Age: 33
Occupation: writer, TV Guide Canada
Previous weight: 198 lb
New weight: 141 lb
Previous dress size: size 18
New dress size: size 8
Time period: November 2010 to June 2011. She has maintained it ever since.

Where she started
"I was never a fat kid," says Jessica. But after she graduated university, the numbers on the scale crept steadily upward and she started to treat food as a hobby. An ugly breakup motivated Jessica to make some lifestyle changes.

How she did it
"I vowed to find a new hobby and say yes to everything," says Jessica. She joined an axe-throwing league and signed up for a weekly danceconditioning class. She also started to exercise daily on her Wii-Fit, sometimes up to 90 minutes or more at a stretch.

Where she is now
"I view food as fuel, not as something to consume to fill an emotional void," says Jessica.

Lessons she learned
- "I focus on lean meats, whole grains and lots of veggies. My favourite snacks are celery with nut butter, and homemade protein bars."

- "I swap wheat wraps and sandwich buns for rice paper wraps to save calories."

- "I don’t drink my calories. I used to drink iced tea by the gallon. Now it’s water with lemon."

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This story was originally titled "She did it" in the June 2012 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!