Robins employee sheds 150 pounds

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Irish Frederick exercises four to five days a week at the fitness center here. She drinks water and eats healthy foods. She lost more than 150 pounds and dropped 12 dress sizes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sue Sapp)

An employee here replaced her size 28 pants and more than 150 extra pounds with a size 16 and a new lease on life.

Irish Frederick, 35, of Byron, Ga., said she is slimmer, fitter and “lookin’ good.”

The classroom program assistant at Robins’ Child Development Center said she lost weight by changing her diet and exercising four to five days a week at the fitness center here.

Her motivation was declining health, she said. Swollen feet, high blood pressure, the start of a hernia, fatigue and problems with digestion led her to her doctor.

She was 5-feet, 5-inches tall and weighed 348 pounds. Her doctor’s advice -- lose weight.

Mrs. Frederick replaced carbonated drinks with water and cut fried foods, fast foods, bread, snack cakes and cookies from her diet. She began grilling instead of frying and ate baked fish, steamed vegetables and rice. Her husband and three daughters quickly adapted to the diet, and they are eating healthier, too, she said.

She also started daily workouts of two or more hours which included both aerobic and circuit training.

“I started seeing results within about three months,” she said. “I had gotten down ... two dress sizes. I thought to myself ‘this is lookin’ good,’ and it motivated me even more.

“At first, I felt uncomfortable in the fitness center,” she said. “I walked into the gym and saw all these little bitty ladies. I wore an old T-shirt and baggy sweat pants, and I always kept a jacket on. I even used the old side of the gym because there were fewer people there; but, I didn’t let anything deter me.”

Read more...