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She wanted to continue sharing an active lifestyle with her husband Bill, and to inspire her ten-year-old daughter Sophie, the love of her life, to choose a better body image for herself and make healthy choices.
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It all began in July 2009, one month shy of Laney's 4lst birthday. After consulting with her doctor, she limited her caloric intake to 1,300 a day. (The average adult woman burns between 1,600 and 2,600 calories per day, depending on their size and whether they are primarily sedentary or active.) A diet that focused on vegetables, fruit, fiber and leaner meat, plus exercise, helped her gradually shed the weight.
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“When I first started,” says Laney, “I decided to exercise every day. I started by getting up early and walking. I would walk for half an hour. I would try to beat my time for the same distance, and then I started adding more distance. I would pick up my intensity. After a few months my hips stopped hurting and I felt better. I was losing a pound a week. I started running the length of two houses or so in spurts. Eventually, I was running more than I was walking. I would also bike ride and do water aerobics. After a few months I was up to 45 minutes. I now exercise about an hour to an hour and a half a day.”
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Laney says she takes inspiration from other peoples' success stories she has read about in magazines and watched on television. She also never hesitates to ask friends and colleagues for advice. “Some of the best advice was to eat oatmeal with flaxseed. I eat it every day. I have high-fiber oatmeal that I add almonds, ground flaxseed and dried fruit to,” she explains. (As an added health bonus, Laney proudly tells us that her cholesterol level has dropped from 210 to 170.)
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At the beginning of June, Laney ran her first 10K race. She exultantly recounts the experience, “I speed-walked the first mile and then ran the entire remaining 5.2 miles. Quite an accomplishment, since last year walking around the block or mall caused me ridiculous pain. With 80 pounds less to my body, I felt great on the run! I finished the run in one hour 14 minutes, about six minutes better than my best training time.”
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To help complete the transformation, a number of local experts on beauty, health, and fashion met with Laney and provided services to give her a makeover. The photos tell the story.
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What's Up Media Group would like to give special thanks to our advertisers who helped facilitate this makeover and photo shoot: Chesapeake Laser and Skin Care Center in Stevensville, Lehman Larue Salon in Chester, Swan Cove Day Spa& Salon in Stevensville, Diva Boutique in Annapolis, and Gracie in Easton.
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{gallery}Makeover{/gallery}
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