Running Off the Pounds

Vital Stats

Name: Jill Schieren

Home: Yardley, PA

Age: 21

Height: 5'5"

Job: College student, part-time swim coach, and nanny

Weight before: 225

Weight after: 105

The Buildup 

At age 16, after 8 years of competitive swimming, Jill Schieren retired her racing Speedo--but kept eating as if she were training. In college, she blew past the freshman 15 on a diet of cheese steaks and hot dogs--cheap, convenient food she could grab between classes at Temple University in Philadelphia. By her sophomore year, she was carrying an extra 75 pounds. "I was a coach for a community swim team, but I stopped exercising and was eating food I didn't realize was so bad for me," she says. 

The Breaking Point 
When she hit 225 pounds, Schieren realized how much her weight was interfering with her life. Working as a part-time nanny to pay for school, she could barely catch a running toddler. "I was losing my integrity as a swim coach as I got heavier and started getting aches and pains from dragging around all this extra weight," she says. When she couldn't button a pair of size 16 pants that she had bought just 3 weeks earlier, she knew she had to put the brakes on. "I didn't want to be the girl who spent her life in sweatpants because nothing else fit."

The Changes 
The next day, she bought a stopwatch and ran for one minute and walked for 20. Each day she ran a little longer. "Even if I only added 30 seconds, I kept telling myself, 'At least it was more than I did yesterday,'" she says. Schieren also stopped eating red meat, pork, and processed foods, including all the simple carbs--muffins, bagels, cakes--she used to chow on, replacing them with whole fruits and vegetables. "I live by the motto 'If it doesn't grow out of the ground, I don't want to eat it,'" she says. Two weeks in and already down 5 pounds, she made a promise to herself to fit into a single-digit-size dress by her next birthday, her 21st. After 4 months, she had shed 40 pounds and was running for 20 straight minutes. She stepped up workouts to include abs (crunches and ball situps) and light lifting 30 minutes a day, twice a week. In January 2007, Schieren started a training program for her first distance race, Philadelphia's Blue Cross Broad Street Run. By race day she'd dropped 60 more pounds. 

The Reward
Schieren has lost 15 more pounds and is training for a marathon. "When I was heavy, I missed out on a lot of the physical things other people my age did. Now I get to do all of those things, and I appreciate them more." And she's changed her major from liberal studies to nutritional science because, she says, "health is a big part of my life."

Her Tips
Eat your treats. "I still have small portions of my two favorite foods, peanut butter and chocolate, every day." 
Have a daily goal. "I tell myself on the way to the gym: Today you're going to run 3 miles."
Take a day off. "You need that mental and physical break from counting calories."

Eating Healthy Saved Her Life

Heart attack motivated Jennifer Powell to lose weight quickly

Vitals Jennifer Powell, 36, Lebanon, OH
Occupation Stay-at-home mom
Height 5'8"
Time It Took to Reach Her Goal 3 years, 1 month
Weight Before 312
Weight After 165
Lesson Learned "There are no excuses. Once I changed my attitude, having a bad knee or being too busy were no longer reasons not to be healthy."
Secret Weapon "My gym pal, Tammy. Meeting her at the Y every day at 5 a.m. got me out of bed."

The Gain
A chubby kid in a thin family, Jennifer outweighed her older sister even in grade school. When her carb-heavy diet pushed her past 300 pounds, at age 30, she hit rock bottom. "I was ashamed of how I'd let myself go." 

The Change
In July 2005, Jennifer was once again the heaviest member at a family gathering. In the breakfast buffet line, it dawned on her that no one else had piled their plate with one of everything. "I wasn't even that hungry," she says. "That's when I saw how out of control I'd gotten." 

The Lifestyle
Jennifer joined the weight-loss support group Take Off Pounds Sensibly, or TOPS, and discovered her competitive streak. "It became like a contest: What can I change this week? Can I walk an extra mile today?" The former carb addict became a farmers' market regular and nixed red meat. She took daily walks, and in the winter joined the YMCA for thecalorie-burning power of the cardio machines. 

One year later and 80 pounds lighter, Jennifer suffered a major setback: cardiac arrest. Then she had a second heart attack in the hospital. "The doctors said if I hadn't lost those 80 pounds, my heart probably couldn't have taken the stress." Jennifer battled through 12 weeks of rehab and kept striving toward her goal weight. "At first I worked out at a snail's pace," she says. "But I knew I had to stick with it." She did—and in August 2008 she weighed in at a healthy 165. 

The Reward
Jennifer's husband marked the occasion with a diamond "journey ring." "The stones start out large and get smaller, like me!" she says. But the best payoff is her new positive outlook. "I don't doubt myself anymore," she says. "I can look in the mirror and say that I'm worth it." 

Every little bit counts. "My philosophy is, if you're moving, you're losing." Have a fan club. "Find a support system to remind you that you're not in it alone." Be selfish. "Gym time is me time. That's my reason to go." 

Weight-Loss Success Story: Tricia Minnick

How one reader lost more than 100 pounds to get healthy for herself and her family

Tricia Minnick, 28

Before: 278 lbs 
After: 150 lbs

Years of crash diets did nothing to help Tricia Minnick, 28, control her weight, and by the time she got married in 2006, she was carrying more than 200 pounds on her 5'8" frame. In 2007, she got pregnant, and a complication resulted in four months of bed rest—and a 75-pound weight gain. Shortly after Tricia had her son, she and her family moved from Texas to Stuart, Florida. Isolated from friends and extended family, she turned to food for comfort. With the scale stuck at 278 pounds, she says, "I was completely overwhelmed by how much I needed to lose."

The Change
By January 2009, Tricia's doctor warned her that she might need blood pressure medication. And when she found herself breathless trying to keep up with her son, Dash, Tricia realized her weight affected him too. "I didn't want him to face the physical or emotional issues that I had," she says. She gave herself a year to drop 100 pounds.

The Lifestyle
Tricia gave up soda and processed carbs, and filled half her plate with veggies at every meal. She broke out a neglected jogging stroller and started taking her son for walks. She couldn't go very far at first, but by the end of three weeks, she was logging six miles a day and had dropped 20 pounds. Tricia then started using weights at home for 30 minutes twice a week, and by March, at 240 pounds, her blood pressure returned to normal. That September, she met her 100-pound goal but wasn't ready to stop. She began jogging four days a week, and in March 2010, her scale hit 150. "I've never felt better," she says.

The Reward
The woman who once got winded grocery shopping ran her first marathon in November 2010. "Crossing the finish line, I felt as if I could do anything," says Tricia. "I'm healthier and happier than ever!"

Tricia's Tips
Brush your teeth.
"It'll help stop night snacking. Fresh breath makes you less tempted to eat more."

Hit reset.
"If I fell off the wagon, I'd look at the next meal as an opportunity to succeed instead of giving up. As long as you're trying, you're making progress."

Give peas a chance.
"I thought I didn't like vegetables, but I'd only had them canned—mushy and salty. Fresh veggies are delicious!"

Weight Loss Success Story: Loida Fraijo

BEFORE: 173 lbs

AFTER: 125 lbs

At age 12, Loida Fraijo moved with her family from Hermosillo, Mexico, to Tucson, where she discovered fast food. "I supersized everything," she says. "My sister and I would each eat a foot-long sub and then split a third one." By the time she was 19, Loida was carrying 173 pounds on her 5'7" frame. She dabbled in crash diets while attending Pima Community College in Tucson, but she could never commit. "I'd get upset and start eating again," says the 30-year-old aesthetic laser technician.

THE CHANGE
Although Loida was a size 14, she squeezed into the short skirts and tight tank tops her thin friends wore. "I didn't feel comfortable or pretty," she says. Then, at a party in the summer of 2000, she overheard a guy announce that the "chunky girl"—Loida—was leaving. "When I realized that's how people saw me, I knew I had to change," she says. "I wanted to transform my life more than I wanted a hamburger."

THE LIFESTYLE
Loida replaced fast food with fresh spinach salads, grilled fish, and chicken, and treated herself twice a month to veggie-loaded pizza or bunless burgers with a side salad. Setting foot in her college gym the first time, Loida says, "I felt like an alien." She had to stop and throw up after 15 minutes of walking on the indoor track, but she managed 25 more minutes after the nausea passed. "I knew if I left then, I'd never come back," she says. In three months, she was power-walking four days a week. As the pounds gradually peeled off, she busted plateaus by adding strength training and Zumba, cycling, or kickboxing classes to her routine twice a week. After five years of small changes, in August 2005, she was down to 125 pounds.

THE REWARD
Now a size 4, Loida is thrilled to wear the cute clothes that felt too tight in college, and she has more confidence too. "I love bikinis—and I look good in them!" she says. "With my body in better shape, I finally feel at peace with myself."

LOIDA'S TIPS
Think (and cook) ahead.
"If I know the next day is going to be hectic, I'll prepare healthy meals the night before so my diet stays on track."

Surprise yourself.
"I switch up my routine every few months by hiking, running, or climbing the bleachers at a nearby school. That way, my muscles never get in a rut."

Auto-tune your workout.
"I listen to up-tempo music at the gym. When you move to the beat, your workout is easier and flies by."

You Lose You Win: Shannon Mooore

"I feel amazing inside and out!"

Playing softball helped keep Lincoln, Nebraska, native Shannon Moore, 31, a slim size 6 throughout high school, but her weight started to creep up after she landed an office job. Tethered to her desk, she never exercised--and she started ordering pizza or a giant burrito for lunch. "I ate whatever was most convenient," she says. "I never thought about nutrition." In 2006, Shannon wore a size 14 dress to her wedding, then tacked 25 more pounds of "love chub" onto her 5'8" frame during her first year of marriage.

The Change
In January 2008, Shannon's company instituted a system that used health tests to determine employees' insurance deductibles. Shannon, who was 179 pounds at that point, was looking at a steep increase in payments. "Finally," she says, "I had a reason to get fit."

The Lifestyle
For a week, Shannon wrote down everything she ate. "Turned out that if it wasn't takeout or fast food, my meals came from a box," she says. "And I was drinking five cans of soda a day!" She began trading processed foods for fresh fruits and veggies, learned to cook healthy versions of the greasy dishes she used to order in, and joined a gym to walk on the treadmill or use an elliptical for 30 minutes five days a week.

Six months later, she was 10 pounds lighter. To accelerate her weight loss, she stopped chasing workouts with a big bowl of cereal, upped her cardio sessions to one hour, and added strength training three times a week. By December 2010, she dropped 31 more pounds and was a size 4. "I had a fit body again, and I loved it!" she says.

The Reward
Shannon is now at a healthy weight and up for any fitness challenge. "It's very liberating when you're not restricted by your body," she says. "My confidence is high, and I feel that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to."

Shannon's Tips

Keep your thighs on the prize.
"I set new goals and give myself nonfood rewards when I reach them, such as a bottle of nail polish or a good book."

Have night sweats.
"I'm a night owl, and sometimes I head to the gym at 9 p.m. and stay as late as midnight. I don't feel as rushed when it's less crowded, and I have more time to focus on my workout."

Go au naturel.
"Running is my time to decompress, so I try to find scenic routes where all I can hear is the birds chirping. There's nothing more relaxing, and it makes my run go by faster."

Weight Loss Success Story: "I Lost 76 Pounds"

Casie Price, 43, 5' 4", from Marietta, Penn.
Before: 209 lb., size 20
After: 133 lb., size 2-4

Total pounds lost: 76
Total sizes lost: 9

Casie's wearing: C9 Champion: Cami Sports Bra ($20, target.com), Premium Seamless Tank ($10, target.com), and Performance Capri ($25, target.com)

For as far back as I could remember, I had been chubby. The trouble really began, though, after I gave birth to my son. At first, I lost the baby weight. But then I quickly piled it all back on, until I weighed more than I did while pregnant. It bothered me that I didn’t have the energy to keep up with my active son. My wake-up moment came when I found myself zipping into a size 20(!) bridesmaid dress for a friend’s wedding. It made me realize that the health concerns that run in my family, like heart disease and diabetes, could become a reality for me.

RELATED: The Baby-Weight Whisperer

Walk this way

I finally got serious in 2010, kicking off the year by resolving to reach my target weight through two strategies. The first: Walk two miles every day. The initial outings felt like an eternity—my legs ached so badly, and I could barely catch my breath—but once I made it part of my to-do list, I started shedding major pounds. The other: Clean up my diet. I opted for lean protein, such as salmon, and substituted heavy sides, like mashed potatoes, for a mixed-greens salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In six months, I was down another 20 pounds.

Look who's running

When my progress stalled, I amped up my routine from walking two miles to eventuallyrunning six. By the following summer, I was at my lowest weight. To firm up, I incorporatedstrength training. This helped me get the killer body I had always wanted. Even better, I went from struggling to run a few miles to competing in half marathons. In the fall of 2014, I even placed first overall female in the Civilian Military Combine—a mud and obstacle course race that tests endurance and strength—at the age of 41. I felt more fabulous than ever!

RELATED: A Running Vacation Rebooted My Spirit

Casie's pound-cutting pointers

Easy, everyday tweaks like the ones below have helped Casie get and stay super fit. 

1. Bag it up: I portion out all my snacks, like almonds or sliced apples, ahead of time inziplock bags. This lets me take my healthy eats anywhere while keeping my serving sizes in check.

2. Crush a quickie workout: On extra-busy days, I do a Tabata sequence—in just 20 minutes, I can get a full-body workout. It really revs up my heart rate.

3. Write it out: When I’m dreading the gym, I grab a pen and paper and map out my workout; having a game plan prevents me from wasting time or slacking off during my session.

4. Find sweet swaps: I love peanut butter. To avoid some of the fat that comes with it, I mix the powdered kind, PB2, into Greek yogurt. It gives me that nutty, creamy taste without the guilt.

As told to Lindsey Murray