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"    BEFORE   AFTER   Name: Beth Packer, 38 Location: Virden, IL Worst of times: 252 pounds (November 1997) Best of times: 150 pounds (2001) My turning point: Getting on the scale at my mom&amp;#039;s house and seeing how much I gained over the years. I started dieting the following Monday to prove to myself that I could do it. My slim-down techniques: Counting calories, doing lots of exercise, and never, ever letting my weight exceed 155 pounds. For the first three months, I ate no more than 1,000 calories a day from healthy foods and drank at least 64 ounces of water. Then, I gradually began to eat 1,500 calories a day, but never more.  Kept the weight off: One year so far My best motivator: Compliments from my family. When my 10-year-old daughter, McKenzie, hugged me one day and said, &amp;quot;Mommy, I can put my arms all around you now,&amp;quot; I realized that I&amp;#039;d been fat her whole life.  My greatest temptations: Baked goods. I don&amp;#039;t keep cakes in the house anymore, and I buy only light whole-wheat bread. If I nibble on a slice, I make sure I count those 80 calories. My favorite diet food: Grilled whole catfish with lemon and seasoning. Just wrap it in foil that&amp;#039;s lightly sprayed with oil and throw it on the grill for 30 minutes. My snacking tips: I munch on light microwave popcorn or sugar-free Jello if I get hungry between meals. My exercise routine: Four-mile jog in the morning, weights and sit-ups in the afternoon, and a brisk four-mile walk at night. Also, two hours of aerobics weekly. Stay-slim advice: Find a program that you can control. Then, take it slow, do your exercise, and continue your routine for life. The payoff: Being able to wear size 10 Tommy Hilfiger jeans -- with my shirt tucked in!  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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