Diet Success Stories: How I Lost Weight

Name: Melissa Swanner

Age: 38

Home: Portsmouth, Ohio

Height: 5'2"

Previous Weight: 234 pounds

Current Weight: 123 pounds

Weight Lost: 111 pounds

How I Lost It

I have fun with exercise. One of my favorite workouts is playing a dynamic video game like Wii Fit or EA Sports Active. My 16-year-old daughter and I often do one of the half-hour step aerobics circuits together.

I invested in weight-loss tools. When I started dieting, I made two important purchases: a CalorieKing reference book, which lists calorie counts for everything, and a digital food scale so I can measure serving sizes of fruit, cereal and meat. They were inexpensive but a huge help.

I make healthy swaps when baking. To lighten up a chocolate chip banana muffin recipe, for example, I leave out the nuts, replace oil with sugar-free applesauce, and cut the sugar in half. The muffins are still sweet and delicious, and just 100 calories each.