Rose Anne Schulman, now 65, dropped 8 dress sizes by making small, simple changes to her lifestyle.
Schulman doesn't know exactly how much weight she lost over the last year and a half as she was previously afraid to get on a scale, but knows that she went from a size 20 to a size 4.
The former dance teacher never worried about her weight before given her active lifestyle, but when a broken foot landed her on the couch for several weeks, her attitude toward food changed.
"Every time there was a crisis I turned to food for solace," Schulman told CNN.
The Atlanta resident's weight was like a rollercoaster after that. But two years ago, after what she described as an embarrassing shopping experience trying on dresses for her son's wedding, she committed to losing five pounds before the big day. Before she knew it, the five pounds were gone, and more kept coming.
Schulman simply watched what she ate, staying away from things like croutons and mayonnaise-based salad dressing. Portion control was also a factor, as she would opt for soup and tuna salad or cottage cheese instead of a sandwich or two for lunch. And she started buying low-sugar, 110-calorie instant oatmeal instead of the normal 160-calorie oatmeal.
Schulman's new habits even rubbed off on her husband Alan, who has lost 85 pounds.
These days, she has added exercise into her routine, taking Zumba classes twice a week and walking more, like to her local synagogue.
"I didn't go on a diet," she says. "I changed my lifestyle."
To see pictures of her incredible transformation, click here.
