A little black dress hung from Dinah Burnette’s closet door, reminding her of the past and showing her what the future might hold. But at 245 pounds, she couldn’t even pull the dress over her hips.
Being overweight was a new experience for Dinah. When she was a teenager, she stayed trim despite hearty meat-and-potato meals and midnight pizza sessions. And as a young woman, her figure always snapped back after the birth of each of her four children.
But when Dinah was in her late twenties, she added 100 pounds to her frame in just 2 years. During that time, she had started taking a prescription medication that sometimes causes weight gain. But she also suspected that her metabolism had just slowed down.
Even though the clothes in her closet grew bigger and bigger, Dinah didn’t acknowledge just how much weight she’d accumulated until she saw photographs of her 1996 nursing-school graduation. “I was in this fantasy world that there were several girls in my class bigger than me,” she says. “When that class picture came, I was the biggest. I just remember being so embarrassed.”
So the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, woman began a self-styled regimen of healthy meals, a gallon of water a day, and lots of exercise. “When I started walking, I couldn’t even do a half-mile,” she says. “But in 6 months, I worked my way up to 3 miles every day.” For motivation, Dinah hung her expensive black dress, the only piece of small-size clothing she’d kept, on her closet door. The last time she had worn it was to a wedding in early 1989.
“I would try it on every 4 weeks and see how close the buttons were getting. Gradually, I could get it on, but the buttons were 4 feet apart,” she laughs. One year later and 100 pounds lighter, she could once again fit into the size-12 dress—this time with room to spare.
Now, her closet contains only one larger-size garment, which she keeps around so she’ll stay inspired to maintain her present weight of 145 pounds.
It’s the size-24 white dress that she wore in that graduation photo.
WINNING ACTION
Measure your progress with your wardrobe. Keep one article of clothing handy that will fit when you reach your ideal weight. Try it on from time to time to measure your progress. Use your try-on as motivation—and don’t let yourself get depressed if it doesn’t fit for weeks or months. Remember Dinah: The buttons on her black dress didn’t close at first, but she persevered. Now, she has room to spare.
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