BEFORE: Taken in April 1995 after I had been on Deal a Meal for three weeks and lost 15 lbs. (size 24) 
AFTER: Taken on Feb. 28, 1998 at Slimmons, Richard's gym in Beverly Hills. I've maintained the 100 lbs loss for over a year now. (size 16)
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In March of 1995 I weighed 275 lbs. I was extremely
unhealthy-- bad knees, skin rashes, heart palpitations,
and very depressed. I'd tried every diet imaginable and
had yoyo-ed through my 20s, 30s, and now in my 40s had
reached my all time high. For my 46th birthday my
daughter's present to me was a "Deal a Meal"
kit. This is a set of playing cards, which are divided
into the different food exchanges, and a little wallet
which has slots for the various exchange cards, and slots
for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You set the
wallet up for a certain number of calories (depending on
your present weight) and then move the cards as you eat
during the day. The object is to use all the cards by the
end of dinner, and then start all over again the next
day. Richard Simmons thought up this unique
"game" around ten years ago.
I decided to give this a try--after all, it was a
present from my child. I was amazed at how these little
cards helped me! In the first month I lost 20 lbs. I felt
very secure using the cards, because I could look at my
wallet and see immediately how much food was left at any
time during the day. If I had dinner plans I could pull
the cards for dinner early in the morning and then know
how much food was left for breakfast and lunch. So easy!
And it was working.
After about 30 lbs. were gone I began using Richard's
"Sweating to the Oldies" exercise tapes. At
first I could last only about ten minutes. But I found
that if I was consistent with my exercise every day, my
endurance grew. As the pounds continued to drop off,
"sweatin'" became easier. I purchased Richard's
"Disco Sweat" and REALLY learned how to dance
while I exercised. I remember the day that I finally made
it through that tape all the way to "I Will
Survive." I burst into tears, thinking maybe I would
make it after all.
In October 1995 I went on Richard's "Cruise to
Lose" on Carnival Cruise Lines. By that time I'd
lost 70 lbs. Meeting Richard in person was a real trip!
He is a great guy with a lot of compassion for all of us
with this weight problem. I got up on stage and
"sweated" with him, something the "old
me" could never have done. It was a great week with
lots of motivation, healthy eating, tropical ports, and
laughter and tears. I made some great friends and brought
home wonderful memories, as well as a new attitude and a
feeling of power and confidence in myself. And I lost 4
lbs. on the cruise!
Since then I've continued to lose weight, very slowly
now, and I exercise every day. During our Florida winters
my husband and I walk every evening and during the hot
months I use lots of different exercise tapes, including
The Grind and tapes by Rita Moreno, Paula Abdul, and Tony
Little. But Richard's tapes will always be my favorites!
He's kept in touch with me by letter and phone, and he
even sent me a preview copy of his newest
"Sweatin'" tape, called "Dance Your Pants
Off." It's the best tape of all, with some great
music from the 80s. The last song is "The
Rose," which is from the movie of the same name. It
was written by Amanda McBroom, who sings it on Richard's
tape. The words to this song express the feelings I have
long felt as an overweight person, but the song ends on a
positive note with the rose blooming in the spring. I had
long wanted to reward myself when I hit the 100 lb. mark,
and I decided that a gold pendant with a rose would be
just right. It will always remind me of how far I have
come in this journey. I am wearing it now, and on the
back are engraved the three words that Richard taught us
to always remember: "Never Give Up."
My total loss now is 108 lbs. I have 17 more to lose.
I know that I can do this, and with my new found love of
exercise and those little Deal a Meal cards that taught
me how to eat, I have the tools I need to continue my new
life as a normal sized person. I may never be a size 9,
but I AM healthy and happy and that's what matters. Every
evening at 7 pm I tell my husband that it's time for my
"date" to go dancing with Richard for an hour.
He smiles and says, "Just remember who's taking you
home....and save the last dance for me."
Nancy Gillingham
[email protected]
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