Inspired by TV Trainer, Woman Loses 130 Pounds - East Idaho News

Inspired by TV Trainer, Woman Loses 130 Pounds

  Published at

ht dana bourque atkins before after ll 120417 wblog?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1334760118537Courtesy Dana Bourque-Atkins(NEW YORK) — Chris Powell has witnessed some amazing weight loss journeys.  As the fitness trainer on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, he gets messages from many people who tell him about what motivated them to achieve their remarkable weight loss results.

Among the standout stories is that of Dana Atkins, a cancer survivor from Lafayette, La.

Atkins recalled her 130-pound weight loss success on Good Morning America Wednesday.

“I was watching your show one day, and I thought, ‘if these people can do it, so can I.’  And so I thank you.  You have no idea how much you inspired me,” she told Powell.

Atkins did it by committing to hitting the gym five days per week, cutting the calories and adjusting her eating habits.  She eats breakfast every morning and doesn’t eat carbs after 5 p.m. Atkins tracks her weight loss on an app called Lose It.

The 36-year-old said Powell inspired her, even through her tough workouts.

“I could hear Chris’s voice in my head … even though my legs are on fire and my knees are hurting I could hear him saying, ‘Come on Dana, keep going, you got this,’ and I would just finish the workout, I would feel so much better after,” she said.

Working all on her own, Atkins went from 380 pounds — and a size 30 — to 253 pounds and a size 18.

She still wants to lose 90 more pounds.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION