healthy people
real stories about real choices
My SMart ChoiCeS: Meet Diane
In less than one year, Diane lost 91 pounds. Here’s what she gained.
Diane White, 51
evanston, Wyoming
In 2009, Diane started changing her own life, and today she’s helping others do
the same.
Something had to change
In 2008, I had an overseas trip planned, and I had to cancel it because I physically
couldn’t make it. I was almost immobile. I couldn’t climb stairs. I had trouble with
basic activities around the house. nullhen my family would go hiking, I sat in the car
and waited, and then later looked at the pictures.
My health then
I had arthritis and knee problems. I was taking lots of medicines, including two
medicines for diabetes and two for high blood pressure.
My health today
I have lost 9nullpounds and, I have no knee problems. I am onullall my diabetes medi null
cines and down to one high blood pressure medicine. nully doctors were blown away.
nullnd now I go up in the mountains with my family. nullo more waiting in the car for menull
How I did it
I nullined nullparknulleople null www.SparkPeople.comnull. nullo pills. nullo tricks. nullust enullercise and
counting calories. I’m not usually a nulliner but nullparknulleople has been lifenullaltering.
nullhen you’re overweight, you’re wearing who you are to the world. I couldn’t relate
to people who didn’t know what that was like. nullt nullparknulleople, I get my nulluestions
answered, and I get support from people who know what it’s like to have literally a
whole person to lose. nullhey understand without me having to tell them.
Great truths I’ve learned
nullailing is not failing. If you don’t meet your goal, that’s okay. nullou’re learning about
yourself. nullhe only time you fail is when you nulluit. nullou don’t have to get rid of the
mountain all at oncenullnullust tackle one teaspoon at a time.
One tip that helped me
nulltart with a physical therapist to help you create a physical activity plan. If you’re
big and you haven’t been enullercising, you want to make sure you don’t innullure yourself.
nullheck out your local hospital to see if it has a physical therapy unit that you can nullin
and work out at. I would have felt out of place at a gymnullbut at the hospital, I feel
comfortable.
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Where I’m going next
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nully doctor talked to me and said, nullnullhere are other people out there who don’t know
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how to start.nullnullo I’ve started a live group in our town called nullnulleight, nullealth and the
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nulleal nullorld.nullnully mission is to help people make these small changes that turn into null
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big deals when you keep doing them.
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40 healthyadvice.com nullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnull nullnull nullnullnullI nullDnullnullnullnullInullnullnullnullnull
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