Weekly Diet News Digest
by John McGran, Columnist

Stay-at-home wife Maggie says she slammed the brakes on her ballooning weight by turning to the weight loss experts and inspirational bloggers here at Diet.com.

The once-frustrated homemaker from Nebraska found the motivation, weight loss tools and inspiration right here. After immersing herself in the from-the-heart blogs written by like-minded dieters, she began her march from stretchy size-16 clothes to slenderizing size-4s!

Oh, and along the way she dropped 50 pounds, going from an unhealthy high of 175 to her current weight of 125.

Maggie no longer fits her chosen Diet.com username of FatCat30. No, the 5-foot-4 slimmer is now more like a Cheshire Cat -- a gal whose grin just won't disappear!

"I came to Diet.com last July," Maggie says. "I fell in love with the free workout videos. I was really out of shape and these simple videos helped me get on track.

"I've stayed here because I am now proud of my progress. When I'm not checking out the blogs I use the calorie counter."

Maggie hasn't had to go it alone. Her railway worker husband also jumped on the weight loss train and chugged off a few pounds of his own, going from 210 to 165!

"I feel a lot lighter and can do things I couldn't do for a while. I can walk faster, climb stairs, run a little and wear cute clothes again!" Maggie says.

"My current goal is to get down to 120... a weight I last saw in my teens."

So how did Maggie shed the weight? She credits much of it with turning to a vegetarian lifestyle.

"I eat much better now," she says. "At my peak weight, I used to eat 6 pieces of toast with jelly and butter… and I loved pastries."

"In addition to meat, I've cut out sugar. I start my day with cereal -- Cheerios and fat-free milk. For lunch I'll have a meat-free Boca Burger or a soup. Dinner is usually something over rice like beans or veggie stir-fry."

More From Maggie

"I didn't start vegetarianism to lose weight. I did it for my compassion to animals."

"I don't drink alcohol either. Also, I don't eat eggs unless they're baked in something. I scrape frosting off cake. I'll eat no added sugar ice cream and sugar-free cookies only. The only sugar I have is in fruit or fruit juice.

"Everyday I take a multivitamin, 2 calciums, & 1 vitamin C because the multivitamin doesn't supply enough of those two. I like coffee (black) and can drink a whole pot. I love diet sodas, too.

"I'm a big fan of milk. I preferred whole milk, but now make do with fat-free milk. It's gotten to where low-fat milk tastes way too rich.

"I sprinkle flaxseed powder on nearly everything I eat. It gives me omega-3s that fish gives non-vegetarians. I will eat cheese... even fattening."

"Oh, and I put hot sauce on everything."

"I don't really like to exercise. The only thing I can think of that keeps the weight off is the vegetarianism and no man-made sugar."