With the South Beach Diet and other helpful weight loss tools, Jennette is so much closer to her goal now.

-City & country: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
-Age: 26
-Weight before diet: 372 lbs.
-Weight now: 198 lbs.
-Target weight: 160 lbs.

Jennette saw for herself how family and friends lost weight on the South Beach Diet. Trying it, she found that this weight loss plan agreed with her, too. But it's not just dieting that's helping her to lose weight; see how exercise and self-discipline play major roles in her lifestyle change as well.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
My body was like a dilapidated building a day away from being condemned. My knees hurt when I'd walk down the stairs from the fourth floor office. I had to have my gall bladder removed at age 23 and my surgeon told me my weight was cutting at least 7 years off of my life span.
 
My younger brother lost about 60 pounds on the South Beach Diet and was gently prodding me into considering it too, though without being overly pushy about it. He was very tactful.
 
-What type of weight loss program are you following?
The South Beach Diet, by Arthur Agatston
 
-Why did you choose this weight loss program?
My brother's friend had lost a lot of weight on it, as had my brother. It seemed to be a sane, balanced diet and not a crazy fad diet that would tell me to only eat purple foods. It didn't require me to count calories or obsessively track my food. Instead it gave me some general rules about how my body processed different types of foods and thus what healthy food choices would be. It allowed me to eat until I was full and included desserts and treats. It sounded like something I could actually do for the rest of my life without making that life miserable.
 
-How long have you been on your weight loss program?
It will be two years in mid-January 2007.
 
-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to help you lose weight and stay fit?
I recently moved close to a trail that runs through my city. It's great for walking, jogging, and biking, assuming you navigate carefully and don't get run over by a crazed in-line skater! I'm sure to carry my health insurance card whenever I go out there.
 
I run on a treadmill during the winter. I also do Pilates, which has improved my posture and flexibility and generally makes me feel fitter and thinner. I still can't wrap my legs behind my head, though.
 
-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
When I first started eating better, I lived with people who weren't on the same diet as me, so I had to insist they at least hide any cookies or ice cream they brought into the house so I wouldn't be tempted by them. It's easier to stay on a diet when "bad" foods aren't quickly available to you.
 
The first few months when I was changing everything were difficult because my new way of living wasn't a habit or second-nature to me as it is now. Even now, some days I don't feel like running or rolling around on my Pilates mat, but I have to force myself to do it anyway.
 
-How do you keep yourself motivated?
I keep a blog where I log my weight every week. If the numbers were to start going up instead of down, it would be extremely embarrassing. My readers are also the best cheerleading squad, though I don't know if they can do a human pyramid.
 
I write down what exercises I've done on my wall calendar. If there starts to be a lot of empty white boxes on the calendar, I guilt myself into exercising again.
 
I also enjoy the rewards that come with weight loss, like buying a pair of jeans in a smaller size or getting a completely new winter wardrobe because all my old clothes no longer fit.
 
-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
Find a routine that fits into *your* lifestyle and sounds like something you can do for the rest of your life. You can't go on a temporary diet, then go back to your old ways and expect the weight to stay off. Sometimes I will read people say they're never going to eat sugar or chocolate again. If you can do that, great, but most people are going to want to eat sugar or chocolate again eventually. You have to figure out how to fit it into your life in a balanced way. Typically if you deprive yourself of something like that, you end up bingeing on it later in frustration.
 
Find an activity that you *like* to do. If going to the gym is something you dread, you're probably not going to be able to maintain that behavior for the rest of your life. Find a class that you enjoy - tennis, swimming, hula dancing - whatever. Just make sure it's something *you* like.
 
-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
I am wary of the slippery slope. I doubt I would ever one day start ordering an extra-large pizza for lunch and wash it down with a mint chocolate shake. However, I could see myself slowing starting to introduce "bad" foods into my diet little by little until they dominated it.
 
To prevent this, I weigh myself every day. I plan on doing this for the rest of my life. Once I get to goal I'll set a maximum weight limit for myself. At that point if I ever weigh more than 170, I will make myself go into weight loss mode again.
 
I also only keep clothing that is one size above my current size. If I gain a bit of weight I have clothes to wear, but if I gain too much I'll either have to lose the weight or go buy new clothes. Or invest in a lot of drawstring pants.
 
-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helps or inspires you to lose weight?
My blog is called half of Me and has kept me accountable. It's also the place where I've met lots of weight loss buddies.
 
I traverse a LOT of weight loss blogs. Reading stories from people who are facing the same challenges as me creates a feeling of solidarity. We're all in this together! I can't list everyone's blog here, but most of them can be found in my blog roll in the right column on my site.
 
The forum at 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet has been a great place to find answers to many questions I've had about loose skin and how the reduced obese and metabolically different are distinguished from people who were never fat.
 
Spark People has an easy to use calorie counter and fitness tracker, lots of articles, and illustrated examples of how to do different exercises. Plus, it's free!