Body Image Makeovers

The first step of Carson's plan is to sit down with Michael for a one-on-one conversation. During their session, Michael admits that she suffers from low self-esteem because of weight gain. "I used to be a size 5 to 7," she says. "Now I'm like [a size] 14, 16 sometimes 18. I have three tracksuits that love me, and I love them back."

Michael tells Carson that it's more than just parties she avoids. She also says she hasn't visited her son's school for some time. "You can just look at people and say, 'My gosh, she really gained over the summer.' And a lot of the moms get smaller and smaller, and I'm just getting bigger and bigger."

Carson wants Michael to put a stop to that thinking! "Just put that out of your mind because we're never going to be perfect," he says. "Someone's always going to be younger and skinnier and cuter, but no one's going to be you. No one has you, your experiences, your husband, your family. You've got something nobody else has, and you should be proud of that. ... You've got all the ingredients. You've just got to believe in yourself a little more."

"I'm just sick of being so emotional all the time and feeling so whiny—and that's so not like me," Michael says. "I want to get back into living and start being the social butterfly that I once was."