Big weight loss of a Shreveport mom

It's sometimes difficult to weigh the differences between twins.

For Tyler, Texas, native Dottie Buck and her twin sister, most people overlooked such details as their unique personalities and obvious difference in hair color.

Instead, the most common distinction between the two was measured in pounds.

"I have an uncle that says, 'You used to be the chubby one,'" Buck said. "People always looked at my weight. I got tired of it and I wanted to change."

Today, Buck is more than 50 pounds lighter.

In addition to the physical change, her life changed in October when she was named a $10,000 winner by fitness Web site MillionDollarBody.com.

The giveaway is a part of the company's Million Dollar Body Game — an online competition that will award more than $1 million this year to urge people to get in shape, according to the company.

Each month, male and female contestants submitted their stories of their transformation, along with before and after photos, and each month a male and female $10,000 winner is chosen. Winners also were selected for $1,000 prizes and other giveaways.

There have been more than 75 winners this year.

The contest will conclude in March with a $250,000 grand prize for the Best Transformation of the Year.

As a $10,000 winner, Buck is eligible for the grand prize.

"It's still a little unbelievable," Buck said. "It's a very cool thing."

Buck, 40, lost the weight by eating healthy and exercising. But it the road to healthier living wasn't easy, she said.

"Obesity runs in my family," she said. Buck had been a petite 98 pounds as a teen, until she became pregnant at age 18. It seemed to trigger rapid and significant weight gain, she said.

"At three months, I was 98 pounds," Buck said of her pregnancy. "By nine months, I weighed 200 pounds."

After giving birth to her son, she began to try a myriad of weight-loss products, which included everything from exercise videos to diet pills, she said.

Though she lost weight, she quickly gained it back between diets. Eventually, she found herself spending a lot of time at home with no desire to do anything.

But as time inched closer to her 40th birthday, Buck's feelings began to change.

"A lot of people say that life begins at 40," she said. "I didn't want to be the one sitting at home on the couch doing nothing. I knew I had to do something and do it the right way."

Buck's friend Tonette Lovett was a customer at Cyndi Johnson's permanent cosmetics business off U.S. Highway 80 in Princeton. When Buck learned that Johnson had won a trip to Hawaii as a result of losing weight, it was enough to motivate her to work hard to get in shape.

Also, Johnson decided to coach others upon returning from her trip, which also was good news for Buck.

"I wanted to be able to give back by helping others lose weight," said Johnson, 41. "It's not a quick fix. It's a life change."

Buck, joined by her close friend Lovett, began working out with Johnson nearly a year and a half ago.

Leigh Ann Hardage, of Bossier City, joined the group last summer.

The group, which started with 30-minute workouts five days per week, now works out for about 90-minutes five days per week.

Having each other makes it easier, Buck said.

"We have a reason to be accountable," she said. "We all make each other accountable for the decisions we make. We support each other and we push each other and we all feel good about ourselves."

Lovett, of Haughton, had gastric bypass surgery eight years ago, but gained more than half the weight back. She was hesitant about joining the group until Buck suggested that they do it together.

Now, it's contagious, she said.

"It's not easy," said Lovette, 46. "One year and five months later, it's still hard, but we push our sleeves up and work harder. We depend on each other."

Hardage's weight reached 200 pounds after the birth of her fifth 9-pound baby. After working to lose the weight, she was stuck at 175 pounds.

Soon after, Hardage, 45, started working out with the group on weekends.

"I live here now," she said, laughing. "I'm in better shape now than I was 25 years ago. I've dropped two sizes and I've built muscle. I feel so much better."

Together the group participated in a Walk for the Cure event in Shreveport in September. Then in October, the group supported Johnson in her participation in the 60-mile Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day fundraiser walk in Dallas.

Since Buck shared her story, she's talked to others who ask for advice about losing weight and living healthier.

"Talking to someone and motivating them is a motivation in itself," she said. "Now I have the energy to do anything. Once I get up and exercise, my whole day is different. It gives you strength in more ways than one."

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