SparkPeople Success Story in 'People' Half Their Size Issue!*

By , SparkPeople Blogger
One of the best parts of working at SparkPeople is watching people reach their goals and achieve things they never thought possible. Today, we're sharing with you the story of a woman who not only lost weight (more than 200 pounds) but also--as of this week--crossed a major goal off her "bucket list."

Tracy Meuschke (TRACY31502), a stay-at-home mom from South Bend, IN, is featured in this year's "Half Their Size" issue of People magazine. If you ever doubted whether you could lose weight and keep it off the healthy way, just look at Tracy for inspiration. We know her story is going to inspire so many people who are just starting their journey, who are where Tracy was just a few years ago.

After "always" being obese, one morning, Tracy says she just broke down. "I felt like no diet was working and I didn't know what to do. I actually contemplated surgery." Instead, Tracy just started eating less and moving more. Tracy joined SparkPeople in 2011, just days after giving birth to her daughter. Today she's 212 pounds lighter.

She told us: "I knew I needed some extra help if I was going to lose this weight and keep it off this time for good. The fact that I can log my calories on the SparkPeople diet and fitness tracker app is huge for me. Setting goals on SparkPeople helps me be accountable. And of course, a huge one, SUPPORT, SUPPORT and more SUPPORT!!! It never fails that if I'm having a rough day; my SparkFriends are there to say just the right thing!"

When Tracy became an "official" SparkPeople Success Story, she confessed to us that it had been her dream since deciding to lose weight to be in this motivational annual issue of People. We were thrilled to be able to help her achieve this dream so that she can continue to inspire others.

"Still in shock" and pinching herself that she's actually in a major national magazine, Tracy says she's grateful to SparkPeople and her SparkFriends for all the support.
Want to know her "Secrets of Success"? Pick up a copy of the magazine, which is on newsstands now, and keep reading for her best tips.
  1. Count calories. But not all calories are created equal so eat more healthy ones than not.
     
  2. Follow the 80/20 rule. Eat healthy 80% of the time, and the other 20% can be splurges!
     
  3. Be active and learn to love it. Even if you currently don't like being active, you can learn to enjoy it.
     
  4. Stay active. If you don't have hours a week to workout, that's OK. Stay active with your kids by running, playing, bike riding, etc.
     
  5. Make your workouts count if you're short on time.
     
  6. Don't skimp on strength. It will change your body.
Three years ago, Tracy feared that she would be a mom destined to live life on the sidelines. Today she's living proof that you can change your life--and SparkPeople is here to help!

Woohoo, Tracy!

*Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program.