For years, Cara, a mother of four, maintained a healthy 150 pounds by walking daily and strength-training weekly at the gym. "But three months after my youngest was born, the weight wouldn't budge," she says. She was at 170 pounds. Finding my motivation
Still, Cara didn't think much about her weight gain until one morning when she had a clothing meltdown. "There was some kind of problem with everything I tried on-blouses that wouldn't close, pants I couldn't button," says Cara. "I kept tossing outfits on the floor. As the pile grew, I realized it wasn't the clothes-it was me." A few days later at the gym, Cara noticed a posting about a fitness challenge: commit to a diet and exercise plan for a month; the person who had the biggest transformation would win $25,000. "That was all the motivation I needed," says Cara. She signed up immediately and was back at the gym the next day. Shaking things up
The contest included one free session with a personal trainer, who encouraged Cara to challenge her muscles with different weight-training moves. "I began lifting five days a week," she says. "I continued walking and sometimes added an extra half-hour jaunt." Cara also followed a diet low in fat and refined carbs. "Protein helped satisfy me," she says. "So instead of my usual cerealand- toast breakfast combo, I had eggs or yogurt." After 30 days, she'd lost several pounds and didn't really care that someone else had won the money. "It would have been nice," she says, "but my fitter body was more valuable to me." Encouraged by her progress, Cara began jogging part of her walking route. She packed her diet with fresh vegetables and watched her portion sizes. "I used to clean my plate at restaurants and always had seconds at home," she says. "But I learned that I could put my fork down when I was satisfied." Six months later, she was down to 125 pounds. Going the distance
Eventually Cara was able to run such long distances that she decided to tackle a marathon. Now she does several races a year. "Crossing the finish line is amazing, but it's really the process that thrills me, not the end result," she explains. "For the first time in my life, I feel like an athlete." 3 stick-with-it secrets
- Bound out of bed
"When I've set my alarm for an early-morning workout but want to press 'snooze,' I jump up and grab a banana or protein bar." - Expect leftovers
"When I order at a restaurant, I ask for a takeout container. When my meal arrives, I put away half." - Lock it up
"Sometimes I get the urge to snack on my kids' food after I tuck them in. My solution: I wash the dishes, turn off the lights, and tell myself the kitchen is closed."
- Cardio
60 minutes/6 days a week - Weights
60 minutes/6 days a week
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Source: Shape
