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"          My turning point: The doctor told me that my cholesterol was way too high. Needless to say, I was worried. My slim-down techniques: I canceled my cable (literally) and started going to the gym three to five times a week with a personal trainer. I also started bringing healthy lunches, like spinach salad with grilled chicken and dried cranberries, to work. That way, I wouldn&amp;#039;t be tempted to order takeout. Kept the weight off: One year. My best motivator: My 2-year-old daughter. I don&amp;#039;t want her to have an overweight mom. And I keep pictures of my heavier days on my desk at work so I can look at them whenever I crave fast food. My greatest temptation: Christmas! There&amp;#039;s always a lot of food around during the holidays. Last year, there were stacks of Hershey chocolate bars and tins of caramel popcorn. My favorite diet food: Raw spinach with reduced-fat feta cheese and vinaigrette dressing. My snacking tips: Combine salty and sweet snacks to keep it interesting. I like to spread jam on lightly salted crackers. My exercise routine: I no longer have a personal trainer, but I still do a 30-minute cardio workout (on a treadmill, StairMaster and bike) and a 60-minute weight-lifting workout three to five times a week. If the weather is right, I also play basketball and racquetball, and I snowshoe. Slim-down advice: Think of losing weight as an adventure rather than a chore. And shop at thrift stores when you&amp;#039;re dropping clothes sizes -- they&amp;#039;re a great place to find cute clothes at good prices. The payoff: I went from having 36 percent body fat to 16 percent body fat, and I can fit into clothes that I wore when I was 20! The Secret of Your Success Have you lost unwanted pounds and kept them off? Whether you&amp;#039;ve shed that extra weight with a diet that really worked or by revamping your snack habits, we want to know your secrets for an ongoing Good Housekeeping Web feature. Email us your success story and be sure to include your name and daytime phone number. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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