Rothman Gordon Stories: Fulfilling Her Goal Made Her Body Smaller, But Her Self-Satisfaction Bigger

Many of us daydream about reinventing ourselves. Perhaps that's why we are so drawn to people who actually achieve it. Debbie Lestitian is one of those people. After the birth of her daughter in 2002, Debbie's weight hit 220 lbs. As a tax attorney, she was already juggling work and family but she decided that if she wanted to be healthy, she needed to commit to lose the weight. She lost 30 lbs. through Jenny Craig and then started working out at the Rivers Club. She made terrific progress, finally hitting her goal of 128 lbs. Then she discovered she was pregnant again.

After her son Ryan was born, Debbie had gained back nearly 70 lbs. While this may have deterred most people, Debbie simply dug back in to her workouts and cut her calories, choosing six small, protein-filled meals a day instead of three larger meals. Now 40, she has more energy to keep up with Chloe (age 4) and Ryan (age 3) than she ever thought possible. She has run in the Great Race, competed in a body building competition, and is planning to complete the Rachel Carlson Trail Challenge (34 miles in one day!) in June.

One of the most admirable things about Debbie is how she has shared her story to inspire others. She has been profiled in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Private Clubs magazine and has spoken to groups throughout the Pittsburgh area. She's even joined Toastmasters to hone her public speaking skills. Says Debbie, "If I can inspire even one person to derive the satisfaction of completing a goal you set for yourself, I feel I've accomplished something huge."

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