Tag Archives: Success Stories

“From Fat to Finish Line” Documentary Follows 12 Runners to a Ragnar Relay Finish Line

Current media has given us the opportunity to watch so many real-life weight loss journeys in the past several years. From television shows to blogs, there are many willing to let the world watch and be inspired by their stories of weight loss. Coming soon will be a documentary about 12 individuals who lost the weight with the aid of running. Together these 12 will take on a 200 mile Ragnar Relay race in the film, “From Fat to Finish Line.”

Rik, Katie, Mary, Linda, Allison, Jennifer, Andrea, Meredith, Jen S., Lealah, John, and Ada are the members of an extra special group of runners. Everyone on the team has lost 100 pounds or more through running and healthy lifestyle changes. Together, these big losers will take on the 200 mile Ragnar Florida Keys relay in January 2024. Currently, the team is training and beginning the documentary.

Each teammate will be introduced and viewers will learn background on their weight loss journey. The runners have all been very candid prior to the film in one media form or another. Some have become blog celebrities as they have documented their weight loss, others have been on Oprah sharing their struggles, and one member, Ada Wong, was even a finalist on The Biggest Loser. The film will describe how the weight was lost and how it’s been kept off. (more…)

Biggest Loser Resort Helps Karen Eaton Earn the 100 Pound Award at Weight Watchers

By Sarah Nitta for Biggest Loser Resort.

This week I received an email including an experience of a guest that spent three weeks at Biggest Loser Resort at Malibu and it brought tears to my eyes. I am grateful she shared her story and I believe that there are so many out there who can relate. With her permission I am sharing this with you today.

My name is Karen Eaton, I’m a first grade teacher in Northern California. I joined my first weight loss group when I was 10-years old and in the 5th grade. Over the years I let my horrible choices destroy my self-esteem and my weight ballooned to 311.4 pounds. I was in my 20s and miserable. My mom convinced me to join Weight Watchers and I was motivated at first and about 90 pounds. This was about 8 years ago. I was so excited to have made that accomplishment. For some reason it didn’t stick and slowly I started going back to old habits and poor choices, the weight started creeping back on. Last year I was back to being miserable. I hated getting dressed in the morning and wasn’t motivated to do anything and really just cried a lot feeling like a failure. I was watching the Biggest Loser one day and saw an ad for Fitness Ridge. I thought “Wow, that sounds like something I could do!” (more…)

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition’s Staci Loses 201 Pounds in One Year

This guest post written by James Garrison, who lost 313 pounds on Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition.

This week’s episode of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition (EMWLE) we meet Staci, a wonderful mother of two and wife to her disabled husband Rodney. Staci isn’t just your average wife and mother of two; she is also the caretaker for her husband and sole provider for her family. Imagine a life so caught up in the everyday struggles every family faces, now imagine most those struggles and then some falling squarely on the shoulders of Staci. All this led to a staggering weight of 456 pounds that, in her words, is a crushing statement to even say.

During a workout a revelation is made that somewhere in life she gave up on herself and ever being thin. In seventh grade she was already over 200 pounds and being made fun of, and by high school she was too big to even fit in a desk, which ultimately led to her dropping out. It’s during this workout that Chris Powell reiterates to her that she needs to stop playing the victim and take responsibility for her own actions.

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Brenda’s Biggest Loser Club Success Story

Brenda Turnbaugh

UPDATE 5/11/11: Brenda reached out to us via our Facebook page and had this to say: “Just wanted to update that story by saying that I DID complete my first marathon on April 30th in 4:50:31! AND I have hit my initial goal weight of 150 now.” Congratulations Brenda on achieving two incredible accomplishments!

Although it’s inspiring to watch the contestants on The Biggest Loser slim down at the ranch, the show’s most important message comes from the at-home winners. They prove that you don’t need the ranch and personal trainers to lose weight. Proof of this inspiration is apparent in the stories from everyday people who have reached their weight-loss goals through The Biggest Loser Club.

Brenda Turnbaugh is one of these success stories, having lost 108 pounds. She joined The Biggest Loser Club in September of 2024, when she weighed 263 pounds. “I could barely make it up and down the stairs to get to my office at work,” Brenda says. “Every night, when I got to my car, I would be huffing and puffing from 2 flights of stairs and a 100-foot walk across a parking lot, and that was the most exercise I got some days.”

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Jennifer Hudson’s Weight Loss on Oprah

Oprah WinfryWe all know Jennifer Hudson got down to a size six on Weight Watchers, but how did she really do it? Tune in to Oprah this Thursday, February 10, to get all the details behind her weight-loss transformation.

Weight Watchers is an extremely flexible diet plan that doesn’t count out any food if you eat in moderation, but we’ve been wondering about some of the details. Did Hudson stick to veggies and fruit, or did she use her points on fattier foods? Did she try the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program? How did she work out? Plus, Hudson has a special premiere performance in store for the audience and viewers at home.

Check your local listings for show times.

Weight Loss Wonders and Jorge Cruise on Rachael Ray

Talk show host Rachel Ray

Update: This episode will air again on June 6, 2024.

Tune-in today, January 31st, to Rachael Ray for their biggest weight loss episode yet. Five contestants reveal their secrets to losing over 700 pounds combined. The secret isn’t surgery! Knowing Rachel Ray, we bet their success may have something to do with healthy, yet delicious eating. Plus, get a healthy fish recipe that you can make for dinner tonight.

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Successful Dieters Don’t Make Excuses

Jim Stone lost 69 pounds last year. (Image via USA Today)

Jim Stone lost 69 pounds last year. (Image via USA Today)

If there’s one theme running through the success stories from the USA Today Weight-Loss Challenge, it’s “no excuses.” Those who took the challenge knew they had a problem, but their justifications and defenses kept them from doing anything about it. Until they could give these excuses up, each one remained overweight and unhappy about it.

Jim Stone didn’t think he had time to exercise. His job as an engineer in Madison, Alabama is time consuming. But then Jim started to notice that his older and overweight friends were facing health problems, and he realized he was next in line. So, he made changes to his lifestyle by joining Weight Watchers, incorporating more walking into his day and making time to get to the gym. “I considered other things more important,” Jim says. “Now I consider taking time to exercise an important part of my day.” He’s lost 69 pounds in the past year.

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Weight Loss Success is Not Forgetting Where You Came From

Guest blogger Tony Posnanski is the author of The Anti-Jared. Tony struggled with weight loss his whole life until he realized he was not going to be fooled anymore. He has lost more than 200 pounds and maintained it for more than a year. Tony works out six days a week, eats better than before, and has a new outlook on things!

After losing a considerable amount of weight, I get a lot of questions about weight loss.

What should I eat?
How often should I work out?
What vitamins work the best?

Most people who have success with weight loss get asked these questions. People want to know: Is it easier than what they are doing now?

I never know the right answer. So many people lose weight so many ways. There are a bazillion diets and workout plans. Because I am a life-long dieter I know that the only perfect diet is the one you are successful at.

In fact, weight loss is like a snowflake – no two people lost weight the exact same way.

Sometimes that is not fair of me to not answer those questions. After losing over 200 pounds, I should have some sort of advice.

So here it is… (more…)

True Weight Loss Stories – Tell us Yours!

There’s nothing more inspiring than to hear from a man or woman who has lost 20, 50, 100 or even more pounds, did so in a healthy manner, and has kept off the weight. You can read about the intended results of a diet plan all day long, and even wrap-up the intentions in a shiny celebrity bow, but until you see it in action on someone just like yourself, it’s all hype.woman lost weight

Which is why we are thrilled to be launching a special section on DietsInReview.com featuring real people with real stories about real weight loss. We want to share the stories of women and men who made a commitment to themselves and celebrate their hard work by showcasing these true weight loss stories. Minus the hype.

One hypeless story that we enjoy telling again and again is that of our Chief Mom, Carmen Staicer. Her weight loss story has been a motivator for so many women. As a mom of six, she was busy taking care of everyone else. Until one day she found out the kids at school told her daughter that she had a “fat mother.” Carmen made a New Year’s Resolution “that I was GOING to lose weight, to succeed no matter what.” And she did! Carmen says it was the hardest thing she’s ever done, but that hard work paid off in an 80 pound loss that she’s kept off for going on three years. Today, she is a strong advocate for living an active, healthy, balanced life.

Every day we receive emails and read the comments throughout the site from people who’ve lost weight and are excited to share their experience with the world, just like Carmen. So the door is open – we invite you to tell us your story. How did you get started? What was your breaking point? Did you make it up as you went or subscribe to a pre-built plan? What kept you motivated? How do you maintain today?

Please tell us your story by clicking below and completing the form. It’s a jumping-off point to start a conversation. Our editors will follow-up with those individuals who truly stand-out in winning the battle against the bulge. We’ll then share your story with our entire community and give you and your success the recognition deserved!

Submit your story here!

View True Weight Loss Stories Slideshow

How Stephanie Paul Lost 140 Pounds

Stephanie Paul has lost 140 pounds through sensible dieting and exercise. Her weight loss story inspires others to lose weight and make long-lasting healthy lifestyle changes. stephanie paul weight loss

My name is Stephanie Paul and I have lost 140 pounds. I was 18-years-old when I started and now I am 21. It was definitely a journey.

As a young child I was tiny and then went on steroids when I was 7-years-old due to a health condition. I grew up a happy child and ate a lot of foods I shouldn’t have eaten. I became an obese child and let food take over my life. I ate when I was happy, sad, and any other emotion that I was feeling. I used to get made fun of in school. To me, I felt nothing wrong with eating high calorie meals and snacks.

I started getting sick of being obese and after my grandmother died of cancer I had to change something about that. I started counting calories and eating healthy. When you start measuring what you eat you figure out that you were eating too much all the time. (more…)

Meet “The 650 Pound Virgin” on TLC

David Smith may have an ordinary name, but his story is quite extraordinary. This has to be the most amazing transformation I’ve ever seen.david smith 650 pound virgin

David, 32, once weighed 650 pounds. He was suicidal and lonely. But somehow, he found the will to take back his life, and lost an amazing 400 pounds in only 26 months. And he did it without surgery! If that’s not enough, he’s now a certified personal trainer.

Smith’s story was documented by TLC and aired as a special titled “The 650-pound Virgin” on July 12. He looks to his past as if it was someone else. (more…)