What was the most challenging lifestyle change you had to make to follow this program successfully?
Learning to control my negative thoughts was every bit as important as watching what I ate and making fitness a habit. It was definitely the most challenging part for me. Kara calls it "stinkin thinkin." I still struggle, but I've learned to recognize those thoughts, so I can turn them into more positive ones. I need to continue to learn to be easier on myself, because I'm not perfect!

What's your favorite workout or exercise?
My favorite exercise is anything that involves being outside. I can't tell you how much better my 5:00 a.m. walks are when I can see the sunrise over the mountains. Now that it's dark then, I still love seeing the stars. I feel like I can push myself a little harder when I'm outside. I also love reverse crunches -- they work wonders, and fast!

What's your least favorite workout or exercise?
Other than the turbo kickboxing class where I felt like an uncoordinated buffoon, I really don't like anything that involves a plank pose. However, anything that does involve a plank pose is super effective, so I can definitely live with it.

What's your favorite healthy snack?
I learned to be pretty good at snacks. I love low-fat string cheese with grapes. When I'm craving chocolate, I have snack bags with dark chocolate chips and dried cherries. It's got a pretty rich taste to it, so I only need a little to feel satisfied.

Any words of wisdom you can share with other Shape readers who are on their own weight loss journeys?
Don't give up! You deserve to be healthy, and you're not selfish if you put yourself first! When you make your health a priority, you're a much better mom, sister, daughter or whatever - at least that's what I've found about myself.

What's the best thing about the new you?
I love that I can actually see and feel muscle tone in my arms and legs -- it makes me feel strong. It's the first time in my life that I've lost a significant amount of weight, and did it the healthy way. The amount of confidence I've gained is so awesome - I'm so proud of myself! When I stepped on the scale and it said 197, I actually cried, because I haven't weighed less than 200 pounds in more than a decade!

Meal Plans

About Rachel

Wow, where do I start? I think I've been on a diet since I was about 9. The only significant amount of weight I've ever lost was done the really bad way. I was a smoker from the time I was 16 until I was 22 (except for about 7 1/2 month of my pregnancy). When I quit smoking, I took up running. I LOVE running! I got married when I was 23, and my running habits went down the toilet. I started eating—a lot. I was no longer was a drinker, didn't do drugs, or smoked, so eating was my addiction. When my starter marriage ended, I ate even more and gained a lot of weight. I've been unhealthy for a long time. Based on my genetics, if I don't get my butt in gear now, I'll have cardiovascular problems, joint problems, diabetes, and possibly even cancer. I don't have any of those problems yet, but it's only a matter of time. Basically, I want to be healthy, and I want to teach my son how to live a healthy life. And to be honest, I'm tired of wearing plus-size clothing too. I want to feel confident and healthy again—I've almost forgotten what that's like.