Weight Loss All-Stars

Barbara
Current Weight: 197 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 240 pounds

Barbara and her husband, both teachers, wanted children but were having trouble conceiving. When they decided to adopt, Barbara was told she'd need to get a physical firstsomething she dreaded. "When I saw the number on the scale it was 437.4 pounds and that was absolutely disgusting in my mind," she says. "I couldn't imagine that a human could get that way, and I stepped off and I cried."

For years, Barbara says her typical breakfast consisted of eggs, biscuits and muffins. Then, she'd snack on candy bars and chips throughout the day, and eat meat and potatoes at dinnertime. She says she felt out of control and helpless. "That unhappiness at that size was lack of control. I wasn't in charge of my life," she says. "Life was in charge of me, and it was running me."

Determined to make a change, Barbara went to a local hospital and took a series of nutrition classes. After her classes, she changed her diet to include good proteins like chicken, fish and turkey burgers, and lots of vegetables. Once she shed 65 pounds, Barbara and her husband began working with a personal trainer five times a week.

At every weight loss milestone, Barbara has rewarded herself. When she lost her first 100 pounds, she took a cruise. At 150 pounds, she competed in a beauty pageant and won "people's choice." Then, when she hit the 200-pound mark, Barbara went to Disney World!