Strawser loses more than 100 pounds

Editor’s note: This is the final story in an informal series on those who were successful in keeping resolutions to lose weight and be healthier in 2012.

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

Jodi Strawser of Van Wert was sick and tired of being sick and tired. So on April 24, 2012, she did something about it. And 102 pounds later, Strawser feels like a new person.

“When I stepped on that scale back in April, I weighed 304 pounds,” Strawser said matter-of-factly. “I’ve never weighed that much in my life. I couldn’t believe I weighed that much. So it was definitely time to do something.”

To achieve such a significant weight loss, Strawser had to give up the one thing she loved most … soft drinks. “That was definitely the hardest for me. I had been drinking Diet Pepsi every day of my life. The second hardest thing was getting myself to the Y every day.”

When Strawser broke off her relationship with soda, she lost seven pounds in one week, which gave her the initial momentum she needed to begin the journey that would eventually find her losing the weight of an entire person.

“Even though I was drinking diet pop, it was really putting a lot of weight on me,” she said, adding that a contest at Balyeat’s Restaurant, where she works as a waitress, gave her additional incentive to lose weight.

Last year, employees at Balyeat’s began a “Biggest Loser” type contest that included a stipulation that, if employees gained a pound, they had to place a dollar in a jar. The money collected would then be awarded to the person who lost the most weight by July 24. “Several of us up there started this contest, so at first it was just about the money,” Strawser said. “But once the contest was over, I just kept on going and kept on losing weight.”

Taking full advantage of the YMCA’s scholarship fund, which enables low-income residents to financially afford a membership, Strawser began daily workouts at the local facility. With a constant stream of support from her friend, Paula Davies of Van Wert, Strawser got serious about exercise and weight loss, and the pounds began melting away.

“My friend kept me motivated big-time,” Strawser said, adding, “if it wasn’t for her, I honestly don’t know if I would have stuck to it.”

Fortunately, Strawser’s weight hadn’t caused her any serious medical issues, but she constantly felt fatigued. “I was just so tired and grumpy all the time,” she said. “And my legs would cramp up so bad my daughter would have to rub them for me. I didn’t realize what it was doing to my body to carry all that weight around.”

In addition to constantly being on her feet as a waitress for Balyeat’s, Strawser had to break out the willpower and deny herself the homemade pies and mashed potatoes and noodles favorited by many at the hometown restaurant. “Oh boy, was that hard,” she said with a laugh. “But if I want to eat potatoes now, I eat red potatoes, or I have a plain baked potato so I don’t feel too bad.”

Despite the food temptations that came with the holidays, Strawser actually managed to shed four pounds during Thanksgiving week. “I made an Oreo pie to take to my mom’s and didn’t even get to eat any of it,” she said. “But I was proud of myself for resisting temptations. I didn’t even have one piece of pie.”

Aside from the occasional splurge, Strawser stays true to her diet, and only keeps healthy foods in her refrigerator. “My daughter might not like that so much, but it’s healthy and good for us so I feel good about it.”

Her job is much easier these days, thanks to the huge weight loss, and her regular customers constantly ask her about her progress. “They’ve always been good to me, but it seems like every day someone is asking me how much I’ve lost, or how I’m doing. It really makes a person feel good when they’re noticed.”

In 2013, Strawser is resolving to maintain her current weight loss, which at times can be more of a struggle than actually losing the weight. According to mensfitness.com, the majority of people abandon fitness resolutions within six weeks. Strawser, however, said she’s not looking back, and she’s intent on moving forward with her goals. “I don’t really know what other resolution I can make,” she said. “I’ve already done the diet and started the weight loss. I’m just going to maintain what I lost and keep going.”

Strawser is hoping her story will inspire others to lose weight and get healthy. “I feel so much better now, and I just want other people to feel better too. I have people in my family that need to lose weight, and I’m hoping I can be an inspiration for them. It’s a big change. But it’s a good one.”