Meganrose07 managed to lose 79 lbs by making small changes to her eating habits and staying physically active. In her story, she shares with us some of the challenges she faces as she continues to lose weight and describes the motivation that helps her stay on track.

She contacted us through our Share Your Story feature, and provided the following answers to our questionnaire.

1. What prompted you to begin this weight loss journey? Did you have an "Aha!" moment?

I walked through the door, got on the scale and was floored. My doctor's assistant just weighed me and the scale read 260 lbs! Last I knew I was a healthy 190! How could this be? How did I gain 70 lbs over 2 years? What happened to the freshman 15!?

As a sophomore at the University of Florida, I was still learning what it was like to be "independent". Being 60 miles away from home, there were meals no longer being prepared for me, no more motivation from my family to be healthy , and most importantly, no structure. I was a typical busy college student running on late night meals and caffeine while studying until 2 am and working every weekend I got a chance. Exercise? There was no time to exercise! 

After I left the doctor's office, I went straight to Gainesville Health and Fitness and signed a contract for a 2 year membership. The road to fast food and no exercise was over. I was on the road to a new me!

2. What other "diets" (programs, products, plans, or services) had you tried in the past?

As a child, I was always overweight. In middle school I had to skip the juniors section and go straight to the women's to find clothes that fit. My parents signed me up for Weight Watchers more than once and I also tried to do a low-carb plan.

3. Please describe how you reached your weight loss goal. What changes did you make to your usual diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude?  Did you implement any other strategies besides Calorie Count?  What was the most important change?

Anything is possible through hard work and dedication. I adopted this way of life immediately and knew that I could only be successful with a positive, confident attitude. I started a work-out routine at my gym and used Calorie Count for aid with my diet.

4. Please describe how Calorie Count was instrumental to your weight loss.

Logging your calories is the most important aspect of weight loss. It leaves you accountable for the calories you consume and I quickly discovered that this was important to keep me on track. Calorie Count was eye opening and this journey would not have been as easy without it.

5. What difficulties did you experience losing weight?

Plateaus! The hardest part of my weight loss journey was getting past plateaus. I succeeded by staying positive, determined and most of all, focused.

6. How long did it take you to see results? When did you realize that you were a success?

The weight fell off easily. It was amazing to see how just eating healthy and having an exercise routine while logging my calories could be so effective! Before I knew it, I was buying smaller clothes and getting compliments from family, friends and peers.

7. How do you prevent relapse?

Keeping my goal in mind is the best way for me to prevent relapse. Although staying focused after hitting a plateau was difficult, I keep reminding myself about how far I've come and how close I am to reaching my goal.

8. How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?

I feel amazing. Although I still have 35 lbs until I hit my goal, losing 79 lbs has definitely made me feel like a new person. I have went from an 18 pant size to a 12! Shopping for clothes is now enjoyable and I now feel confident in my bathing suit.

9. How long have you maintained your current weight?

I have lost 79 lbs over 2 years and my goal is to hit 145 by the New Year!

10. What tips do you have for other dieters?

• Never give up.
• Keep your goal within reach while staying focused.
• EXERCISE!
• Log your calories.
• Surround yourself with a positive support system.