Mother of four loses 100 pounds, runs first marathon

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) - When mother of four Claire McCrary purchased her first scale, she weighed over 230 pounds, WGNO reports.

"My triglycerides were high, that was kind of a signal to me that I needed to do something to change," says McCrary. And so, she began to run.

"When I first started I was running mailbox to mailbox or street light to street light, I just gradually built up my mileage over time. It was addictive, once the first ten pounds came off then I would think, how much further can I go, well let's try for another ten, let me try for another ten."

Now over 90 pounds lighter with a marathon under her belt, life has changed completely.

"I always thought that if I lost weight, I would be the same person just in a different body, but when you're exercising, your entire outlook changes and you really do have more energy. You really do feel better," exclaims McCrary.

"The first time that I put on a pair of pants that were a size 4 and they were too big and I had to ask the salesperson to go back and get a size 2, I kind of screamed in the dressing room, I let out a little shriek, I did because I've never even been that small even in high school."

Claire's story has been so impressive she was even noticed by Louisiana's Health & Fitness Magazine Owner, Mary Piper. "This is just a story that will capture a lot of attention and inspire a lot of people who may be in that same situation because not only is it hard to lose a lot of weight but if you're not overweight it's hard to run a marathon so to do both, that's a great success story right there. It takes a lot of dedication and self-motivation to be able to do that," says Piper.

"Every meal, every snack is a conscious decision and if I find myself slipping a little bit, I'll start writing everything down that I'm eating and keep a food diary. My big thing is just consistency and if you mess up tomorrow's a new day. Moms really need to know that it's OK to have mom time that they need to do it to be healthy for themselves. I tell my kids all the time, I'm a better mom because I'm healthy and I can take better care of you."

Claire McCrary's journey began a year and a half ago and she has maintained the same weight for 6 months. She lost weight without a gym membership, without a personal trainer and without any surgical help. She did, however, have the love and support of her husband and friends. Her story will be featured in the July issue of Louisiana's Health & Fitness Magazine.