Lori Stverak Shares Weight Loss Journey [lost 80 lbs drop 12 dress size]

It was a partial knee replacement – not a New Year's resolution – that inspired Lori Stverak to get fit. The local teacher and mother of three lost more than 80 pounds, and she did it the old fashioned way.

Lori says, "I weighed 235 when I checked in for my knee surgery in February 2012, and I'm currently about 150–155."

It was just a few years ago that Lori says she struggled to walk around the block or do any kind of physical activity. After a partial knee replacement in 2012, she got moving, cut out fats, pop and eating out.

Lori says the first 20 pounds came off during physical therapy, but she decided she could lose more.

Lori says, "There's no special pill or any kind of neat program or anything; it's really just a lifestyle change."

That meant a change in diet to include more water and whole foods, and less processed food and takeout.

Lori says, "I'm a working mom, and sometimes it just means putting something in the Crockpot before I go to work so that when I get home after the gym my supper is ready, and I don't have to worry about it. Cuts out the temptation to eat out and that kind of thing."

And this working mother of three also makes working out a regular part of her week. Lori says her gym routine always includes four miles on the elliptical machine and then some strength training, which she rotates in order to focus on a different part of her body each time. She also started attending a boot camp class with instructor Jim Freyensee.

Jim says, "She was tough in boot camp, did all the exercises, never complained, started bringing her kids to it, so I was just really proud of her."

Even when she hit a plateau on her weight loss journey, Lori kept at it. Now she tells others, if she can do it, anybody can, but it takes persistence.

Lori says, "It takes awhile to see the results ... When you go from a size 18 to a size 6, it feels really good. You don't ever want to go back to that position."

It isn't always easy, of course. Lori describes herself as a "chocolate junkie." But she says now she has the motivation and self–awareness to know when enough is enough, and if she opts to indulge in a treat, then she works out even harder the next time she's at the gym.

Trainer Jim Freyensee is a big promoter of healthy eating. He says a good diet often accounts for 60 to 70 percent of a person's weight loss success.

Source: BlackHillsFox - Local Women Shares Weight Loss Journey