Before: 210 lbs
After: 108 lbs
Program used: DIY including apple cider vinegar

Growing up, Dee McCaffrey never expected to have things easy. The oldest of three kids raised by a single mother who worked full-time, Dee came home from school each day and took care of her siblings. The budget was tight.

"To stretch money, Mom would stock up on bulk bags of white flour, white rice and sugar," recalls the Tempe, Ariz., resident, now 47. "We ate few vegetables because they were more expensive." The family’s high-cal fare was one of Dee’s greatest comforts. "I loved food — I’d even hide chunks of salami around the house so I could always have it," she says.

The pounds piled on. By seventh grade, Dee was a size 12; at high school graduation, the 18-year-old weighed in at 180 lbs.While most of her classmates went straight to college, this bookworm spent years working as a receptionist at an insurance office to save up for school. On the job, Dee would binge on doughnuts; at night, it was ice cream.

Ashamed of her size — by then, she was carrying about 200 lbs. on her 4-foot-10-inch frame — she rarely sought out friends, much less a boyfriend. "I knew my weight was holding me back from meeting people, but after doing diets that failed, I simply gave up trying," says Dee.

In 1987, at age 26, Dee enrolled as a freshman at California’s San Jose State University. While she adored the coursework, her social life was another story. "I was lonely and food gave me comfort, so I ate more — and more often," she says. In between classes, she'd scarf down a half-pound of M&M’s. "I ate like there was no tomorrow," she says.

Up From the Bottom

And then, one day in 1992, Dee — at 210 lbs. and a size 22 — was forced to face what was happening to her. During a class field trip, all the students had to climb up a hill. "It was horrible. I could hardly breathe," she recalls. "My heart was pounding, my legs ached and I felt humiliated because everyone was staring at and waiting for me — the fat girl — to get to the top." On the spot, Dee vowed to change. "I realized my body was out of control and I had to do something about it," she says.

Two weeks later, after researching nutrition at the library, Dee reached a conclusion: "All the food I was eating on a regular basis — made from refined sugar and flour, chemical preservatives and artificial sweeteners — was robbing me of the vitamins and minerals that my body needs. I decided that eating nutritious foods instead would stop the cravings that led to my overeating because finally my body would have all the nutrients and enzymes necessary for good health." Dee devised a plan: "I decided to only eat natural foods," she says.

Filling her grocery carts with fresh produce, Dee replaced high-fat food with large salads and vegetable stir-fries. She also discovered a secret weapon: apple cider vinegar, which, current research says, can be a potent weight-loss tool. (Studies say it tamps down hunger by moderating blood sugar spikes and it may also increase the amount of time it takes for food to leave the stomach, making dieters feel fuller longer.)

Each morning, Dee would drink a glass of water to which she had added two teaspoons of the vinegar, plus a squeeze of lemon. She also mixed apple cider vinegar into salads and other dishes throughout the day. "The combo of the vinegar and whole foods gave me more energy than I’d ever had before," she says. Dee also began taking 15-minute walks daily, eventually working up to 60 minutes. To stay motivated, she'd repeat a mantra: Dee, you’re doing great. Within 30 days, Dee lost 20 lbs. By May 1993, she’d dropped 102 lbs.!

A Whole New World

Happier with herself, Dee came out of her shell. "I got more excited about dating and, at 37, finally met — and then married — the man of my dreams," she says of Michael, 44, who was a friend of a friend. In 2002, Dee tied the knot with Michael, who then worked in marketing.

Two years later, still passionate about natural living, Dee left her job as a chemist to become a certified diet counselor. The couple started up The Center for Processed Free Living — a company that teaches individuals to live more healthfully — and Dee published a book, Dee’s Mighty Cookbook: Tasty Cuisine for Flourless and Sugarless Living.

Dee has remained a petite 108 lbs. for almost 15 years. Today, feeling good feels easy. "My life before was about unfulfilled desires," she says. "I wanted friends, a partner and to be comfortable in my own skin. Now, I believe in myself and have the confidence to go after any goal."