Success story: Kristie Armstrong
in
Armstrong, before and after losing nearly 45 pounds.
Amount lost: 44 pounds
How: Diet and exercise
Kristie Carter Armstrong was diagnosed in 2006 as insulin resistant — or, pre-diabetic. She weighed more than 230 pounds, and her doctor advised her to lose weight in addition to the Fortamet he prescribed her.
"I was in grad school at the time and with the stress of writing my dissertation, weight loss was not my priority," she said. "Then one day I took a look at my graduation photos and realized just how fat I really was."
She graduated in December 2007, and made weight loss her New Year's resolution for 2008, "not only to look better but to be healthier," she said. "I did not want to have diabetes."
Her routine was simple, with exercise at home and heating healthier foods.
"Then in March, I moved to Greensboro (S.C.) for my job, and joined the gym that day," she said. "I figured I would either become a couch potato or a gym junkie, and I chose gym junkie."
She kicked it up a notch a few months ago when she started the South Beach diet, which helped her lose the last 13 pounds.
"Now I pay close attention to what I eat and strive to have a low fat, low calorie, low carb healthy diet," she said. "I go to the gym four to five times a week. When I first joined the gym I could walk on the treadmill without tiring for about five minutes. Now I am running 15 minutes straight and training for a 5K."
Circuit training is also part of her regimen. And it's worked; to date, she's down to 190 pounds and is working steadily toward her goal weight of 145.
"The most important thing I had to realize was that the weight-loss process is slow and I must remind myself of this when I get discouraged," she said. "I set small, attainble goals for myself, such as running an extra minute by the end of the week.
"My long-term goal is to be able to wear a bikini to the beach next summer."
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