Archive We Lost Half Our Size By Michelle Ward Trainor, Antoinette Coulton, and Ana Calderone Ana Calderone Instagram Ana Calderone is the Digital Food Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 5, 2015 12:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email ASHlEY CHONG LOST 129 LBS. CONNER RENSCH LOST 130 LBS. CECY RIOS LOST 152 LBS. NANCY PERALES LOST 103 LBS. MARK BRYANT LOST 264 LBS. How She Did It ATE SIX SMALL MEALS A DAY and GOT A TRAINER Focused on clean, nonprocessed foods after seeing a nutritionist. Lifted weights and did high-intensity cardio to build muscle tone. WHAT SHE ATE Meal 1: Protein drink and a banana Meal 2: 1 cup egg whites, scrambled, ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup blueberries and 1 tbsp. raw honey Meal 3: 4 oz. extra-lean ground turkey, ½ cup sweet potatoes, 4 cups spinach with olive oil and vinegar dressing Meal 4: 2 oz. turkey breast, 1 oz. raw, unsalted nuts, sliced cucumber Meal 5: 4 oz. salmon, 2 cups broccoli with 2 tsp. organic unsalted butter Meal 6: ½ cup cottage cheese with 1 tbsp. natural nut butter TIP Follow the 80/20 rule. “I try to eat as healthy as possible, but I still have my cheat meals. You have to.” Ate three big bowls of creamy pasta for dinner Conner Rensch LOST 130 LBS. Age: 25 Height: 5’10” Lives in: Omaha Job: Hairstylist THEN 271 LBS. NOW 141 LBS. • Her Bad Habits From the time I was 6, I knew I was bigger than other kids. I was bullied and would sneak food into the bathroom so people wouldn’t see me eat. I couldn’t stop myself. My weakness was creamy, cheesy chicken pasta. • Her Turning Point I’ll never forget: May 14, 2008. I had just come home from my freshman year of college and looked in a mirror and thought, “I can’t do this anymore.” I met with a nutritionist that day. Then I got a trainer. That summer I lost 70 lbs. • Her Life Now I had skin removal surgery in 2011, which boosted my confidence. And I can wear cute shoes! When I was big, I couldn’t even walk in heels. Now I always wear them. How He Did It CUT CALORIES & JOINED A GYM Focused on lean meats and vegetables, but “I’ll have a little bowl of ice cream once in a while.” Committed to working out five days a week, including cardio and weight training at Anytime Fitness. WHAT HE EATS Morning snack: Protein shake Breakfast: Flat-bread sandwich with 3¾4 cup egg whites, lean meat, cheddar cheese, spinach, onions and black olives Lunch: Chicken and flank steak, ½ cup white rice and 2 cups steamed veggies Pre-workout snack: Protein bar Post-workout snack: Protein shake Dinner: Chicken, ½ cup white rice, steamed broccoli with spray butter Dessert: 1 cup oatmeal, protein shake TIP Take baby steps “I gradually cut down calories. It’s about making lifestyle changes you can live with.” Consumed up to 8,000 calories a day Mark Bryant LOST 264 LBS. Age: 40 Height: 6′ Lives in: Star, Idaho Job: VP for a dietary supplement manufacturer THEN 442 LBS. NOW 178 LBS. • His Bad Habits I was active in high school, but after that I gained 120 lbs. in six years. An extra-large pizza for dinner was the norm—I was eating up to 8,000 calories a day. • His Turning Point I had a health scare in 2009, and doctors thought it was a heart attack. It ended up being an anxiety attack, but my cardiologist told me I needed to lose weight or I wouldn’t live to see my girls [Paige, 10, Claire, 7 and Reese, 5] get married. It was a real eye-opener. I thought, “Do I love food over my kids?” • His Life Now I’ve been at my current weight for about a year. Before, I’d get winded taking a walk with my wife [Rebecca, 36] or pushing my daughter around in a wagon. Now I coach my girls’ soccer teams. I’m out there running with the kids! How She Did It ADOPTED A RAW VEGAN LIFESTYLE Looked for raw recipes (like zucchini pasta with avocado sauce) on Instagram. “You’d be surprised at how creative you can get with fruits and vegetables.” Used the outdoors as her gym for hiking and bike riding. Found a weight-loss partner. “My fiancé and I keep each other on track.” WHAT SHE ATE Breakfast: Green smoothie and half a watermelon Lunch: Large kale salad with red bell peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes Dinner: Raw vegan tacos made with romaine lettuce, walnuts, tomatoes and avocado Dessert: Raw vegan brownies made with dates, fruit and nuts TIP Stop counting calories. “Start counting the amount of colors you’re taking in from different fruits and vegetables.” Couldn’t fit into her bridesmaid dress Ashley Chong LOST 129 LBS. Age: 24 Height: 5’2″ Lives in: Charleston, S.C. Job: Entrepreneur THEN 252 LBS. NOW 123 LBS. • Her Bad Habits I was always a bit chunky growing up, but I played soccer, so that kept my weight in control. Then when I met my now fiancé [Andrew, 24] in high school, I quit, and our date nights revolved around food. We tried a new restaurant every night. • Her Turning Point At the first fitting for my sister’s wedding in 2012, none of the bridesmaid dresses fit me. That jump-started my weight loss—and when I read stories of people who were thriving on a plant-based diet, I decided to give it a try. I’ve been a raw vegan since April 2012. • Her Life Now Andrew later became raw vegan as well. He’s lost 85 lbs., and now instead of going out to eat, we’ll go in the kitchen and make kale chips or tacos with walnut “meat.” How She Did It FOLLOWED THE P90X MEAL PLAN & WORKOUTS Prepared her own meals, following the stringent meal plan religiously. “I had to learn to cook all over again.” Made exercise a priority. “If you have a favorite TV show you watch daily, you have time to work out.” What she ate Breakfast: Scrambled egg whites, 1 banana and ½ cup oats Snack: Fresh pineapple and yogurt Lunch: 6 oz. lean ground turkey, 1 cup veggies and 4 oz. sweet potato Snack: Handful of almonds and an apple Dinner: 6 oz. oven-roasted chicken breast, 1 cup veggies and 2/3 cup brown rice Dessert: Banana and ½ cup bran flakes TIP Be patient. “I tried to remember that it took me a while to pack on the pounds, so it will take a bit to melt them off.” Took up 2 seats in a limo Cecy Rios LOST 152 LBS. Age: 32 Height: 5’7″ Lives in: Moreno Valley, Calif. Job: Stay-at-home mom THEN 297 LBS. NOW 145 LBS. • Her Bad Habits After I had my kids, my weight ballooned. My focus was on my family, and my health took a backseat. I’d get fast food for every meal and hide brownies and chips so I could eat them late at night. • Her Turning Point On a couples’ getaway trip, we all rented a limo, and when it was my husband’s [Gerardo, 36] turn to get in, he couldn’t fit. I’d taken up both of our seats! When we got home I ordered the P90X workout videos, and after 90 days, I’d lost 45 lbs. • Her Life Now Before I couldn’t even go up five steps without being winded. Now I work out for an hour six days a week. The best reward is being able to keep up with my sons [Gabriel, 10, and Gerardo Jr., 11]. Sometimes they’re even like, “Gosh, Mom, slow down!” How She Did It JENNY CRAIG & WALKING Focused on portion control, pairing Jenny Craig’s packaged foods with fresh fruits and veggies. Walked three times a week for 10 or 20 minutes, varying her intensity. She also spent 20 minutes per day on her elliptical—which she set up outdoors to make workouts more fun. WHAT SHE ATE Breakfast: Jenny Craig cinnamon French toast with light syrup; coffee with nonfat milk Snack: 6 oz. low-fat yogurt and 1 cup sliced strawberries Lunch: Jenny Craig turkey burger; 1 cup baked carrot chips Snack: Small banana Dinner: Jenny Craig macaroni and cheese; green salad with Jenny Craig balsamic dressing Dessert: Jenny Craig S’mores Bar TIP Satisfy a sweet tooth with low-cal treats. “I like 10-calorie Jell-O or animal crackers.” Devoured an entire chocolate cake in one day Nancy Perales LOST 103 LBS. Age: 59 Height: 5’3″ Lives in: Glendora, Calif. Job: T-shirt designer THEN 207 LBS. NOW 104 LBS. • Her Bad Habits I was a skinny, active kid. But as an adult, sweets were my downfall. Snickers, Hershey bars. I’d have two slices of chocolate cake for breakfast. And by night, there’d be nothing left. • Her Turning Point In the car, the steering wheel would hit my stomach. My pants kept ripping. I couldn’t find shoes that fit. I was 57, and I realized my eating was out of control. • Her Life Now I take three-mile hikes with my husband, Hugo. Now he’s the one huffing and puffing. And at my 40th high school reunion, I wore this beautiful red dress. One girl said, “You look better than you did in high school!” Updated by Gabrielle Olya, Stephanie Emma Pfeffer, Stephanie Emma Pfeffer Stephanie Emma Pfeffer is a writer and editor at PEOPLE, where she has been covering health and fitness since 2013. She has her Master's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and spends her free time running marathons and trying to get her kids to eat their vegetables. learn more Lynette Rice, Lynette Rice Lynette Rice is the former editor at large at Entertainment Weekly. Her work has previously appeared in PEOPLE. learn more and Barbara Kimberly Seigel