Utah mother's weight loss inspires service, promotes health

Utah mother's weight loss inspires service, promotes health

(Sharon Ewer)


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SALT LAKE CITY — People often shed their New Year’s resolutions toward the end of January, but one Utah mother has shed 140 pounds since Jan. 1.

Sharon Ewer has been overweight since the birth of her oldest child, and she hit a new low last December when, at 308 pounds, she couldn’t fit into a restaurant booth while at dinner with the same son.

Sensing her son's embarrassment, Ewer determined then and there that she would lose weight.

“On Jan. 1, I told my boyfriend, Roger, I was going to lose 100 pounds,” Ewer said. “He said, ‘if you do, I’ll give you $1,000 to go clothes shopping.’”

At 50 pounds lighter, Roger told Ewer it was just a phase, but when she lost 60 pounds, he began working overtime.

The incentive money was just one form of support Ewer received from what she calls an “army of supporters.”

“I believe when you ask God for help, he sometimes sends an army,” Ewer said.


Nothing you eat is going to taste as good as you feel when you start hitting your goals.

–Sharon Ewer


Shortly after she started her journey, Ewer’s workplace sponsored a weight loss competition, which awarded her $500.

Ewer has continued to post her progress on Facebook, and has since gained nearly 5,000 followers.

In addition to her virtual supporters, Ewer has friends who have walked by her the whole way.

“It’s not just been one person helping me, it’s been over one thousand,” Ewer said.

Ewer’s success lies in the basics: eating right and exercising.

Ewer tries to eat whole wheat, green vegetables and a lot of protein. She also walks or lifts weights every day.

Her walks have even yielded service.

During one walk, Ewer and her friend found a 14-year-old runaway crying on the curb outside Barnes & Noble.

The teen hadn’t eaten in three days.

Utah mom Sharon Ewer has lost 140 pounds since January. Photo Credit: Sharon Ewer
Utah mom Sharon Ewer has lost 140 pounds since January. Photo Credit: Sharon Ewer

After talking with her for a while, she convinced her to turn herself in and get back home to Wyoming.

“She still keeps in touch with me,” Ewer said. “If I hadn’t been exercising, I wouldn’t have had that miracle.”

Now, Ewer is 168 pounds, and she plans to lose 10 more by the end of the year.

Ewer said her two sons, 16 and 19, are an inspiration.

“My kids never saw a skinny mom, but my grandkids will know a skinny grandma,” Ewer said.

Eventually, Ewer would like to be 150 pounds.

“When I started in January, I was a size 26,” Ewer said. “Now, I fit in sizes 12 and 14.”

Ewer said she was in a habit of eating processed foods because that’s all she knew, but now she jokes that she’s gone from processed to produce.

“Nothing you eat is going to taste as good as you feel when you start hitting your goals,” Ewer said. “When you go to the movies you don’t have to get popcorn. Your treat should be the person you’re with and the movie you’re seeing.”

Ewer encourages other heavy women to set a goal and never look back.

“Wake up, and just tell yourself you’re worth it,” Ewer said. “It will take time, but the weight will come off.”

Editor's note: Do you have a weight loss story you'd like to share? Tell us how you did it, and you could be featured on KSL.com. Email tsnowder@deseretdigital.com or mchristensen@deseretdigital.com for more information.

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Megan Marsden Christensen

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