Jennifer Marnell's Weight Struggle

Do you think when Jennifer Marnell weighed 300 lbs that she ever thought she'd be famous? What better act to gain fame over? Not only did she get healthy but she extended her life. Experts say that just losing 10% of your body increases longevity and reducing your risk of a heart attack. However, that was just the beginning for for Jennifer Marnell....She has transformed herself from a couch potato shaped like a couch potato into a fit and firm muscle machine. Her after pictures are absolutely stunning. You can clearly see that she has found happiness.

My story is similar to Jennifer's because I have always struggle with my weight. I gained a huge amount of weight when I was pregnant with my daughter. At five months my stomach started to stretch beyond it's limits and the resulting marks were zig-zagged across my abdomen. I think I'd given up then. By the time I delivered my daughter I was 236 lbs. I'm 5'4" and small-medium frame. I have small hands and feet and look like someone had put a bicycle pump in my butt and just kept pumping. The day I delivered my daughter, I looked like I'd just burst. I had stretch marks covering my entire abdomen, the back of my arms and down the entire length of inside thighs.

I struggled for 3 1/2 years before I hit rock bottom. In September of 2001 I saw a picture of myself at a friend's wedding. I was wearing a size 20 dress and my arm was slung over the back of a chair. It was the size of a man's calf. I was so depressed and disgusted with myself. I knew it was a time for a change and had no idea where to begin.

That December I saw an ad for a local weight loss clinic. I made an appointment. I weighed in at 206 lbs. I was wearing a size 18 jeans, uncomfortably. I started the process. My diet consisted of real foods. A specific number of servings for fruit, veggies, starch and protein. Water, water, water.

I stuck with the diet and was down 41 lbs by the following Easter. By July 4th, I hit goal....130 lbs!!! I was wearing size 4 and 6's and people who hadn't seen me in a while were amazed.

My transformation wasn't over. The following July 4th my father died. This day was starting to mean something to me. The following July 4th I quit smoking. This was one of the final pieces to my transformation. Now I needed to get moving. That October while teaching my daughter to ride a bike.....I discovered running. I liked it and it made my firmed and helped my keep those 5-10 comfort lbs at bay. Six weeks later on Thanksgiving morning I ran my first 5k. I managed to run the entire race in the snow and slush without stopping to walk once. I finished the race in 35 minutes. I beat my age!!! I ran another race with a friend shortly after that. I trained hard, really hard and even dropped a few more lbs. At the end of the race my husband picked me up, swung me around and told me how proud he was of me. The best part is that he could pick me up. My daughter proclaimed that I was awesome!! Now tell me, is there a better compliment?

I have since run several 5k races always alluding the 30 minute mark. Until this past October I ran the local Race for the Cure to benefit Breast Cancer. I ran it alone without a friend. I trained hard and was focused. I passed the finish line at 29:21. I'd beat the 30 minute mark. I felt like truly accomplished something.

So that is my story. I'm not perfect my any means. But I can bend and tie my shoes, I can run up and down the stairs. I can chase my daughter around the playground. Because I focused on my health and lost the weight, quit smoking and maintain a fitness regime I will be around longer for family and for me.