<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" &amp;quot;I lost 120 pounds!&amp;quot; Anne Potasky, age 53 Puyallup, Washington TWO SIGNS My first job as a registered dietitian at a college food service center was the start of my weight problems. I oversaw the meals and menus. I&amp;#039;d take a nibble here and a nibble there, then go home and eat a full dinner with my husband. The weight gradually crept on each year. In 2008, my daughter won many awards during her senior year of high school. At the ceremonies, I could barely fit in the auditorium chairs. Around that same time, I went to the doctor for a cold and had some blood work done. The results freaked me out: I had a fasting blood sugar of 109 and was prediabetic! I thought, I&amp;#039;m a dietitian, I can&amp;#039;t have diabetes! There were definitely times I felt like a hypocrite being an overweight nutritionist, but I tried to use my weight struggles as a way to empathize with clients. But the doctor&amp;#039;s call woke me up; I needed to get healthy\u2014stat. SUPPORT AND SUCCESS I found TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) online and loved the idea. It&amp;#039;s a nonprofit, it&amp;#039;s low-cost ($26 for yearly dues, plus $3 to $5 per local chapter) and it&amp;#039;s all about the support (no set diet or program to follow). I walked into my local chapter and instantly felt embraced. I allowed myself 1,500 calories per day, 500 per meal, and stuck with the same meals to avoid the guesswork. Once I lost 50 pounds, I started walking during my lunch break. The rest of the weight came off in two years. NO MORE HOLDING BACK There&amp;#039;s a hill near our house that my husband bikes up. I used to have to stop and walk my bike to the top. Now, I pedal the whole way. I still remember the first time I made it up\u2014it was the greatest feeling in the world. On a recent trip to Europe with my daughter, we walked and biked everywhere. I couldn&amp;#039;t help but think that I never could have done any of this at my old weight. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/a6314/weight-loss-winners-anne/?click=health>