Spotlight on Wellness: Kris Stevens

Position: Group Training Manager in upstate New York
Age: 35
Height: 5'8"
Weight loss: 50 pounds over the past 12 months
Favorite exercise: Working out to Beachbody's Turbo Jam fitness DVD. I love the cardio workouts. They're just like jumping around for an hour.

Kris's challenge
I struggled with being overweight most of my adult life. I knew I wasn't making the best choices when it came to food, and I tried to exercise. Walking to the fridge and back to the couch counts, right? It didn't help that I was queen of making excuses. I never described myself as fat. I would say I was pleasantly plump, had a large frame or was just big boned. Never once did I think maybe I was just big. I weighed 230 pounds at my heaviest.

Coming to reality
Over the years, I spent a lot of money on fad diets. I'm a single mother who works full time and couldn't find the time to exercise, which probably explains why none of the diets ever seemed to measure up. After several unsuccessful attempts, I gave up on losing weight. Instead, I found comfort in watching NBC's The Biggest Loser while pounding down a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Somehow I justified that by telling myself it was OK because I was smaller than the contestants on the show.

The turning point
I dreaded going to the doctor each year for my annual checkup. I was afraid to admit that I couldn't lose weight. Not until my physician laid it out for me did I understand how I'd fooled myself into thinking that my weight was OK. She broke out the dreaded body mass index (BMI) chart and circled my goal weight: 165 pounds. Then she circled my actual weight: 225 pounds. I walked out of her office and sat in my car staring at the BMI chart. I never had anyone circle my weight on a chart — one that identified me as an obese person. I was shocked, but I knew I couldn't fool myself any longer. No more excuses.

Breaking the cycle
For the next two weeks, I contemplated how I would lose the weight. I knew I had to learn how to make better food choices. I learned the point values given to certain foods as part of the Weight Watchers program and how to calculate them, began reading nutrition labels, controlled my portion sizes, drank lots of water, and had five to six servings of fruit and vegetables daily. For me, sticking to the plan was the hardest in the evening. Once I put my daughter to bed, it was me versus the fridge. In the past, the fridge had always won, but not anymore. To stop myself from visiting the kitchen, I had to find something to keep my mind busy. As strange as it sounds, I found comfort in Legos, the children's building blocks. With step-by-step instructions, I built elaborate Lego houses. It was fun and kept me occupied, but more importantly, it kept me out of trouble.

One of Kris's Lego houses she built to help break the cycle

Her routine today
To date, I've lost 50 pounds. I exercise three or four times a week and feel great about myself. When I'm not exercising, I try to keep moving by playing with my daughter, or doing household chores or yard work. If I've learned one thing throughout this journey, it's that I'm not the type of person who will make the right food choice every time, but I know I can make a better choice most times.

Words of advice

• Do it for yourself. No one else can do it for you.
• Do your homework. Planning is everything. Take healthy snacks to work to avoid gorging at lunch.  
• Start now. Why wait for tomorrow to live healthier?
• Stay on the wagon. If you make good choices at breakfast, then not-so-good choices after that, you might feel tempted to throw in the towel for the day. Don't do it. Instead, pick up where you left off.  
• Spread the word. Tell everyone you know that you have decided to make different choices and need help sticking with them. That way, if you veer off course, someone will be there to help get you back on track.
• Celebrate the small things. Make short-term goals for yourself and celebrate with a reward.