Gwinnett Co. woman loses 126 pounds

Gwinnett Co. woman loses 126 pounds

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You wouldn't know it now, but Leah Fernandez weighed more than 250 pounds just a year ago. You wouldn't know it now, but Leah Fernandez weighed more than 250 pounds just a year ago.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -

If you're among the many people who have struggled to achieve their weight loss goals, a Gwinnett County woman might be able to give you a little motivation.  Leah Fernandez says even she is surprised that she's now spending time running because just more than a year ago, she weighed more than 250 pounds.

Fernandez says she really started putting on weight during her two pregnancies.  She had her children, but the baby weight stayed on.  It wasn't until she had a heart-to-heart with her husband that she realized she needed to do something.  

Fernandez tells FOX 5 her husband told her something she knew was true, but had never admitted: she wasn't happy with herself.  So, she decided to do something about it.  She turned to Jenny Craig to lose the weight, eating prepackaged meals and coupling that with exercise.

First, she started walking three or four days a week for about 30 minutes at a time.  After a few months, that turned into working out to aerobics tapes, and eventually running.  

All her hard work has paid off in a big way.  Fernandez has lost 126 pounds, and was recently featured in People Magazine's annual "Half Their Size" issue.  She says she's happy about her weight loss, but she's even more excited to motivate others to do the same.

Fernandez's running has taken off.  She's run in several 5K races already, and is now training for her first half marathon.

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