"I Dropped Half My Weight!"
Heavy most of her life, this reader lost 110 pounds—and gained plenty of confidence—after she discovered running.
by Kelly Marages
Rosemarie Jeanpierre, California
Age: 44Height: 5'2"
Pounds lost: 110
At this weight: 3 years
Rosemarie's
challenge
Growing up in the Philippines, Rosemarie was constantly teased about her size. "Being heavy there was unusual," she says. She turned to food for comfort, a habit that stuck with her into adulthood. By the time she was 39, she weighed
220 pounds.
Putting her health first
Rosemarie, a nurse, knew being overweight led to health problems; still, her busy schedule caused her to put her own well-being on the back burner. "I drank at least five cans of soda a day," she says. "When I got off of a long shift, I'd go to a restaurant and eat whatever I craved, usually heavy foods like burgers and fries. And I never exercised." But five years ago, she was diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol, and prediabetes. "It was scary, but it was the wake-up call I needed," she says. "I became determined to improve my health."
Step by step
Rosemarie joined a gym and started walking a mile a day, increasing the distance each week. Within six months, she was running instead, up to an hour a day, and she'd lost 60 pounds. As Rosemarie intensified her workouts, she decreased her calories. "After reading about nutrition, I estimated I'd been taking in 5,000 calories a day. Gradually I cut it down to 1,200 to 1,500 by eating mostly fresh produce and lean proteins," she says. "To stop my midmorning cravings and increase my energy, I started bringing grapes and pears to work so I wouldn't hit the vending machine," she says. "At dinner I'd eat baked chicken or fish with veggies." By year's end, Rosemarie had lost 30 more pounds, weighing in at 130.
A new reason to run
Just as her weight loss was beginning to plateau, Rosemarie's nephew convinced her to sign up for a marathon. "At first
I said no, but he pointed out I was running five miles a day already, so I could definitely train," she says. "He was
right. Six months later, I crossed my first finish line!" After this race, she was hooked. "I signed up for two more
marathons right away," she says. She continued to pick up speed and was soon being recognized as one of the top runners in her age group in Los Angeles County. Even better, Rosemarie was down to 110 pounds and her health
problems were long gone. "I never dreamed I would become an athlete," says Rosemarie. "But more importantly, since running has become part of my life, I've become healthier and happier than I ever imagined possible."
3 stick-with-it secrets
- Give yourself a break "Resting your body helps you stay strong. I take a day or two off from exercise a week. I love pushing myself, but only because I don't do it every day."
- Be grateful "When I think about how I went from being obese to being a runner, I'm so thankful. I want to treat my body right by giving it plenty of nutrients and activity."
- Embrace the scale "After I started working out, I weighed myself every other day. At first I didn't like the numbers I saw, but when they started to go down, it showed my hard work was paying off and motivated me to keep going."
Weekly workout schedule
- Cardio and running 90 minutes/5 days a week
- Strength training 30 minutes/5 days a week
To submit your own success story, go to shape.com/model.
