Annabelle Goetke Chicago
Age: 26
Heights: 5'8"
Before: 328 lb.
Dress size: 28 Before I even hit 20, I weighed 328 pounds, and I knew my childhood eating was to blame. When I was growing up, the dinner table was always filled with greasy meats and potatoes (no veggies); each meal ended with ice cream. I had made a habit of avoiding mirrors, so it wasn't until I saw a picture of myself in the fall of 2006 that I realized how badly I had let myself go. Seeing that shot made me miserable. My body felt like a jail cell, and I was over it.
After: 154lb Dress size: 4
Sizes lost: 12 Scott Bell Looking back, I see that my first steps toward my 154-pound goal were made in the kitchen. That's why I'm studying to be a dietitian. I know what it's like to feel trapped; I want to teach others that it's never too late to escape the prison of bad eating habits.
MyFitnessPal helped me become more aware of what I was putting into my body.
My go-to pumpkin-spice cream cheese muffins are protein-filled to keep me satisfied longer.
I make low-cal versions of my fave gourmet foods, like stuffed portobello mushrooms.
I top berries, nectarines and cherries with homemade whipped cream, nuts and dark chocolate.
