Chantel Hobbs ‘Never Say Diet’

In January of 2001 Chantel Hobbs weighed over 350 pounds. 17 months she lost over 200 pounds without surgery or dieting.  She lives by the slogan “Ditch the Diet.”

Chantel reveals that she started her struggle with food at the age of 11
In her website biography, she says she remembers walking down the aisle “as a ‘plus sized’ bride”, the birth of her two children and the weight that just wouldn’t disappear. At 29 years old, Hobbs weighed over 350 pounds. Despite telling herself that she just was too busy to lose weight, inside she felt “ugly, judged and pathetic.”

After her second child’s birth, she had had enough. Hobbs told CBN.com that after a night of desperate prayer, she realized something, “You are not being the best you can be.”

After that night, she decided to stop dieting and lose the weight for good. In her words, she “decided to take the challenge!” Her weight loss journey began on April 30, 2001. She started off determined to establish a regular exercise habit and began exercising for 30 minutes a day on the recumbent bike. She began eating smaller, more frequent meals (5 meals a day of about 300 calories each) to keep her metabolism high and to prevent hunger attacks, eating about 1,500 calories a day.

By January 30, 2002, Hobbs had lost 101 pounds. Seven years later, Hobbs is a spinning instructor, fitness trainer, marathon runner and 200 pounds lighter. Unlike many who attempt weight loss plans, Hobbs never actually set a weight loss goal for herself. She told CBN.com that her goal was simply not to fail.

She has since released a book, Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit, and has offered her weight loss challenge to others. For $19.99 a month, Hobbs offers advise on how to lose weight without dieting, with personal encouragement via Internet chats and videos.