Success Stories

Sixty-eight pounds. That's 13 five-pound bags of sugar! Approximately the weight of 4.3 bicycles specially designed for Lance Armstrong's Tour de France ride! Or, something we may all be more familiar with... slightly more than the average weight of an 8 year old!

Imagine losing 68 pounds of fat from your body, and the wonderful, freeing feeling that must bring with it! eDiets talked with Melanie N. to find out just what it does feel like, so we could share her success with you!

Now picture Melanie N., a beautiful, intelligent and successful sales representative from Chicago, hiding from pictures and mirrors, ashamed of the 215 pounds she carried on her 5'8 frame. An emotional eater, she often turned to food for comfort, reasoning that she didn't have any other vices, so it was OK for her to eat whatever, whenever and as much as she wanted. But desperation eventually set in when she noticed her knees began to hurt, she had back pain and, worse, her doctor wanted her on cholesterol medication. Melanie's total cholesterol was nearly 300!

She decided it was time to get serious and get healthy, once and for all. She had checked out eDiets.com before, but gave it another look. She reasoned, "It costs about $45 for three months? I can spend that much on one dinner... It's worth a shot." What she found once she joined was everything she had been missing in her attempts at other diets. She found structure and direction in the meal plans, she found information and education at her fingertips -- everything she needed to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle!

After just a week, Melanie shed an incredible 11 pounds! Talk about motivation! That's when Melanie knew this was going to be the beginning of something different. She was following the meal plan to the "T." She was so determined to make THIS time THE time. Melanie says, "I became a student of the industry of Melanie." She was discovering how to make Melanie function best by eating right and exercising.

That once size-18 body and heavy spirit was feeling better every day. Melanie tells us each day she spends some time affirming her success; she says "You're getting better and better each and every day. You're a beautiful woman, and you're getting smaller and smaller every day!" This helped her through the few rough spots she encountered, and helped get her back on track if she slipped up. Melanie is also a believer in the online support that is part of eDiets.com. She said she's found a new family, "I never feel alone, there's always someone who's walking the same walk I am."

She was in the middle of a long plateau when she attended the eDiets Member Event in Chicago and met Raphael Calzadilla, eDiets Chief Fitness Pro. She said he was absolutely wonderful and helped her understand what was happening with her body and how to move past the plateau. She overcame her struggles by learning more and educating herself with all the resources available to her on eDiets.com!

Today Melanie is an amazing size 8/10 and only 7 pounds from her goal. Workouts consist of cardio five days a week for 30-40 minutes and strength training another 3-4 days a week. She still follows the plan and has several favorite meals that she can make without looking at the recipe! Pita pizza and stir-fry top that list! And what's even better? Melanie's cholesterol is down to 164, controlled entirely by the dietary changes and exercise she's incorporated into her lifestyle.

Speaking with Melanie, one learns almost immediately how this weight loss has changed her life. Melanie exclaims, "I feel beautiful, energetic and happy! My confidence has increased exponentially. I feel like I want to live forever! There's a completeness now that I needed for me. I gained the confidence and knowledge I needed to do this for the rest of my life! I can go out to eat at restaurants or visit with friends; I've learned how to eat away from home without fear."

Melanie has this advice for those just starting out, "Anybody can have success -- you just have to make the decision, the decision that 'I want to be healthy, I want to be beautiful!' Once you make that decision and make that commitment, you've made it, and nothing can stop you!"

Right on, Melanie!

If YOU are ready to make that commitment -- to be healthy, be beautiful, be a better you -- now is the time to start! Find out how you can eat the food you love and lose the weight you hate. Click here to see a sample menu for our most popular plan!

Labels: 60-69lbs, eDiets-Meal-Plan, Melanie, success-stories