Krystal Sanders Before: 185 lbs After: 120 lbs Although she stands only five feet tall, 27-year-old Krystal Sanders was never petite. Growing up, she subsisted on fast food and "anything you could microwave." A size 14 when she moved to Austin, Texas, in 2005 to work as a revenue services specialist, she continued to hit the drive-through five nights a week. When she began planning her wedding in early 2008, the added stress drove her to eat even more. "I was in denial and avoided scales, cameras, and mirrors," she says. But she couldn't avoid the size-18 tag on her wedding gown. Tracey Dickson Before:158 lbs After: 117 lbs Although her job as a flight attendant forced her to eat out at least four nights a week, Tracey Z. Dickson, 44, of San Antonio, Texas, stayed trim by teaching cardio and boot camp classes and running about 20 miles a week. But in April 2008, Tracey discovered a cancerous lump in her breast. "My life hit a wall," she says. Chemo sapped her strength, while steroid pills left her ravenous, so Tracey ate—and ate. "I decided that because I was going through a sucky situation, I would eat whatever I wanted," she admits. In four months, the scale flashed up to 158. "I had never weighed that much," says Tracey, who stands 5'3". "I knew that couldn't be healthy on my petite frame." Shannon Moore Before 179 lbs After 138 lbs "I feel amazing inside and out!" Playing softball helped keep Lincoln, Nebraska, native Shannon Moore, 31, a slim size 6 throughout high school, but her weight started to creep up after she landed an office job. Tethered to her desk, she never exercised--and she started ordering pizza or a giant burrito for lunch. "I ate whatever was most convenient," she says. "I never thought about nutrition." In 2006, Shannon wore a size 14 dress to her wedding, then tacked 25 more pounds of "love chub" onto her 5'8" frame during her first year of marriage. Loida Fraijo Before: 173 After: 125 lbs At age 12, Loida Fraijo moved with her family from Hermosillo, Mexico, to Tucson, where she discovered fast food. "I supersized everything," she says. "My sister and I would each eat a foot-long sub and then split a third one." By the time she was 19, Loida was carrying 173 pounds on her 5'7" frame. She dabbled in crash diets while attending Pima Community College in Tucson, but she could never commit. "I'd get upset and start eating again," says the 30-year-old aesthetic laser technician. Tricia Minnick Before: 278 lbs After: 150 lbs Years of crash diets did nothing to help Tricia Minnick, 28, control her weight, and by the time she got married in 2006, she was carrying more than 200 pounds on her 5'8" frame. In 2007, she got pregnant, and a complication resulted in four months of bed rest—and a 75-pound weight gain. Shortly after Tricia had her son, she and her family moved from Texas to Stuart, Florida. Isolated from friends and extended family, she turned to food for comfort. With the scale stuck at 278 pounds, she says, "I was completely overwhelmed by how much I needed to lose." Deana Custer Before: 225 lbs After: 140 lbs Although Deana Custer was on the volleyball and golf teams in high school, she carried 150 pounds on her 5'4" frame. Her weight began creeping up when she started cosmetology school in August 2005 while working two part-time jobs--she couldn't find time to exercise or cook. Fast food took its toll, and she was 200 pounds at her December 2006 graduation. She got a job as a hairstylist in Washington, Iowa, but the irregular hours had her scarfing takeout between clients or skipping lunch and overeating at dinner. She put on 25 pounds in three months. "I was ashamed of letting myself go that far," she says. Mechelle Wingle Before 175 lbs After 132 lbs When Mechelle Wingle married her college sweetheart in 1994, she weighed 140 pounds. But over the next 11 years, she had four children, and as a stay-at-home mom in Layton, Utah, she was never able to lose the baby weight. In 2006, after the birth of her last child, Mechelle peaked at 175 pounds. Misty Gauthier Before: 236 lbs After: 146 lbs Despite a family history of type 2 diabetes, Misty Gauthier, 5'5", ignored her growing waistline for most of her life. Exercise seemed like torture, and it was easier to grab takeout than cook for herself. In fact, it wasn't unusual for her to eat out at every meal—a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on her morning commute, junky catered work lunches, and slices of pizza for dinner. She gained 60 pounds over the course of four years, reaching a high of 236. Mary Renwick Before: 255 lbs After: 155 lbs When Mary Renwick moved with her husband, Tim, who was in the Navy, from Monroe, Michigan, to a military base in Sicily in 1999, her six-foot frame was lean and willowy. But while Tim worked odd hours at his new job, Mary filled her lonely days with food. "I ate for comfort and indulged in the local cuisine—oily pasta, buttered bread, lots of cannoli," she says. By the time Tim was discharged and they returned to Monroe in 2002, she was 90 pounds heavier and depressed. In the next seven years, Mary gave birth to two boys, which improved her spirits but not her weight. Jessica Whitehead Before: 345 lbs After: 145 lbs Jessica Whitehead was never one to pass up a good time—especially if food was involved. For years she met friends every night for dinner, ordering the largest sizes and every add-on: extra cheese on her pizza, extra mayo on her overstuffed sandwiches, and a side of chips or fries with her meal. Source
