Utah mom, daughters lose combined 360 pounds in 1 year

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah mom and her two daughters who struggled to lose weight for years joined together to make their weight loss dream a reality.

LaRee Miller, of Park City, knew she wanted a different life with her family. At age 70, LaRee topped the scales at 205 pounds. After years of yo-yoing with her weight and after multiple doctors told her she needed lose weight, she decided to take action.

“I’m 70, I can’t afford to yo-yo anymore,” she said.

After drastically changing her diet to healthy foods and exercising more, LaRee is 70 pounds lighter and says she feels like a new woman.

“Today you’ll notice I'm wearing a skirt with my blouse tucked in instead of hanging out, and the belt has been cut for new hole,” LaRee said.

LaRee’s daughter Amanda Hughes took notice of her mother’s lifestyle changes and decided to go on the journey with her.

“I saw my mom making these great choices to be healthier and I just knew it was time,” Amanda said.

Hughes, who weighed 326 pounds, started her weight loss journey with gastric bypass surgery, but says it still wasn’t easy.

“It is so hard,” Hughes said. “I had to still do the work. I had to change my lifestyle. I had to change what I was eating.”

One year later, she’s lost 178 pounds.

“My own husband has walked past me and not recognized me,” she said with a laugh.

Alisha Miller decided to join with her mom and sister to make some healthy changes.

“I’ve been very inspired by my mom and sister,” Alisha said.

Alisha’s weight topped 320 pounds and with diet and exercise, she now weighs 205 pounds.

Today these inspiring women stand together, relishing in their success. They hope their achievement over the last year can be a bit of motivation for anyone needing to make a change.

“Because it's worth it,” Hughes said. “To be able to be a participant in my family again, to have those memories with my children...to be healthy to add years to my life."

The women say a big part of their weight loss is owed to them being accountable to each other and sharing healthy recipes and fun workouts, like walking together and Zumba.

“The support work of my family, having my mom doing that, having my sister making good choices, was key to success,” Hughes said.

If you can buddy up with someone on your journey to a healthier you, it will make a huge difference in the long-term outcome, they added. And the American Psychological Association agrees.

"It's easier to stick with a weight loss plan when you have support, can share tips on diet and exercise and have an exercise buddy," their website states.

People can use their friends or family and start their own weight loss program or join a program with ready-made supporters, like Weight Watchers, the APA says.

"Groups really provide patients a sense of universality — that they have a problem that other people share," longtime obesity researcher Dr. Thomas Wadden, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and director of the university's Weight and Eating Disorders Program, told apa.org. "There is a sense of group support. People provide suggestions for each other."

A 2001 study showed that groups achieve better results than people who try to lose weight all by themselves, apa.org stated. A 2014 study suggests that women need that social support to lose weight and keep it off.

Alisha has words of encouragement as she continues on her weight loss quest this year.

"Don't give up,” she said. “Just keep trying, just keep doing it.”

And if you need extra motivation, think of your family, Hughes said.

“My son can have his grandma around for maybe an extra 10 years or more,” she said. “That’s priceless.”

Contributing: Tracie Snowder

Related topics