Jodi Friedman
Photograph courtesy of Jodi Friedman
Jodi, 44, had struggled with her weight due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance. But after a nutritionist helped her devise a low-carb, high-protein eating plan, she lost 70 pounds and is now training for a half marathon. "It's important to find a nutritionist who understands your health issues and supports your needs," she says.
A typical day's meals:
- Breakfast: a protein bar with 20 grams of protein or more, plus a banana on workout days
- Lunch: tuna salad with a side salad of mixed greens and tomatoes with aged balsamic vinegar
- Snack: cucumber slices with a tablespoon of hummus
- Dinner: salmon or crockpot chicken with a side of spinach or avocado
- Dessert: kid-sized cup of frozen yogurt
Jennifer Finney
Photograph courtesy of Jennifer Finney
Motivated by a warning from her husband's doctor, Jennifer, 41, and her hubby overhauled their eating habits together. "We went from a diet of processed foods, fast food, and dining out two or three times a week to a whole-food, plant-based diet," she says. "We went all-in from day one, and the weight started melting off." To date, she's lost 80 pounds and now works as an online health and fitness coach. (Clean up your diet with these 5 foods.)
A typical day's meals:
- Breakfast: rolled oats with almond milk, peanut butter, and pure maple syrup
- Post-workout snack: green smoothie with spinach and frozen fruit
- Lunch: Kale salad with hummus and rice vinegar, topped with fresh cucumbers, red peppers, and chickpeas or lentils
- Afternoon snack: apples with peanut butter
- Dinner: a Pad-Thai inspired dish using spaghetti squash instead of pasta
- After-dinner snack: a piece of fruit
Petrina Hamm
Photograph courtesy of Petrina Hamm
Petrina, 43, started the Atkins diet because her sister was interested in the plan. "She asked me to do it with her for support," she says. Petrina eventually modified her diet for more balance, and has lost a total of 100 pounds. She says the key has been "taking it one day at a time. Too many people devote too much focus to the end game." (Should you be on the "eco-Atkins diet"?)
A typical day's meals:
- Breakfast: a healthy "cheese Danish"—made by mixing egg with cream cheese, liquid Splenda, and a dash of cinnamon—along with bacon or sausage
- Lunch: salad with full-fat blue cheese dressing, bacon bits, and diced chicken
- Dinner: steak with steamed broccoli and butter
- Snack: homemade sugar-free peanut butter cup (made with baking chocolate, butter, liquid Splenda, and peanut butter)
Whitney Herrington
Photograph courtesy of Whitney Herrington
The approach of a milestone birthday motivated Whitney, 29, to get serious about her eating habits. "I had been overweight my whole life, and I was determined not to go into my 30s fat!" she says. By following a low-carb, high-protein diet—with some extra carbs added in on workout days—she's lost 65 pounds so far.
A typical day's meals:
- Breakfast: fruit smoothie with some spinach or kale and a scoop of protein
- Snack: granola bar
- Lunch: jerk chicken with homemade cauliflower rice
- Dinner: baked chicken with broccoli and brown rice
- Snack: ¼ cup of peanuts or cashews
Erica House
Photograph courtesy of Erica House
Erica, 32, found that a little patience goes a long way. She lost 60 pounds over the course of two years by cutting out fast food, sugar, and liquid calories like soda and alcohol. (Here are 8 things that happen when you finally give up diet soda.) "The weight came off slowly, but it's stayed off," she says. "I went from being obese, binge drinking, and chain smoking to a three-time marathoner, yoga instructor, and online personal trainer."
A typical day's meals:
- Breakfast: zucchini oatmeal
- Snack: fresh fruit
- Lunch: homemade burrito bowl
- Snack: a scoop of peanut butter
- Dinner: protein smoothie made with a frozen banana, a cup of spinach, chocolate whey powder, almond milk, ice, and a touch of honey
Anne Jongleux
Photograph courtesy of Anne Camille Jongleux
Anne, 56, tried a few tactics before finding what worked best for her. She started by weighing foods and counting calories: "That was great for helping me readjust my ideas of portion size, but impractical for a daily lifestyle," she says. Last year she went on an elimination diet to identify food intolerances. Now she follows a "mostly Paleo" plan of lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh produce, and she's lost a total of 80 pounds.
A typical day's meals:
- Pre-workout breakfast: coffee and a banana or two dates covered in coconut
- Post-workout breakfast: coffee, a bowl of fruit, and two poached eggs
- Lunch: an apple with two tablespoons of almond butter and a few sticks of celery
- Snack: a stalk of bok choy and a carrot
- Dinner: Cobb salad with a few tweaks (turkey instead of ham and bacon; hold the cheese and croutons; oil and vinegar on the side)
- Snack: cucumber slices or pickles
Christian Ohonba
Photograph courtesy of Christian Ohonba
Christian, 30, says she stopped using food as a reward and started thinking of it as fuel for her goals. "I live with the philosophy that weight loss sparks greatness in all areas of life," she says. Though she was scared to look at a scale before starting her weight loss journey, she estimates she's lost around 70 pounds by tracking calories and journaling her eating habits.
A typical day's meals:
- Breakfast: salmon and potato hash
- Snack: pineapple dairy-free yogurt
- Lunch: burrito with ground turkey, black beans, and bell peppers
- Snack: tuna packet
- Dinner: steak with broccoli
