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Before: 220 lbs.
After: 145 lbs.

The extra pounds crept up on Katie Svoboda, 26, so slowly that it was easy for her to live in weight-gain denial. The 5’7? former athlete found herself eating fast foods and gaining 15 pounds a year for a few years straight—until in 2012, she’d hit a high of 220 lbs. When she went dress-shopping for her wedding, the reality of her unhealthy lifestyle came crashing down. “The saleswoman told me I’d need a size 20,” she says. “I thought, Are you kidding?! I used to be a size 10.” Katie made some drastic life changes, embraced a more active lifestyle, and is now a healthy 145 lbs. Now engaged to a new partner, Katie can’t wait to wear her size-6 dream dress to their wedding. 

Here’s what Katie says helped change her life:

• Entertain yourself. “I watch morning TV on the treadmill. It makes time go by much faster.”
• Take an all-for-one approach. “I try not to cook separate dishes—I make one healthy one and we all eat it, so I’m not tempted by the kids’ chicken nuggets.”
• Eat out loud. “Crunchy foods are super satisfying: I love sliced cucumbers, celery, and nuts.”

For more on Katie’s incredible weight-loss journey, pick up the January/February issue of Women’s Health, available now. In the meantime, check out more inspiring weight-loss success stories and healthy ways to lose weight.

More from Women’s Health:
See One Woman’s Amazing, Year-By-Year Body Transformation
10 Time-Wasting Activities You Can Cut From Your Day to Make Room for Exercise
15 Tiny Tweaks That’ll Help You Lose More Weight in 2015