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Woman loses 85 pounds for her health and for her daughter Date published: 11/6/2005
By KRISTIN DAVIS Courtney Carson can keep up with her 2-year-old daughter. She can climb stairs and push-mow the lawn without gasping for breath. She can fit into size 8 pants with room to spare. Three years ago, Carson, who lives in Stafford County, could do none of that. At 5-foot-5, she weighed more than 220 pounds. She suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. And just after the birth of her daughter in 2003, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Doctors said she couldn't have any more children. Carson was 29. She had battled weight problems all her life. She'd watched her parents struggle, too. She wanted something different for her daughter. So nine months after giving birth, Carson walked into a Weight Watchers meeting and committed to a different way of eating. She'd have grilled foods instead of deep-fried, salads instead of fries, lean meats instead of burgers. And so would her little girl. Carson wanted her daughter to grow up on fruit, not chips. But at her first Weight Watchers meeting, she felt apprehensive. Program leaders said losing weight wasn't just about dieting. It meant making a lifestyle change. Carson would have to read labels. Buy apples instead of cookies. Push her plate away after eating just half of a restaurant meal. "I had to re-learn everything," Carson said. For the first time in her life, Carson would be accountable for how she ate. Weight Watchers participants attend weekly meetings and weigh-ins. If Carson didn't follow the plan, the weight wouldn't come off, and her team leader would know. The first month was agonizing. She wrestled with the temptations of ice cream and cheesecake--her favorite desserts. "It would have been so easy to stop and give up, so easy to order a double quarter-pounder," Carson said. But Carson thought of her daughter. She thought of her own health. And she thought of what the doctors had said: No more children because of your weight-related problems. Motivated, Carson stuck with Weight Watchers, and the pounds began to fall off. "I was shocked," Carson said. "It was unbelievable. I felt like I should be deprived, but I wasn't." Her snug size 18 clothes got loose and her energy level shot up. She faithfully attended meetings--and always brought her daughter.
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