Photo: Courtesy; Kathryn Gamble
Four years ago, Ruth Peterson signed up to chaperone her daughter’s school field trip to Washington, D.C. But as someone who has always struggled with her weight, the 46-year-old business owner was worried that she wouldn’t be healthy enough to be on her feet the entire day.
“I don’t handle no’s very well, I see those as a big challenge,” Peterson, of Conrad, Iowa, says. “I thought, ‘I’m going to prove you wrong.’ "
With the help of the weight-loss appNoom, Peterson was able to break old habits and create — and maintain — new ones. She says the program’s flexibility helped her succeed where other plans had failed.
“I still eat a piece of pizza, I still have my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but I’m making healthier choices along the way,” she says.
(Photographer) Kathryn Gamble; (Hair/Makeup/Stylist on set) Candace Corey/Zenobia Agency; (Stylist) Don Sumada; (Location) WORN
One of those healthy choices is incorporating exercise — a daily 5 a.m. workout of weight lifting, water aerobics, yoga or running — which Peterson never thought would be her norm. “My day is not complete if I don’t work out,” she says. “I love having muscles. I love being strong.”
“One evening I ran from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial after walking all day long!” she says.
Now at 155 lbs., Peterson is grateful for the small things she’s able to do once more, whether it’s participating in community work without throwing out her back or being able to swap clothes with her teenage daughter.
“I’ve always felt confident no matter my size,” Peterson says. “But now I can walk into any store and try on clothes, and that’s awesome. My confidence and faith in myself is through the roof.”
For more “Beyond the Scale” stories in this week’sPEOPLE, pick up a copy on newsstands now.
source: people.com
