Eat Well Be Active Success Stories

Lifestyle Changes that Changed Her Life! -- Millie's Story

My name is Millie and I want to tell you how making the lifestyle changes that Eat Well Be Active has suggested have changed my life. I have to start by telling you a little something about myself. First of all, I’m not what you would consider a petite woman. I have a large bone structure and therefore can carry more pounds than the average woman my age. The fact that I’m a ‘country girl’ and was raised on rice and potatoes adds to my dilemma. Before deciding to make my lifestyle change, I weighed 310 pounds. I’m currently at 240 and continuing to shape up and slim down. I must confess that all my life I have suffered from poor body image. I was so self conscious of my size that I missed out on a lot of joyful moments that I could have had otherwise. I have big hands and feet and I always felt so awkward in public.

Once I truly made up my mind to change things about myself, I knew that I was on the right track to a happier life. Making up my mind was the most important step. Through EWBA’s book and lifestyle tips, I’ve been able to adopt a program for myself that I can stick with and it’s working. I know that I will never be a petite size 8, and frankly I don’t want to be. I love who I am now and just want to be the best that I can be for me. Here are a few changes that I have made in my life:

1. I have eliminated soft drinks
2. I bring only healthy snacks to the job
3. I partner with my co-workers to keep me motivated
4. I drink lots of water throughout the day. We actually have a water fund at work.
5. I’m always conscious of the foods I eat and always watch my portion sizes

I have to say that I’m a super cook and I love to eat. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the way I view food. I now eat to live, instead of living to eat. My life is so full of joyous moments that I never experienced before because of lack of self esteem. I’m 60 years old and taking swimming classes. Because I have lost the weight the right way, I don’t have a lot of flab to contend with. For the first time in my life, I bought a bathing suit. I haven’t been to the beach yet, but that’s coming too. I still have yet to find the perfect man for me, but I know he’s right around the corner. The fact is; I’m not ashamed to be seen in a social setting any longer. I’m loving Millie! I only wish I had come to this revelation 20 years ago. That’s ok though – I’m going to make the most of whatever life I have left. Through eating well and being active, I know it’s going to be GOOD!

"Enough is Enough" - Sharon's Story

My name is Sharon and I've presently lost over 100 pounds on the EWBA program. I finally said "enough is enough" and needed a program like EWBA to help me get off of the diet roller coaster and cure my 'yo-yo' diet syndrome. With all the stresses of everyday life, I never could seem to get a grip on my weight problem. I was miserable and unhappy and was sick and tired of people telling me that I had a pretty face. It was almost as if the next thing that was going to come out of their mouth was, "but you sure are fat!" My weight was somewhat of a handicap for me. It kept me from doing all the things that I love to do. I denied myself the pleasure of going out because I usually couldn't find anything that looked nice on me. I also realized that I was often short tempered and depressed. EWBA has restored my life. It has added a whole new meaning to the word living. I am pleasantly surprised that I haven't given up a whole lot of things that I like, I've just changed some of the things about the way I live.

EWBA is a program that I will follow for the rest of my life. The change in me is permanent. I wake up smiling. That makes everyone around me much happier and that's a good thing!

Here are Sharon's Before and In Progress photos:

Before	In Progress

"HAPPY TO BE ME!

My name is Jean and as you can see from the picture, I have a great attitude. Twenty three weeks ago I decided not to go on a diet, but adopt a new way of looking at food and trying to be healthy and cute. I had tried all kinds of diets in the past and of course gained every pound and more back. In April I visited my doctor and could not believe how many pounds I had packed on. That was my moment of truth. I knew I had to make a lifestyle change.

One of the things that inspired me about Eat Well Be Active (EWBA) is that I saw pictures of normal foods. I said to myself, “wow, it can be done!” I decided to follow the EWBA guidelines and have had a lot of success. I exercise daily and try to be very conscious of everything and everywhere I eat. I love the results. I feel so much better and I have much more confidence in myself. I feel as if I look better and project a better image. My husband even said to me one morning that I was “shaping up.” I guess that’s his way of saying that I was starting to shed the pounds that have hidden the curves for years. I feel so much more feminine.

I eat a lot of fat free yogurt, low calorie whole-grain cereals and fruits and vegetables. I also drink lots of water. I’ve learned that you can eat all foods in moderation. I think I have lost about fifty pounds so far and plan to lose another thirty. I know that I can do it with EWBA. I admit that I do have those times that I feel that I want to slide back into my ‘unhealthy habits’ mode. I think I can attribute it to my stress level and just the challenging things that life itself presents. Receiving the weekly motivational tips from EWBA has helped me to stay on track. Sometimes you just need an ‘in your face’ reminder of the goals that you have set for yourself.

My next step is WARDROBE. Look out world!