Jennifer Marnell, who is now a fitness instructor, gained celebrity status after losing 180 pounds.
Marnell, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, told CNN that she has struggled with her weight since the age of eight. By the age of 27, Marnell was 5-foot-tall and weighed 300 pounds.
Marnell said a series of embarrassing moments such as not fitting into a restaurant booth, running out of breath while walking and lacking the energy to play ball or skate with her daughter -- took an emotional and physical toll on her health. But the final straw came during a trip to an amusement park with her family.
"We were at Six Flags waiting on a ride and we waited for an hour-and-a-half," said Marnell. "When we got on, I couldn't latch the belts because I was too big and they had to ask me to get off."
Marnell decided to join a gym, working out in the women's only section and started eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Over the next two years, she lost 180 pounds, reaching her personal goal of weighing 120 pounds.
Soon after her rapid weight loss, she became a personal fitness instructor and provides personal training advice on her "Fit By Jen" Web site http://www.fitbyjen.com/.
In January, she was featured on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and in People Magazine's "Half Their Size" issue and will appear on the game show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" with Wayne Brady. She's also touring the country as a spokesperson for Gold's Gym.
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