Vegetarian women indeed have a lower risk of obesity, but that does not mean vegetarians can not be overweight. This time I wanted to share a success story of a vegetarian woman who became overweight but finally succeed to lose weight. I get this from women's health magazine November 2008 edition. It's an old edition but I think the experience of others can give us a valuable lesson.

The woman named Brandi Lemburg, height 5’8”, aged 26 years, came from Merysville, WA. She took 2 years 5 months to lose weight initially 230 pounds to 148 pounds. Please read the following full story…..

The Gain
Brandi Lemburg had been a vegetarian since age 9, but she was no fan of greens. ”I had potatoes with every meal,” she says. In her twenties, Lemburg worked her way up to three sodas a day and hot fudge sundaes every night. At 22 and 170 pounds, she stopped weighing herself. “I didn’t want to know,” she says.

The Change
In February 2006, Lemburg’s size-18 leans were cutting into her waist. She forced herself onto a scale and saw that she had gained 60 pounds. “When I read the number 230, my heart sank,” she says. “I had never weighed that much.” Realizing that she could easily top 300 pounds in another year, she took action.

The Lifestyle
Lemburg knew she needed a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. She went vegan, which forced her to get protein from soy, beans, nuts, and veggies instead of fattening dairy products. Sweet snap peas and organic apple slices with vegan peanut butter replaced cookies and Little Debbie’s cakes. “I gave up soda completely,” she says. She logged half-hour sessions on a treadmill three times a week. For the first two months, Lemburg lost five pounds a week. Eager for more, she started walking everywhere-to work, to school, to run errands-and practiced yoga five nights a week. “I do squats when I’m blow-drying my hair. When I watch television, I do lunges,” Lemburg says. By last July, her scale was down to 148.

The Reward
At her lowest weight since she was a teenager, Lemburg has lifted more than just a physical burden. “My weight was really bringing me down,” she says. “I had zero energy and I was self conscious. Now I wake up and I’m ready to take on the day.”

At the end of the story, Lemburg want to share her success tips to all of us. This may also be useful for us all. So try to think about it.

Eat in
“I try healthy meat and dairy-free recipes at home.
Have a shoe fetish
“I leave my shoes on after work so I’m ready to pull weeds or do some aerobic cleaning.”
Be positive
“I never let discouraging thoughts take over.”