From Un-Fit to Fitness Instructor

By Jackie Adams
CNN


Like many young girls, Jennifer Marnell always dreamed that one day she'd become famous.
Jennifer Marnell once maxed out at 300 pounds. She lost 180 pounds and is now a fitness instructor.

Bubbling with personality and quite the ham -- she was no stranger to performing. Marnell loved singing, dancing and acting in local plays while growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia.

Even though her family showered her with adoration and unconditional support -- Marnell was hiding something that she was afraid to share with anyone.

Since the age of 8, she struggled with her weight.

"I was the only one in the whole family who was overweight," Marnell recalled. "[They] were always supportive and told me I was beautiful ... I didn't realize how depressed I was because my family loved me no matter what."

But other people weren't so nice. Marnell says classmates and other people teased or ridiculed her about her weight. Instead of talking about her feelings -- she turned to food for comfort.

As she ate to soothe her pain -- Marnell's weight spiraled out of control.

"It got out of control over the years because it became an addiction," said Marnell. "Food didn't talk back to me and didn't tell me no ... I didn't know how to stop and listen to my body."

Working as a nanny at the age of 27, Marnell was 5-foot-tall and weighed 300 pounds.

The wife and mother says a series of embarrassing moments such as not fitting into a restaurant booth, running out of breath while walking and lacking the energy to play ball or skate with her daughter -- took an emotional and physical toll on her health. But the final straw came during a trip to an amusement park with her family.

"We were at Six Flags waiting on a ride and we waited for an hour-and-a-half," said Marnell. "When we got on, I couldn't latch the belts because I was too big and they had to ask me to get off."

Devastated by the incident, Marnell says she broke down in tears and had a heart-to-heart talk with herself. Afraid that she might die before the age of 30, she was tired of being a "fat mom" and wanted to set a good example for her daughter.

After the mental pep-talk, Marnell started her weight loss journey by joining a gym. She started by exercising in the women's-only section and ate a low-fat, low-calorie diet. After a few months, she'd lost 50 pounds. The weight loss boosted her confidence and she decided to try a water aerobics class which was a lot less stressful on her bones and joints.

Over the next two years, Marnell continued taking group fitness classes, hired a personal trainer to get past a plateau and eventually lost 180 pounds.

After reaching her goal weight of 120 pounds, she decided to start a new career. She wanted to use her own weight loss journey as inspiration to help others. So, in October of 2006 she decided she was going to become a fitness instructor. Soon after making her decision, she had her Group Power certification , and shortly thereafter she received her personal training certification from the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers.

One of the most important lessons she's conquered is emotional eating.

"You've got to learn to talk through your problems instead of using food," Marnell says. "An alcoholic can't just have one drink. I will never eat a Snickers bar because that is my one weakness ... the one thing I won't have."

The weight loss has also helped her realize another dream -- being in the limelight.

In January, she was featured on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and in People Magazine's "Half Their Size" issue and will appear on the game show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" with Wayne Brady. She's also touring the country as a spokesperson for Gold's Gym and has just inked a book deal to tell her weight-loss story.

Marnell says all of the recent attention has been a bit overwhelming but she's enjoying every minute of her new career and life.

"It's made life more exciting," said Marnell. "I still feel like the same person on the inside, I have the same heart. But the outside, it's just enhanced the inside even more."

What advice does she have for other people who want to lose weight?

The toughest part of losing weight, according to Marnell, is staying mentally focused. She recommends taking "baby steps," trying not to do everything at once or focus on how much you have to lose and joining an online support group.

"Learn to accept yourself for who you are," Marnell advises. "It can be done ... it's not going to be easy -- but it can be done."

Exercise = Fountain of Youth

By Caroline Bollinger

WebMD

Is there really a fountain of youth? Yes... It's called exercise.

In study after study, regular workouts have been proven to insulate you from heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke, and diabetes. Exercise lowers blood pressure, reduces body fat, raises "good" cholesterol, lowers "bad" cholesterol, improves blood flow, keeps intestines and the colon healthy, and regulates key hormones.

Leading experts on age prevention all agree, that consistent exercise that incorporates cardiovascular training, intense aerobic intervals, yoga, and weight training, is as close as we'll ever get to a "fountain of youth".

So start now and you can turn back the clock... for life.

Taking it to the Next Step with My Trainer

By Jackie Adams
CNN

Hardly a day that goes by that you won't find Tracey Wygal working out at the gym. Tracey Wygal weighed 295 pounds before starting a "clean diet," keeping a food journal and exercising.

The 30-year-old middle-school teacher does cardio exercise, strength trains and follows what she calls a "clean diet."

That's quite a change for a woman who tipped the scales eight years ago at 295 pounds.

Wygal first started gaining weight in her early teens. A fast-food diet and little to no exercise helped her pack on the pounds, and her weight ballooned to over 200 pounds.

"It was my first year out of college, and that number, along with being diagnosed as morbidly obese, was very frightening," remembers Wygal. "I went to several doctors, trying to get them to prescribe a weight-loss pill."

But none of her doctors would give her the quick fix she was looking for. Instead, a physician handed her a 1,600-calorie-a-day diet and told her to start moving.

At first, Wygal was shocked and refused to begin a diet that she thought was too restrictive. Even though her weight was rapidly approaching 300 pounds, she believed she had a pretty good diet and an active lifestyle.

As her weight crept up, Wygal grew more frustrated, and eventually she decided it was time to gain control of her life.

She started by keeping track of her daily calorie intake in a food diary and soon realized that her eating was worse than she thought.

"I was amazed by how many calories I was eating," Wygal said. "The food diary showed me that I really needed to get my food intake under control and helped me maintain my diet realistically."

She also started exercising.

At first, Wygal says, she was too embarrassed to go to a gym, so she bought an elliptical machine and started working out 15 minutes a day in her apartment.

"It was all I could do at first. I didn't give up, though," she said. "Gradually, my endurance improved. After losing about 30 pounds, I decided to join a small gym."

Several months later, Wygal was ready to take the next step. She hired a trainer and began a short strength-training program.

That's when something clicked.

Instead of feeling intimidated, Wygal started to love her workouts and the physical changes taking shape with her body. Ready to take the next step, she joined a larger gym, began researching different workouts and got into weight training.

Over the next three years, she lost 120 pounds and dropped seven dress sizes. Wygal, who's 5 feet 10 inches tall, says the fear of gaining weight motivates her to stick to her diet and exercise regimen because she never wants to look like she did at 295 pounds.

Now comfortable with her weight, which she says fluctuates between 170 and 180 pounds, Wygal works out at least five to six days a week. She says the key to losing weight and keeping it off is being honest about what you eat, writing it down and staying consistent. She wants people to know they can do it, but there are no quick fixes or easy outs -- just hard work.

"It won't happen overnight," Wygal advises. "Know that it will take time but it is worth it in the end."

Jessica Simpson and Her Personal Trainer

Just like many other celebrities, Jessica Simpson has her own personal trainer who helps her stay motivated and fit.

He's an old friend from high school who she hired to create an eating plan and fitness regimen when she was preparing for the filming of the Dukes of Hazzard. He lived with her for three months, and during that time she worked out religiously six days a week. She credits her personal trainer with her transformation from “an adorable blonde, into a rock-hard Daisy Duke”.

Jessica continues to workout with her personal trainer and recommends to anyone who is serious about getting fit, that they hire a professional certified personal trainer to help them achive their goals.