Weight Loss Success: Janis Miles Joined Jenny Craig And Lost Nearly 150 Pounds

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Name: Janis Miles
Age: 60
Height: 5'3"
Before Weight: 298 pounds

How I Gained It: I was your typical yo-yo dieter. Each time I lost weight I felt great and invincible, but those feelings would only last a short time before I would find myself returning to my old eating habits and the weight would return. I was also working 50 to 60 hours a week -- I was overstressed, not exercising and eating mostly fast food.

Breaking Point: When my husband and I retired, we moved to Oregon. We bought a wonderful home, and I realized my weight significantly impacted my ability to do several of the home-improvement projects we had planned. I was dreading having to find a new doctor and be lectured about my health. When I finally found the courage to make an appointment, I was shocked to learn I weighed a whopping 298 pounds! What's worse is that my doctor diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes. I was devastated. Diabetes runs in my family and it cost my mother her life. I was also suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood glucose levels and severe knee pain from the excess weight, so I was put on high blood pressure and cholesterol medication and fitted for a custom knee brace. After receiving my diagnosis, I finally saw the writing on the wall: I knew I needed to take back my life and my health, or my future would be determined for me.

How I Lost It: I knew I needed to do something about my health. I decided to call Jenny Craig because I wanted a happier and healthier life. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, because my motivation and energy increased significantly and my pain was reduced as I started losing weight. Jenny, along with my consultant, Shauna, helped me every step along the way.

I have become an active person. My typical exercise routine includes using a tread climber for 30 minutes a day, four times a week, and riding a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes, twice a week. I also enjoy taking a three-mile walk on a hilly route, gardening, and of course, I also burn extra calories housecleaning!

My typical day's menu consists of high-fiber cereal for breakfast with low-fat almond milk, a veggie burger for lunch, fruit for a snack and turkey and vegetable chili with a green salad and Crystal Light for dinner. I'll have a Skinny Cow treat for dessert.

Today, I have a lot more energy, I am much more confident and happy, and I feel great in new clothes. I like how I look, and I love the person I have become! My doctor is so pleased and impressed with my weight loss and exercise achievements that he now refers to me as his "poster patient." He told me that he wished he could put my picture up in his office to show his other patients what is possible. What a feeling that is to know how far I've come!

After Weight: 152 pounds

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Comments

[Joanne B]

05:34 PM on 07/01/2012

good 4 u Janis...you look wonderful and losing weight over 50 is tough so touche'!!

[Lauren J]

11:31 AM on 05/08/2012

You look awesome Janis. Congrats. I also have had issues with weight until i found the diet solution program. Since then I have lost over 40 pounds. If you are looking to lose weight you need to check it out.

http://greatestviews.com/the-diet-solution-program-does-it-really-work/

[bmitche]

03:04 PM on 05/07/2012

You look great Janis. You lost nearly 150 lb? WOW !

[fpwillson]

01:14 PM on 05/07/2012

These are valuable articles, but I wish they'd stop stretching the "after" photo (up and down) to make people look better. Look at the after photo above. The poor woman's face is about twice as long as it should be.

[woolftwo]

04:32 PM on 05/07/2012

I think you might want to check your monitor settings. Her face looks just fine, just not as chubby!

[fpwillson]

04:47 PM on 05/07/2012

Well, if it's my monitor, how come only that picture looks that way?

[gloryb1221]

12:18 PM on 05/07/2012

People overeat becase they are stressed, bored, over worked, depressed and feel that no one cares about them. I have yo-yoed over the years and the best thing for me is to eat what ever I want but in smaller portions. I love dairy products and did not give up milk or butter. I am an active senior citizen and love being outdoors fussing around with the flowers, etc. I live alone and I like myself and love my family. I weigh 145-150 . I am happy and stay social with my friends. Love yourself .

[Another Random Guy]

01:12 PM on 05/07/2012

Well said.

[liddlelady]

12:16 PM on 05/07/2012

Way to go, Janis! You look great!

[rockymtnleather]

12:14 PM on 05/07/2012

Not to mention ... the health care costs associated with obesity are now GREATER than the health care costs associated with smoking. Just like smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants ... there should be weight restrictions too. Subsidizing health care costs so people can stay fat.

[fpwillson]

01:20 PM on 05/07/2012

There is a very simple solution to that "Rock."
Medicare pays 80% of your medical bills (after they have adjusted it downward).

All we need is a standard weight "table." Example: male 5' - 6" (65 and older) allowable weight is 160. For every 10 pounds a person is above their "desired weight," they lose 10% of their Medicare medical payment.

In other words: Let the fat people pay for their own excess weight and medical problems. (Yes, I am overweight). When people realize how much their being fat is going to cost them, most will return to a healthy weight.

[rockymtnleather]

03:00 PM on 05/07/2012

Not a bad plan ... but what about the excessive healthcare costs until people reach 65?

I've been "on a diet" since I was 17 years old when I reached 198 pounds and a 38" waist, and decided I didn't want to be fat all my life. Believe me ... it would have been a lot easier to eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted ... but I didn't. I'm on a diet right now as a matter of fact. It's just a part of remaining healthy.

[Alvarask]

04:34 AM on 05/08/2012

This is a stupid idea for the current world we live in. The medical fraternity and their bumbuddies the pharmaceutical companies recommend the exact opposite advice to that which will lead to weight loss. People are given bad advice and they follow it, thinking the "experts" know best. The result is increased illness and weight gain, or temporary weight loss at best. Do you think that the weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars a year because DON'T want to lsoe weight? No. It's because they DO want to lose weight and the medical advice fails them time and time again, so they become desperate to find a solution. I suggest you and people like you get off your high horses and show a little compassion.

[rockymtnleather]

12:09 PM on 05/07/2012

Put down the fork and step away from the table! Why has obesity become so acceptable in America???

[keeniisite]

12:22 PM on 05/07/2012

nothing nice to say? air to thin to be nice?

[fpwillson]

01:24 PM on 05/07/2012

No, Keen, Rock was being nice (or kind). We would all be better off if we were normal weight. But we are not. What Rock said was an effort to help fat people see themselves as they really are. Fat is fat and unhealthy. Thin is thin and healthy (and much better looking). (I am fat).

[rockymtnleather]

02:52 PM on 05/07/2012

What was so unkind? People in America eat too much, and it is unhealthy. Why IS obesity so acceptable? Look at Chris Christie for but ONE example.

[ANUBIS7336]

02:23 PM on 05/07/2012

No judgements here . . . But it is far easier to put it on than take it off! People just get tired of fighting the battle.

[Michael Godwin]

11:49 AM on 05/07/2012

overweight people in shape are alot better off than skinny lazy people...fact not fiction...weight is only 1/2 of the solution..YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE!!!!

[Alvarask]

04:38 AM on 05/08/2012

Certainly fitness is not a matter of weight.

[reelchick]

11:42 AM on 05/07/2012

The haters that claim all the "after" photographs are stretched need to stop. Her face is not skewed, her limbs are in normal proportion. People can actually lose weight and look great without a computer's help.

[fpwillson]

01:27 PM on 05/07/2012

You are wrong, Reel. Go back and look at her skull. That's the place you go to look to see if a photo has been stretched. The head bones do not change shape. If the head looks too long, then the photo has been stretched. In this case it is very obviously stretched (a lot).

[reelchick]

04:51 PM on 05/07/2012

I am not wrong. The woman lost 150 pounds. When you lose an entire person worth of weight, everything changes, including the size and shape of someone's head. These people work for years to change their health and life. They don't need people accusing them of the pictures being altered when they're just sharing their stories. Good grief.

[firststatemate]

10:58 AM on 05/07/2012

Janis--you look fabulous, and I respect every overweight individual's right to choose the weight loss plan that is best for them.

I tried Jenny Craig myself many years ago ( when the company was actually still owned by Jenny Craig.) Personally, I thought the food was terrible, overpriced, and I wasn't going to keep helping Jenny buy her next Mercedes or mansion, so I quit. I also couldn't see myself eating pre-packaged food for any major length of time. I knew I would just gain the weight back when I resumed eating normal foods.

Nutri-System was even worse. Even my dog wouldn't eat the remaining foods that I tried to get rid of when I quit the diet.

A healthy diet plan for me now consists of eating plenty of fruits, veggies and salads, lean meat ( mostly poultry), seafood, and low fat dairy products-----most importantly watching the portion size and doing as much walking every day as possible.

The money I now save by not eating fast food, junk food, and extra snacks I contribute to a local food bank and a charity that helps feed hungry children around the world.

[recyclepal45]

09:53 AM on 05/07/2012

Why is Huff giving free advertizing to Jenny Craig? Once you stop eating their expensive food, you gain weight. I know several people who went on JC only to gain weight after they stop. THe food is a tiny amount and very expensive.

[Alvarask]

04:51 AM on 05/08/2012

How do you know it's free?

[urkiddinme]

02:51 PM on 05/10/2012

It's even worse if "Jenny" is paying HP to run stories about its members under the guise of articles.

[Tom uws]

09:39 AM on 05/07/2012

another advertisement disguised as an article....

[William Anderson LMHC]

09:35 AM on 05/07/2012

Losing the excess weight is a terrific thing, Janis! Congratulations! I am also one of HuffPost’s weight loss success stories: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-anderson-ma-lmhc/weight-loss-success-story_b_1375737.html Now, the task will be to create the way to eat for the rest of your life that will maintain your success. I lost 140 pounds 25 years ago and have maintained my ideal body weight since. There is a way to enjoy vacations, Thanksgiving and birthdays, and not give up satisfaction with food. Learning how to eat is the secret to permanent weight loss, not dieting.

[Alvarask]

04:52 AM on 05/08/2012

Yes Anderson...keep telling yourself you are mentally challenged and keep eating fewer and fewer calories per day for the rest of your life.

[William Anderson LMHC]

06:54 AM on 05/08/2012

You appear to misunderstand what I have said. There is no need to eat fewer and fewer calories per day for the rest of your life to maintain success. There is a need to have habits where your calorie intake does not exceed your expenditure. With the right therapeutic technique, that is both easy and plentiful - very satisfying. It is plenty of great food, and not hard to manage.

Regarding your remark about telling myself I am mentally challanged, I'm not sure what you mean. It seems insulting, but it makes no sense. If it's an insult, it's not well thought out.

[ROTOTOUDA]

09:29 AM on 05/07/2012

Janis, you look so great! You are an inspiration, and you did it by yourself. Glad you found a kick-start, but you know there is really no Jenny, right?
http://arouda.blogspot.com/2011/08/lose-weight-and-gain-self-respect.html

[recyclepal45]

09:54 AM on 05/07/2012

no, she didn't do it by herself. she paid big bucks to Jenny Craig and there really is a real Jenny and she is one of the richest women around. In other words, you have to be rich to lost 150 lbs. on JC.

[Bubbabassman]

11:10 AM on 05/07/2012

I'll co-sign that!!

[urkiddinme]

02:54 PM on 05/10/2012

Yep, and what happens once you get "off the program" and think you can eat the same $h!t you ate before...complacency sets in, pounds come back and...you sign up for another round of high-priced, low-calorie fake food and the "guidance" of a GED-carrying "counselor," starve it off for a few months and keep that merry go round moving....

Just eat real food. Learn about nutrition. Plan your meals, shop smart, cook at home and GET EXERCISE. That's real life and real health...they do not come out of a packet of freeze-dried cheeseburger mix.