They say everyone has a breaking point. Trapped in her own
body, which tipped the scales at over 380 lbs., Topeka Public Schools Account Clerk Jana Dreher knew she had to make a change. In March of 2015, she was enjoying a
girls’ weekend with her friends in Branson, Missouri when the group decided to
tour one of the region’s many caves. Too heavy to descend the 125 steps into
the cave, Jana had finally reached her breaking point. As her friends toured
the cave without her, she thought about all the things she was missing out on.
“I came back from that weekend and decided that I’d had enough. Right then, I
changed my whole life.”
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| Jana Dreher, before and after her dramatic weight loss |
Jana’s journey toward a healthier life began that March.
Since then, she has lost over 180 lbs. and has completely transformed her life.
She started by cutting out sugar, a decision she made when recent bloodwork
indicated she was borderline-diabetic. “I used to eat whatever I wanted. My
go-to food was candy, especially chocolate. There were times that I would just
eat a big bag of Snickers bars for dinner.”
But a month after the trip—and a month after cutting out sugar—her
bloodwork indicated that she was in the normal range and no longer at risk of
developing the disease.
The following month, Jana joined Weight Watchers. “I felt
that if I had to weigh-in in front of people, it would hold me more accountable,”
she said. She started going to meetings each Thursday, where she found other
people who were facing the same challenges she was. “We’re kind of like a
family because everyone motivates each other. When I leave, I’m pumped and
ready for the next week.”
Jana used what she learned in Weight Watchers to make
changes in her diet. She switched from guzzling six 16.9 oz. bottles of Diet
Pepsi each day to sipping green tea. She began to make better choices at
mealtime, too. For example, a typical breakfast now includes a protein shake or
hard-boiled eggs; lunch contains a turkey wrap, banana and yogurt; dinner
consists of grilled chicken, brown rice and steamed veggies. That doesn’t mean
she doesn’t indulge occasionally, however. “Sometimes I crave burgers—I’m a
cheeseburger girl,” she laughed. “I’ll say to my husband, ‘Let’s go to Five
Guys,’ and we’ll split a burger and small fries. We don’t need a lot of food.
When we leave (the restaurant), we’re not stuffed and feeling sick.” In fact,
Jana said she doesn’t deny herself any of the treats she wants; she simply eats
less of them. “I call my husband my garbage disposal because I’ll eat a little
and give him the rest,” she joked.
In addition to making better nutritional choices, Jana also
began to focus more attention on physical activity, and her exercise schedule
would impress even the fittest of athletes! Jana takes two, 15-minute, brisk
walks each day during her breaks at work. She has teamed up with a group of
Burnett Center employees who meet three times a week during their lunch break
to exercise with a 30-minute video. She also goes running after work twice a
week with Gary Menke, the district’s General Director of Fiscal Services, as
she prepares for her first 5k run. Additionally, she attends a couple of
fitness classes at Heat Up Topeka and works out at her gym, Great Life, several
times per week. Jana also observes “Sunday Fun Day” with her family each
Sunday, where they get together to enjoy mini golf, batting cages, a walk
around the lake, or any other physical activity. In total, Jana exercises as
many as 20 times each week.
Jana’s children, Allison, age 20 and a library para at
McCarter Elementary; Kaitlynn, age 17 and a junior at Topeka High School; and
Dylan, a 15 year old THS sophomore, are very proud of their mother’s
transformation. Jana, never heavy as a child or young adult, initially put on
extra weight thanks to a medication she took following the birth of Allison. A
year later, she went off the medication, but the weight stayed with her, and she
continued to gain from there. After watching their mother battle her weight for
their entire lives, they’re thrilled with her success. Jana’s husband, Chris, a
Frito-Lay employee, is also proud of her hard work. “He loved me at my heaviest
and he loves me now. I actually weight less now than I did when we got married,
so it’s like he’s got a whole new wife,” she laughed. In fact, her
transformation has been so dramatic, that people who haven’t seen her since her
weight loss don’t even recognize her. “They don’t realize it’s me. It’s pure
shock on their face when I tell them who I am,” Jana said, smiling.
Jana’s life has really changed in the past year. No longer
limited to plus-size stores, she now loves to go shopping and can shop anywhere
she wants. When she reaches her goal weight, just 35 lbs. from her current
weight, Jana plans to treat herself to a new wardrobe. She is also traveling
more. A trip to San Antonio with Chris is on the horizon and Jana is excited to
be flying there—something she wasn’t able to do before she lost weight. That
won’t be her first trip, however. This past September, Jana returned to
Branson, where she successfully toured the cave-- stairs and all-- that she
wasn’t able to see on her first trip. “I made it all the way down into the cave
and back up those stairs,” she said proudly.
Now Jana hopes to help others. She is considering going back
to school to become a nutritionist. “When you’re heavy, you don’t necessarily
want to talk to someone who is really skinny because they’ve never been in your
shoes. I have been in their shoes and I can help those people,” she said. In
the meantime, however, Jana is happy to share her story with others and enjoys
helping people begin their own journey toward a healthier life. “If I can help
even one person, that would make me happy. I am more than willing to sit down
and talk to anyone and motivate them.”
Jana Dreher is a true success story. She made crucial
changes in her life and is healthier, happier and more confident than ever. She
was able to stave off diabetes, a potentially deadly disease, by reducing her
sugar intake. She was also able to incorporate physical activity into her daily
routine by utilizing her work breaks to exercise. Substituting high-calorie,
high-fat meals for nutritious fare helped her shed about 13 lbs. each month. As
summer break nears, Topeka Public Schools hopes that our staff members are
inspired to continue practicing good nutrition and exercise habits in their own lives. For more information about leading a healthier, more active life, visit the Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Kansas website at http://www.bcbsks.com/BeHealthy/HealthWellness/HealthyLifestyles/
