70-pound weight loss lands woman’s story in magazine

BY PATRICIA YOCZIS Correspondent

Jennifer Lilley is a big loser and proud of it. Lilley, 33, a Freehold Borough resident, lost 70 pounds, going from 208 pounds to 138 pounds and she dropped from dress size 18 to size 8.

Jennifer Lilley of Freehold Borough is proud of the effort she made to lose 70 pounds. Her story is profiled in the March edition of Women's Health, a national magazine. Jennifer Lilley of Freehold Borough is proud of the effort she made to lose 70 pounds. Her story is profiled in the March edition of Women’s Health, a national magazine. “It was a wake-up time for me,” Lilley said. “I’d tried to lose weight before, but now I was ready to go and really focused. Nothing was going to stop me this time.”

The push that motivated Lilley (nee Ort) to lose weight was her engagement to Adam Lilley in July 2006.

“I was starting a new life with Adam and I wanted it to be a healthy one,” she said. “I wanted to look good for my wedding day and dance without being out of breath, too. Losing weight was the icing on the cake.”

Lilley said Adam, who had lost about 80 pounds over the four years of their acquaintance, was very supportive of her weight-loss regimen.

So were her colleagues at the Lanmark Group, Eatontown, where Lilley is an advertising copywriter. In fact, she credits a colleague for kick-starting her weight loss.

“This woman was losing weight and I could see it happening,” said Lilley, who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall. “I asked her what she was doing and I tried it, too.”

The weight-loss method was Medifast, a program of prepackaged food including oatmeal, soup and cereal bars with one lean meat and veggie meal a day that Lilley started in August 2006.

“By November 2006, I had lost 40 pounds. I exercised and drank plenty of water, too. I lost 20 pounds more by February 2007 and an additional 10 pounds by my wedding in June 2007,” she said.

Lilley stayed on the weight-loss program for the first 60 pounds of weight loss and then she continued to make her own healthy choices.

“At first I had to constantly think about what to eat, but now it’s automatic,” she said. “I eat about six small meals a day, including healthy snacks at work.”

When asked the one hard thing that she had to avoid during her weight loss, Lilley unhesitatingly said, “Snickers bars. You put one bar in front of me and I fight hard not to eat it.”

Along the way to her weight loss, some self-discoveries were made.

“I’m realistic when I mess up and eat a Snickers bar or a doughnut,” said Lilley. “I forgive myself, but I don’t give up and continue to eat them. Also, I learned that I can do anything when I put my mind to it.”

Lilley’s weight loss is recorded in the March 2008 issue of Women’s Health, a national monthly magazine.

“I’ve always read everything I could about healthy eating and weight loss,” she said. “On the Women’s Health Web site there is a section for submitting weight-loss success stories. I sent my story and was surprised when it was published.”

A graduate of Red Bank Regional High School, Lilley, who is a native of Ohio, received an associate degree in communications from Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth University, West Long Branch.

While everyone responds differently to a weight-loss program, Lilley said setting goals of even a 5-pound weight loss has great health rewards. Chances of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol levels can be reduced, she said.

“Making healthy choices every day is achieving a healthy lifestyle,” said Lilley, who currently weighs 130 pounds. “I’m proud of my choices and my weight loss.”