Keeping It Off

By Sara Crutchfield

In the year 2000, Lavenia Shelbourne decided to make a change. At over 250 pounds, she had unhealthy eating habits and was "just getting bigger." With heart disease and diabetes rampant in her family, she realized it was time to take action against her weight. "I have two kids and I want to enjoy time with them and my future grandchildren."

Now, at age 46, Shelbourne has a new lease on life. With the help of Weight Watchers® she lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off for three years.

Exercise wasn't the problem. Shelbourne has always been active by walking and working in the yard. It was the years of eating out every night - mostly fast food and nothing healthy - that caught up with her. Her sons, Jason, 24, and Steve, 20, were involved in sports in high school and it was more convenient to get meals on the run.

"A week before I joined Weight Watchers," Shelbourne explained, "I bought and read about the Atkins' diet." Dr. Robert C. Atkins' high-protein, low-carbohydrate plan has been everywhere in the news, touted by celebrities and listed consistently among the top-five best-selling advice books. But this radical approach was not for Shelbourne. "Too many restrictions," she claimed. A lover of sugar and carbs, she looked for a diet that she could adopt as a lifestyle change.

Shelbourne told herself she would make a one-year commitment and joined Weight Watchers, attending meetings every Tuesday night. "I got divorced when my boys were 5 and 8 years old," she said. "My world has always revolved around them. I told them that Tuesday was going to be my night, and they were very supportive."

"I was so excited about the Weight Watchers plan. It was easy to follow, and I didn't have to give up anything." At the time she had a weakness for Papa John's pizza, "and it fit right in." With numerous brochures on serving sizes for protein and carbohydrates, there were ways to balance her meals, allowing anything she wanted to eat. "It never felt like a diet," she said, rather just a change in habits.

Thirteen months later she had lost just over 100 pounds. Now she eats pizza only once every five or six months. Instead her meals are full of fruits and salads. "I've also been trying to add more protein," she explained. "And instead of eating a whole potato, I'll only eat half." By monitoring nutrition labels, she has also cut back on sugar, which really improved the way she felt.

In addition to attending meetings every week, Shelbourne spent every lunch hour walking in Riverfront Park . Then, in the evening she walked around her subdivision. "It hasn't been a breeze getting the weight off," she commented. "But it's made such a difference. I feel great. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want to."

Maintaining weight loss is always a struggle. Shelbourne continues to exercise and eat a balanced diet. And for the last two years she's had an exercise partner in her boyfriend, Jack Wheatley. They hike together at Jefferson Forest and Fort Duffield , occasionally heading to Otter Creek Park . Their bicycle rides often stretch 15 to 20 miles. Sometimes weight training is added to the mix. "I'm building muscle," she explained. "And though I don't see a difference on the scale. I see the difference in how my clothes fit."

On September 14 of last year, Shelbourne and Wheatley participated in the Kentucky Orthopedic Rehab Team's Challenge Duathlon at McNeely Lake , an event sponsored by Kentuckiana HealthFitness. The competition consisted of a 5K run, a 30K bicycle ride (18.6 miles) and another 5K run. The determined couple finished the race together.

"It poured down that day," recalled coordinator Barbara Day. "It was a feat for anyone. But Shelbourne and Wheatley did not give up. In fact, they finished at the very end of the pack and we cheered for them as they crossed the finish line in their bright yellow jackets."

Another way Shelbourne keeps from gaining the weight back is to continue to attend Weight Watchers meetings every few months. In addition to trading recipes and ideas for more effective weight loss, she gains insight and gets support by exchanging feelings of struggle with members of her group. "You get in a slump, and you want to give up," she said.

She and the friends she's made through Weight Watchers talk about how to keep going. "I know that if I blow it today then tomorrow I can get right back on track." She also gets plenty of support from her boys, who always ask about her meetings. "My younger son, Steve, said I was getting too skinny. That made me feel great," she said.

This amazing experience has made Shelbourne an expert, and she has some advice for people looking to slim down. "Don't try one of those quick fixes," she said. "You didn't gain the weight overnight, and you aren't going to lose it overnight."

Sara Crutchfield is a freelance writer for Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine. Sara has a B.A. in English from the University of Louisville .

KHF spotlights people who have changed their lives through healthful habits. If you know of anyone who has had a positive, lifestyle-altering experience, let us know. Maybe we can use their story to encourage or inspire others. If you want to recommend someone for us to spotlight, please write to: Healthy Lifestyle Makeover, KHF, P.O. Box 436387 , Louisville , KY 40253-6387 . You can also e-mail recommendations to BDayKHF@aol.com or you can fax to 502-245-4098.