"I decided to overhaul my life for good"

My struggle with weight goes back nearly 20 years. You name the "it" diet of the month, and you bet I was on it. That might mean not even looking at carbs for fear it might add 10 pounds to my waistline, or tossing every last morsel of food containing refined sugars into the trash. But it wasn't until my woozy episode that I was actually afraid I might not be around for my family because I wasn't taking care of myself. That's when I decided to overhaul my life for good.

How I Did It: It's not easy to admit to yourself that you're overweight. I could keep telling myself I'd only put on a few pounds, but the reality was that I needed to lose more than 50 pounds that were stressing my body. Immediately I was drawn to the quick-fix fads: special shots and magic pills that promised fast results, but what about the long-term plan? I couldn't risk gaining the weight back because the plan I chose had no long-term remedy.

So what did I do? I turned to my girlfriends. One told me about a plan that worked for her. I was impressed with the success stories I read and heard about this healthy living program, which helped retrain the pancreas to burn fat and maintain muscle mass.

Going The Distance: Since 2009, I have lost a total of 55 pounds.

What made the difference? My personal weight-loss coach. Having a coach worked for me because I needed someone who would nudge me when I strayed and help me stay accountable for my health.