Robins employee sheds 150 pounds

  • Published
  • By Chrissy Zdrakas
  • Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  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.”

One day she said she spotted a couple of other overweight women at the gym, formed friendships with them and found herself feeling more comfortable. One of the women gave her pointers about weight machines. Mrs. Frederick said she concentrated on toning her arms, thighs, calves, waist and other areas.

She said friends, co-workers and members of her church started to notice the changes, first in her weight, then in her dress, hair and makeup.

“You always had a pretty smile, but you look so beautiful now,” friends told her. Or she would hear, “Is that you Miss Irish?” from the church’s young people. The support was a great encouragement for her.

“I never realized how much my weight loss (affected) other people,” she said. “They see me constantly, but still tell me I look good. Someone thought my 17-year-old and I were sisters.”

Mrs. Frederick’s blood pressure is under control without medication, and her doctor told her she had “beaten the odds.” She wears lipstick, had her hair cut and changed the way she dresses.

“I wear jeans now. I haven’t worn jeans since high school. Now I can go into a store, and I don’t have to worry. I buy something, take it home, and it looks good. When I was bigger, I wasn’t even able to get a leg into one of my husband’s jeans. Now I can wear them.”

Pam Martinez, director of the east CDC, said Mrs. Frederick was always an “energetic, upbeat [and] happy person.”

“I remember one day when one of our parents was walking down the hall, Mrs. Irish was in a room dancing with the children,” Ms. Martinez said. “Even though she had the weight, she was still very active.”

Ms. Martinez said because of Mrs. Frederick, several other center employees began going to the fitness center and are still going.

Mrs. Frederick said she would like to get down to the size 12 she wore in high school.

“I (heard) people say it (was) hard, but I was determined.” she said. “I feel like doing it naturally was the best way. I was persistent and very particular about what I would eat. I intend to stick with it. I’m not going back. I know who I am, and I know I am capable of doing anything.”