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"          Name: Melissa Cleveland-Calvert, 39  Location: Houston Worst of times: 200 pounds Best of times: 135 pounds My turning point: When my doctor warned that I&amp;#039;d have a heart attack because I wasn&amp;#039;t taking care of myself. It made me come face-to-face with my weight problem. My slim-down technique: Eating smaller portions. When I go to a Mexican restaurant now, instead of eating the whole enchilada platter, I&amp;#039;ll split half with my husband. Or when I go to a fast-food joint, I don&amp;#039;t order super-size meals anymore. I get the kids&amp;#039; meal!  Kept the weight off: Eight years  My best motivator: My family. I want my kids to see how a person can live fit and healthy.  My greatest temptation: Sweets. I still eat them now, but only on occasion and as a reward. For example, if I work really hard at the gym, I&amp;#039;ll let myself eat a candy bar.  My favorite diet foods: A handful of baby carrots or a sugar-free Popsicle -- they&amp;#039;re very satisfying when I&amp;#039;m craving something sweet. My snacking tips: Keep your mind off food and your hands busy (and out of the cookie jar). I&amp;#039;ll now sit in front of the TV at night with a cross-stitch project instead of eating mindlessly.  My exercise routine: I go power-walking with my husband four or five times a week. I also joined the gym and take 30-minute circuit-training sessions during my lunch break. It has really helped me tone up.  Slim-down advice: Listen to your body. Instead of eating &amp;quot;just to eat,&amp;quot; hold off until your stomach grumbles. This way, you&amp;#039;ll know you&amp;#039;re really hungry when you sit down to a meal.  The payoff: I&amp;#039;m more of an extrovert than I used to be. My confidence has been built up so much that I can now speak about my weight-loss experience at church retreats.  The Secret of Your Success Have you lost unwanted pounds and kept them off? Whether you&amp;#039;ve shed that extra weight with a diet that really worked or by revamping your snack habits, we want to know your secrets for an ongoing Good Housekeeping Web feature. Email us your success story, and be sure to include your name and daytime phone number. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a12456/diet-success-calvert-0803/>