Family history

LAURA'S CHALLENGE

Laura Griffith's weight problem began in her early teens when her family moved. "I had a hard time making friends, so I turned to food for comfort," she remembers. At school, Laura slowly met new people, but after school, she watched TV and ate junk food. This pattern continued throughout high school, and by the time Laura started college, she carried 180 pounds on her 5-foot-5-inch frame. Although she made half-hearted attempts at dieting to drop the excess pounds, Laura couldn't lose weight. "I blamed my being overweight on genetics," she says. "I accepted the fact that I was heavy and would have to shop at plus-size clothing stores for the rest of my life."

HER TURNING POINT

Two years after her college graduation, Laura went to her doctor for a physical exam and learned that her blood pressure was elevated. "Several members of my family had problems with high blood pressure," she says. "I realized that unless I did something to lose weight, I too would have health problems."

HER WEIGHT-LOSS & EXERCISE PLAN

Laura started by cutting high-fat food out of her diet. She limited herself to 1,500 calories a day and created meals that focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meat. She also bought a gym membership and started an hour-long walking workout five times a week.

MAKING SUCCESS HAPPEN

With healthier eating and a new exercise regimen, Laura lost about 5 pounds a month. "I kept a food diary to keep me accountable," she recalls. "If the needle on the scale didn't move, all I had to do was look at my journal to see what I was eating."

At the gym, Laura started weight training and, after six months, her walking routine evolved into running and she started doing step aerobics and kickboxing. A year later, she had lost 60 pounds and reached her goal weight of 120.

Then came the hard part--keeping it off. "At first I was so excited to be slim, but then I got bored with the low-calorie diet," she says. Over the next five years, Laura's weight yo-yoed and she began eating high-fat foods more often. Although she was still exercising, it wasn't enough to compensate for the extra calories. "Before I knew it, I gained back almost 25 pounds," she says.

As Laura's 30th birthday approached, she used that milestone to recommit herself to weight loss. "I started keeping a food journal again," she says, "and fine-tuned my diet so I could eat more healthfully." To recharge her workouts, Laura began taking Spinning classes and signed up for a 10k race. "Training for a race got me excited about working out again," she says. In the past two years, Laura has completed five races.

Training and competing in races restarted her weight loss, and a year later, Laura was 25 pounds lighter. "My blood pressure is healthy, and my doctor says that my new habits will help reduce my risk of health problems," she says. "Knowing that I can change my future is empowering."

WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Running, kickboxing or Spinning: 45-75 minutes/5 times a week Weight training: 30 minutes/3 times a week

To submit your own Success Story, go to Shape.com/model.

RELATED ARTICLE

LAURA GRIFFITH, 32, VIRGINIA

* Height: 5'5"

* Pounds lost: 60

LAURA ON ...

* PHOTO FINISH "I used to hate seeing myself in photos when I was overweight. Now I love seeing photos of myself when I've crossed the finish line of one of my races."

* SMART SNACK "My favorite midafternoon snack, celery sticks and peanut butter, is the secret behind my high-energy evening workouts. It's the perfect mix of carbs, protein and fat."

* JUST REWARDS "Every time I finish a race, I treat myself to a facial or a pedicure. It's a reward that renews my body and my spirit."

COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group