Melanie Henn

The funny thing is, I truly thought that I was fairly fit because of my three-day-a-week participation in spin class. However, the challenge of getting pants to fit became more and more difficult. I was soon finding myself going from my typical size 10 to size 12/13 (barely)!

I knew I'd gained weight, but most importantly, I knew I felt miserable. The turning point was when I snapped my before pictures on October 27th, 2005. I couldn't believe how out of shape I had truly became and how tired and unhealthy I felt. It was evident that I was doing something wrong by the way I was eating. If I look miserable in this before photo, it's because I was!

I decided to commit to a 12-week program with a personal trainer. When I met Rick, I told him that I just wanted to feel "better" and to fit into pants again! He told me it was simple: "Eat Clean" (a term I'd not heard before), "be consistent" and "lift heavy/with intensity."

Rick was a huge inspiration to me! He pushed me to my limit every time, but most importantly, he and his wife, Lauren, taught me how to "eat clean!" I began packing my lunches and snacks every day (and still do). I couldn't believe how much I could actually eat and still lose weight: 5 to 6 small meals of the lean protein, complex carbs and vegetables (my husband always jokes that I'm a bottomless pit!). Giving up the occasional glass of wine with dinner was a challenge, but they taught me that I needed to steer clear of alcohol, sugar and processed foods, which readily turn to fat.

My trainer encouraged me to take a "cheat day" (in moderation) to rev up my metabolism and to keep me from wanting to binge. Saturdays are the day that I have adopted for that. By being able to eat so frequently during the day and have my occasional cheat day, I never feel deprived and don't feel like I'm on a "diet" at all! I've come to adopt eating clean as just my way of life, and do not even recognize who that person was in the before pictures. I also drink one or two gallons of water a day and the bonus is that my hair and skin look and feel great!

Thanks to Rick! He turned me on to Oxygen magazine. This is where I started reading Tosca's monthly articles, and learned about her Eat-Clean Diet® book. She is such an inspiration to me! I took this after photo two days after my 38th birthday on March 23rd, 2006, and I have to say, I haven't weighted this little or fit into a size 6 since I was a freshman in college!

What keeps me going? Being able to fit into smaller sized pants (yahoo!) and hearing Rick's words repeat themselves in my mind: "Don't ever forget how good eating clean and being in shape feels."