Wellness Weight Loss Get-Skinny Tricks Fitness and diet tips from real-world weight loss success Jennifer Dearing. By Susan Hall Published on October 27, 2009 Share Tweet Pin Email Tweak your physique with these real-world tips from "big loser" Jennifer Dearing who lost over half her body weight. 01 of 08 Bona-fide boot camp Istockphoto For one hour twice a week, Jennifer sweats it out with a trainer at her fitness club who also assists the U.S. Naval Academy’s boxing coach. They run, do calisthenics, strength training, and more. She’s gained four pounds of muscle and dropped a dress size since the summer of 2008. 02 of 08 Juicy treat Istockphoto Jennifer loves precut fruit for a convenient, low-cal sweet snack. Her fave combo: Fresh pineapple with berries. 03 of 08 Secret weapon Jennifer loves Better ’n Peanut Butter, which has half the calories and 85% less fat than regular peanut butter. She puts a tablespoon in her protein shake along with some stevia, and it’s her healthy substitute for ice cream. 04 of 08 Instant portion control Istockphoto Every Tuesday, Jennifer cooks up chicken and veggies and stores them in single-serving plastic containers for no-hassle, healthy meals. 05 of 08 Sweet tooth soother When she craves something sweet, especially in the afternoon, Jennifer pops a piece of peppermint gum. 06 of 08 Heart-healthy gift Jennifer wanted a heart-rate monitor to help her stay motivated. We arranged for her to get a Polar FT60 heart-rate monitor, along with an S1 Foot Pod to measure her speed, pace, and distance accurately from her shoe. 07 of 08 Workout jams Jennifer likes running to heavy metal music because it gets her running harder and faster. She also loves girl rockers like Madonna, Blondie, and Gwen Stefani. “They give me a good ‘woman power’ vibe,” she says, “that helps me stay strong.” 08 of 08 Celebrate success! After Jennifer ( Right) finishes a race, she likes to wear a clean racing T-shirt and her medal—reminders of how proud she is of her accomplishment. “Wearing them keeps my high from the race going all day,” she says. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit