A College Freshman Peaked at 250 Pounds — Weight Watchers Got Her to 170

Beth Klein, a 5-foot-8 Connecticut native, had struggled with portion control since middle school and weighed over 200 pounds by high school. Her weight peaked at 250 pounds during her freshman year at George Washington University — weight gain she calls her "freshman 50," driven by late nights, little sleep, and a diet of pizza, hot wings, and Chinese food. She lost 40 pounds her senior year on the Atkins diet but found it unsustainable — "I just love bread too much," she said — and regained all of it within a year.

The turning point came at a 2008 doctor's appointment where her doctor noted her weight had crept back up. "I was offended and angry at the time," she said, "but the truth is, I was very unhealthy" — she'd get out of breath walking and overheat easily at just 24. Her father's history of obesity, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, and a heart attack gave her extra reason to worry about her own trajectory.

In early 2009 she quit smoking and started running, but the weight didn't move much until she addressed her eating. In March 2009 she joined Weight Watchers specifically for the structure it offered, learning to measure and weigh food until she could estimate portions by eye. Over the following two years she lost 80 pounds, bringing her down to roughly 170 pounds.

Her biggest obstacle was fitting the new habits into a social life built around drinking and eating out with friends. Her solution was turning workouts into a standing social plan: for more than a year, she and a friend met weekly to exercise together and then cook a healthy meal, while still allowing the occasional happy hour. She also started a health blog, Beth's Journey, to track her progress and connect with other people working through the same struggles.

On the fitness side, she began the Couch to 5K program in April 2009 and went on to run nine races, including the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in 2 hours 16 minutes; she had since signed up for the DC National Half Marathon aiming to cut 10 minutes off that time. "The biggest thing I've learned is that you have to make yourself a priority," she said. "Exercise is not a should-do anymore — it's a must-do."