skewers
  4      cups broccoli florets
  1      cup brown rice