Karen Goldberg

By working out with Denise, Karen took charge of her life and her weight loss and has lost a total of 87 pounds!

NAME: Karen Goldberg AGE: 44 TOWN: East Stroudsburg, PA OCCUPATION: Part-time Attorney, Mother of 4 FITNESS GAINED: Lost 87 pounds OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Karen's in better shape now than when she played tennis on her college team!

"I've fought with my weight all my life. When I was in the second grade and already weighed 81 pounds, my pediatrician told my mom that we should change my eating habits. My mother began to give me lunches with very thin slices of bread, and strictly limited my snacking. A year later, my weight stayed exactly the same — but I had grown taller.

When I turned fifteen I was prescribed weight loss medication, but my mom (who was a nurse) had some real reservations about someone my age taking diet pills, so after two weeks we stopped them. I tried fad diets and even a twelve-step program. While I was in college I went to a weight loss clinic for the summer, but the severe calorie restrictions left me feeling light-headed and dizzy. None of these diets worked — I found them too restrictive, too intense, or just too boring. As a last alternative, I considered weight loss surgery. When I went in for a consultation, the surgeon said he could “give me my life back.” That was a wake-up call — I decided that I had to take back that power and do this myself.

I began by dieting only, but I needed more direction. I had seen Denise’s show before, and her enthusiasm inspired me. She had a happy demeanor and gave great, simple advice for fitness and life in general. I wanted to shape up and get fit in addition to losing weight, so I began working out with her. With four children, one of my early obstacles was finding the time for myself, but I finally realized that I have to make the time. Now I tape Denise’s workouts and do them at 5:30 a.m. — getting up before everyone else means I make sure to have some time for me.

I have been working out with Denise six days a week for the past fifteen months. Seeing the changes in my body — and remembering how tired and desperate I felt at 235 pounds — is all the motivation I need to stick with this. I’m now down to 148 pounds!

I love that Denise has gusto! She loves her family, like I do, and watching her show constantly reminds me of what is important. My husband is so proud of me, and my parents can’t believe the changes! When my kids see videos of me from a couple years ago, they are surprised to see me so heavy. These days I feel energized and empowered. I have earned the respect of others with what I've accomplished, but most importantly, I respect myself!"

You'll find more inspiring success stories on Fit Forever with Denise Austin. Sign up today!