Celebrity They lost half their size! See the amazing transformations of five people who lost weight – and gained their lives back By People Staff Published on December 19, 2006 02:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 05 MARY SMITH Age: 40 Starting Weight: 253 lbs. How She Did It: The Atkins Diet Why She Did It: A visit to her doctor scared her into losing weight after she learned she was pre-diabetic and heading for heart disease. ("My doctor said,) 'You're going to have to do something, or you're going to die,'" she says. "I wanted to see my kids grow up." 02 of 05 JANENE CAMPBELL Now: 164 lbs.! "What I really love is that (my husband Eric) will pick me up," says Campbell. "That was always a girly thing that I wanted my husband to do. Now he's able to. He'll tickle me and I don't feel self conscious about my body." 03 of 05 CHARLES SCOTT Age: 47 Starting Weight: 563 lbs. How He Did It: A medically supervised 13-week liquid diet (offered at Methodist Hospital's Wellness and Weight Management Center), followed by eating six small meals a day and working out Why He Did It: Scott wanted to enjoy life with his daughter, Katie, now eight. "I thought to myself, 'You're not going to be able to play with her or have fun with her,'" he says. "Katie deserved more than that." 04 of 05 ETHELYN ABELLANOSA Now: 158 lbs.! "There are times, I see myself in a mirror and say, 'Am I dreaming? That cannot be me? Wow!'" Abellanosa says of her new figure. "I'm still getting used to the new me. I'm treated differently by people now, either by men or just out shopping, which just reinforces the empathy I have for large people." 05 of 05 TAINA SILVA Now: 152 lbs.! "When I could cross my legs, that was a 'wow' moment," says Silva, "I couldn't do that before. I was 195 (lbs.) when I could do that."