The right support - Success Stories

"I logged on each day and read postings from other people who were struggling with weight issues."

I always weighed an extra 20-30 pounds and tried many diets to control my weight, but none of them worked. Then, during my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, which my doctor treated with medication. As a result, I lost 10 pounds. Instead of using this weight loss as motivation to start practicing healthier habits, I decided to become as thin as I could by any means possible. Sometimes I starved myself; other times I forced myself to vomit or exercised for hours at a time. I tailored my life around my obsession to be thin. But my weight yo-yoed between 170 and 180 pounds.

After my college graduation, I realized I was a slave to my body image, so I joined an eating-disorders support group and sought the help of a counselor. That guidance was just what I needed, and after I stopped abusing my body, my weight settled at 150 pounds.

Two years later, I started a new job and moved away from family and friends. Lonely, I began bingeing, which caused me to gain weight and left me feeling depressed, so I ate more. It was a vicious cycle of self-hate. Four years later, I reached 210 pounds--my all-time highest weight.

The following year, I met my future husband. With his support, I realized my weight and appearance didn't determine my self-worth, and I worked toward treating my body with respect. We married at my heaviest weight, yet I'd never been happier.

After settling into married life, I realized I needed to lose weight for the sake of my health. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for breath, and I kept growing out of my clothes, often leaving the top button on my pants undone. Because I was living in a rural area, finding a support group wasn't easy. Searching the Internet, however, I located a cyber weight-loss support group and decided to join. I logged on each day and read postings from other people, who, like me, were struggling with weight issues. Their support, suggestions and inspiration were exactly what I needed to get back on track.

I started my exercise program with short walks--I took my dog out on a trail near my house. After several months, I began running and even completed some 5k races. I started to enjoy all foods in moderation, and if I overate one day, I didn't beat myself up and turn to food to make myself feel better. Instead, I tried to make healthier choices the next day.

Over the next four years, I lost 60 pounds. I still log on to the support group, but now it's to help others. My weight struggles have taught me that living a healthy life means thinking differently about weight loss and exercise. I feel and look great, and I plan to for a very long time.

RELATED ARTICLE: WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Walking, running, kayaking, kickboxing or yoga: 60 minutes/5 times a week

Weight training: 45 minutes/2 times a week

MAINTENANCE TIPS

1. Focus on the "means" (i.e., the way you get healthy) rather than the "ends" (how you look). Meeting your fitness and nutrition goals will make you feel 100 percent better.

2. Join a weight-loss support group or enlist the support of family, friends or a counselor. You don't have to do it alone.

3. If you overindulge, don't let it get you down. Instead, make up for it by eating healthier next time.

KATHY ROHR-NINMER, 35, Wisconsin

* Inches lost: bust 4; waist 3; hips 5

* Height: 5'4"

* Pounds lost: 60

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