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Jennifer Hodges, 41 Before: 369 lb Now: 157 lb Start I began gaining weight in sixth grade soon after my parents opened a pizza place. I wasn't active and ate poorly. To deal with being heavy, I was the "funny fat girl" in high school and made jokes about my weight. At 23, I was 250 pounds. People always said, "You have such a pretty face, if you'd just lose weight, you'd be a knockout." Reality Check In October of 2008, I fell in the yard and twisted my ankle while playing with my three kids (who were all under the age of 4). At 350 pounds, I was too big for my husband to lift, so he had to get a blanket, roll me onto it and drag me inside. I was humiliated and terrified. What if I had been home alone? I knew I had to make big changes. Exercise Made Easy A few weeks after my fall, I joined a gym near my house. The location was important because I didn't want to have any excuse to skip a workout. I started slowly, just walking for a few minutes on the treadmill. Gradually I increased the time and distance. Ramp It Up! My body really transformed once I started taking a gym class called BodyPump, which combines cardio and weights. Food Changes After a year of exercise—and losing 100 pounds—I tackled my eating habits. (It was too overwhelming to do both at once.) I cut portions down and cooked at home more often. Finish By 2011, I finally reached my goal weight. The best part? Now I'm setting a positive example for my family. We swim, run and ride bikes together. We are an active family, which I never would have dreamed of three years ago. Click here to read more about Jennifer from Woman's Day. More from Woman's Day: What is your weight-loss story? What is the secret to your success? *Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program. |
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