Bodybuilding.com - Female Transformation Of The Week - Dara Garza.

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Did you know?
I weighed in my first day at Weight Watchers at 156.6 pounds.

Dara was always a chubby kid and really hadn't done anything about it until she saw the pictures. See how - at only 5' - she managed to lose more than 60 lbs by training hard!

Female Transformation Of The Week - Dara Garza.

By: Dara Garza

Before
175 lbs

After
114 lbs

Vital Stats

Name: Dara Garza
Email: dgarza77@yahoo.com
BodySpace: dara_girl
Weight Before: 175 lbs
Weight After: 114 lbs
BF%: 20.2%

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How I Did It

My name is Dara Garza, and I was always a chubby kid, but after looking at some pictures from Mother's Day at my mother-in-law's house, I decided I had to do something. I looked huge; it was no wonder since I weighed around 175 pounds at 5' and a half inch. Plus I was getting married and wanted to look pretty in my wedding dress.

I started out doing Body for Life for a while in 2001, and I lost around 15-20 pounds before I got married in January of 2002.

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January 2002.

Then I leveled off and took a break until I saw one of the girl's at work was having success with Weight Watchers. I decided to try it. So, in November of 2003 I began my journey. I weighed in my first day at weight watchers at 156.6 pounds.

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July 4, 2003.

It took me almost a year, but by September of 2004 I was down to 115 pounds. From there I have fluctuated some up and down, and in the past year I came to realize that it wasn't just the number on the scale that mattered, I wanted to be leaner and have a healthier body. I no longer strictly follow the weight watchers plan, but I track my calories, fat and carbs.

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June, 2006.

I took a little break at Christmas when my sister had her new baby, but since then I have been lifting hard and doing more cardio again. I am now at around 114 pounds and 20.2% body fat. My goal is to get down to 18%, and I think I'll get there but it's going to be hard work.

I currently lift weights 4 days a week and do cardio 5 days a week. I have come to realize that what you eat is basically 90% of the battle. If I'm not eating well I can tell by the way my clothes fit and my body looks, even if I am still working out the same. I am eating 7 meals a day starting at 4:30 in the morning. It makes for a long day, but it's worth it.

I am a now a changed person. I will never go back to eating the way I did before. The biggest thing people have to realize when it comes to weight loss and having a healthier body, is that you have to take it slow and change your life, your thinking and your habits. It can't just be a diet, it has to be a lifestyle change or it won't be a long term change for the better.

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May 20, 2007.

Sample Diet

4:30 am - 4 scrambled egg whites, 4 oz. yogurt
5:30 am - weight lifting 45-60 minutes
6:30 am - Cell Mass then 30-45 minutes cardio
7:30 am - 1 scoop protein powder, small banana
9:30 am - 1/2 cup whole grain oatmeal, 1 scoop protein powder
12:30 pm - 4 oz. chicken breast, small salad with spray dressing, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup steamed vegetable
3:30 pm - 1 scoop protein powder, small apple, orange or other fruit
6:30 pm - 6 oz. salmon, small salad with spray dressing, 1/2 cup vegetable
8:30 pm - 1 scoop casein protein shake w/1 cup fat free milk or 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese