Photo by fattytuna.

I absolutely love reading stories about people achieving their goals. But when I saw the headline “Dropping 110 pounds transforms woman’s life” I assumed it was another gastric bypass “success”. But after reading the article it turned out to be a very inspiring story about a women going from an unhealthy size 22 to a size 4 in one year.

Thirty one year old Heather Davis lives in Washington and said she had tried everything to lose weight in the past. But that one day, something clicked, she made a commitment and a lifestyle change that made getting healthy easy. I think this is very important and has only recently happened to me, I will write a future post about this light switch and how to achieve it.

My favorites bits Davis included were to get as much social support as possible but to also not let your family and friends derail you.

Heather Davis’ tips

1. Never let anyone tell you “You can’t.” Yes, you can.

2. Get as much social support as possible. Going to the gym with others is fun and motivating.

3. You will not be the biggest person in the gym and everyone will not be staring at you.

4. Some thin people in the gym used to be really heavy and they will applaud you.

5. Lose weight for you. Not because someone else tells you to. Also, know when to stop losing.

6. If you lose your way (fall off your diet), get right back into the saddle and try again.

7. Keep a calendar. Mark off every day you exercise and eat right. You will see the days rack up, and it will make you proud.

8. When you do lose weight, save one item from your heaviest weight. Look at it when you feel discouraged and you’ll see how far you’ve come.

9. Don’t let friends or family derail you. If you don’t want to eat something, it is OK to politely decline, but don’t go crazy. You don’t want to be “that person” at the lunch table.

10. If you want cheesecake or a sweet treat — eat it in moderation. Don’t deprive yourself of anything or you will get discouraged.

Check out this interview with Heather.