Maureen Healy's Bio

I was never what you would consider an athletic child. I took some dance classes on and off throughout middle school, but never played a team sport, and once I got to high school, I quit dance. The only form of exercise I got was walking to and from friend's houses-which stopped when we all got driver's licenses. No one in my immediate family was health-conscious, so working out was something that never even occurred to me.

A few years and many, many fast food meals later, I entered college at about 170 pounds. With a few minor changes in eating habits and some regular workouts during my last two years there, I graduated at about 145 pounds. Later, as an editor at Shape for a couple years, I formed healthier habits and found friends to work out with. I even worked with a trainer for a couple of months and became smaller and more fit than I'd been at 130 pounds.

But, during the last 10 years, I've indulged in high-fat convenience foods and traded workouts for couch time, resulting in a 45-pound weight gain. My cholesterol was borderline high for a while, and walking up a simple flight of stairs was taxing.

As a single woman, I'd like to settle down and eventually start a family, and let's just say I'm not at a "fighting weight." Also, my fatigue, disappointment in myself, and the ever-expanding sizes in my closet have really gotten to me, and I've made it my mission to regain my former figure.