Meghan Zimolka: Chronic Caretaker Learns to Focus on Herself

	Meghan's Best Life Stats
	Starting date/weight	March 1, 2007 at 183 pounds
	Pounds lost	39
	Goal weight	127 (17 pounds to go!)
	Best Life Status	Phase 3/Activity Level 5*

Talk about busy! Meghan Zimolka is the mother of four children—three boys, ages 14, 10, 9, and a girl, age 4. Two of her boys have special needs; one was diagnosed with ADHD and the other with autism. She is also a student, and just started taking classes online to finish her degree. When things would get too crazy, Meghan would simply neglect her own needs—she wasn't taking the time to take care of herself, to eat well and to work out. The result: She soon discovered she was carrying 183 pounds on her 5-foot-3-inch frame. “I struggled with my weight since having kids. I would lose weight initially and then gain it back. I did this several times,” she says. She knew it was finally time to make some changes when her daughter blurted out, "Mommy, look at your big, big, BIG belly!"

Sticking With the Plan
The following week, she signed on to www.TheBestLife.com, and made immediate adjustments. For one, she became more aware of what she was eating. “I love candy! I would grab a handful of M&M’s every time I went into the kitchen, not realizing that I’d eaten the whole bag in one day,” she says. Another big switch for Meghan was nixing her late-night snacking. “Stopping my eating two hours before bedtime was hard. I was used to skipping breakfast, and then eating from about noon until 10 or 11 p.m.” But she was eager to lose the weight and was willing to make whatever changes were necessary.

She also expanded her recipe repertoire. “Trying new foods was also a little daunting, but I made the recipes and they were good," she says. "I decided to just give them a try, no matter how odd the combinations sounded. I found that I was always pleased with the dishes. I love the diet plans and menus now. It's very convenient having my meals planned out for me every day.”

Tackling the exercise plan was another big change. “I never was a runner. In fact, I always hated running, but I started out on my treadmill walking, and then gradually added some jogging. I am now able to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day!" Meghan has added weight training to her routine as well. Working out is now a part of her daily routine. “It’s still not something I can honestly say I look forward to, but it’s something that has to be done everyday—no excuses. That’s one piece of advice I’d offer to other dieters: Make working out part of your daily life. Make it non-negotiable.”

Bonding with Best Life members
Meghan has found strength and motivation in the Best Life community. “It is amazing to talk to other people who have the same issues, and know what you are struggling with everyday," she says. "The ladies on the message board are so supportive, and we motivate each other with challenges. I won one of my first weight-loss challenges, and it was so rewarding to get all the congratulations cards and emails from these people who only knew me online.”

Meghan still has 17 pounds to go in order to reach her goal, but the changes she’s made over these last six months are irreversible. “I have spent most of my life doing things for others, and neglecting myself. Then I realized that I needed to get healthy if I wanted to keep taking care of everyone else. The best thing has been setting a good example for my children, showing them that if you work hard, you can achieve your goals.”

*People following the Best Life plan progress through three separate phases on their weight-loss journey. They also learn to identify their activity level and are encouraged to move up the activity scale. The phases and activity scale are explained in the book and the website.

From time to time, Bob Greene checks in on www.TheBestLife.com members with a phone call to offer encouragement and advice. In Meghan's case, he was able to help her out with some tips on problem foods, plateaus and knee issues.