THIS IS THE SAME PERSON!!!

By: Kim Bensen

Kim Bensen knows about weight loss. And weight gain. For decades, she tried every diet there was, but nothing seemed to work – for long anyway – and she yo-yoed her way to 350 pounds. But she never gave up and in 2001, despite years of heartbreak and discouragement, Kim tried again. This time was different and the results were phenomenal: 212 pounds lost forever, fourteen dress sizes, four ring sizes, one and a half shoe sizes, and 200 points of cholesterol gone for good! In the end, Kim not only changed her health and size, but also her career. The clamor of “How did you do it?” by desperately struggling individuals as well as the national media motivated her to sit down and pen into words what she had put into action.

In Finally Thin!, Kim Bensen recounts her own success story and then breaks down her success into a ten-step system, showing readers exactly how she accomplished her weight-loss goal. From choosing the right diet for your needs to setting realistic goals, finding support, eating out, recovering from a slipup, the keys to maintenance, and even 75 recipes, this book covers it all in an upbeat, inspirational, and approachable tone. A must-have for anyone trying to lose weight, Finally Thin! will help dieters break free of the yo-yo cycle and achieve their ultimate goal—once and for all.

Buy Kim's book on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Finally-Thin-Lost-Over-Pounds/dp/0767929500

The seemingly ultimate yo-yo dieter, Kim Bensen, author of "Finally Thin!" went from size 6X to size 6, dropped 212 pounds, four ring sizes and 200 points of cholesterol. Now she's been at her goal weight for five years and is ready to reveal her top tips for losing weight and adopting a healthful lifestyle, without straying. Plus, here's her advice for how to get back on the weight-loss wagon if you happen to fall off.

1. Find a Diet That Fits Who You Are

"There's not any one diet that's perfect for any one. Pick a healthy diet," and stick to it, says Bensen. "Trying to cut back on your intake -- that's awesome, but for most people who are really struggling with their weight, a structured program is important."

2. Get Rid of All Your Red-Light Foods

"When I was 350 lbs. -- you need to eat a lot of calories to sustain that -- bakery items were really a big red-light food for me. You have to get them out of the house. Give them away if you can. Or throw them away. I have this saying, 'waste or waist,' because if you don't get rid of them, they'll go to your waist," Bensen says.

3. Fill Up on Green-Light Foods

Replace the red-light foods with good things like fruits and vegetables -- but pick ones you love. "Take a diet and weave it into every facet of your life in every way so it becomes a part of your lifestyle -- the most wonderful lifestyle," Bensen encourages. "A salad to me is one of the most wonderful things in the world. I would rather have a dressing that isn't free that I have to save for."

4. Plan Ahead

"Every morning, I would write in a journal as if I had already eaten. I do Weight Watchers, so I wrote down the foods I planned on eating and the corresponding points. Not only was I writing it down and keeping track, but I was mapping out how to follow it for the rest of the day," Bensen says.

5. Gather Your Support

"People aren't mind readers. They aren't going to know that you need their help," says Bensen. Whether it's co-workers or friends -- reach out and tell them if you're struggling, and they'll be willing to help you by working your diet into your social outings. Some people may benefit from scheduled online or in-person support group or one-on-one support meetings, she adds.

6. Know Before You Go

"Drive-thrus and restaurants have become a substitute for the kitchen table. Don't think you can't diet at the drive-thru, but you really have to know how to do it," says Bensen. "Speak up and ask about menu items," or look up the information online before you go, so you can order something that fits your diet.

7. The Lesson of the Veggie Burger

"I was going to Ruby Tuesday's and I usually get the salad bar, but I wanted to have some protein, so I went for the veggie burger. When I got home I looked it up, and it was around 900 calories. I could have had four petite sirloin steaks for that one veggie burger. I wanted that petite sirloin but I thought I was being good." So the moral is: Look up nutrition information beforehand, and if all else fails, "go for the natural form of ingredients. Choose chicken, steak or baked potato without extra ingredients, because if you're getting something with mixed ingredients, you have no idea what's in that." And that could add up to unexpected fat and calories, which "can just mentally blow your diet, even if calorie-wise it hasn't blown your diet."

8. No Such Thing as "Free" Foods

"You have to remember that no food is completely free. Every food has calories," Bensen says. Eating too much salad is still eating too much. "Spray butter is a really great example -- even though it's labeled calorie-free, per bottle it can range between 700 calories and 70 fat grams and 900 calories and 90 fat grams. It's a great alternative, but don't use a bottle a day!"

9. Learn to Get Back On

"There's no straight line from A-to-Z with weight loss," Bensen says. She says people always ask her how she stayed motivated for two "whole" years while she was losing the weight. Her reply? "I've been at 'goal' for five years, so I've had to do this for seven years, but I'll do this for the rest of my life. I honestly never get off my diet." But that doesn't mean she doesn't slip up. Here are her five steps to follow if you've gotten sloppy in dieting, or if you want to recover from a huge binge.

1. Stop and clean the house again. Get out the red-lights and get in the green-light foods.

2. Get back to planning. Get out your journal. Get out old ones -- don't throw them away. They're menu plans that you have already shown can work for you.

3. Don't expect to come home and leave your meal to chance.

4. Ask for help -- you have a support group ready to help you from slipping up again.

5. Like the Nike commercial, you've got to just do it. You do get re-motivated. Cheer small successes: "I did it! I did it!"

You've got to take these steps continually when you get off track in life. Good luck!