We're talking about diet dreams come true here today.
They say that inside every overweight person there's a thin person trying to get out.
Little did the woman in this photo know that the thin person inside her would be coming
this far out one year later and 60 pounds lighter on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Please welcome now Janine Olson, mother of two grown children as she's never before been
seen on national television.
Come on out.
Check that robot.
Yay!
Woo!
Wow.
Wow!
Wow!
That's great!
That is great!
Oh my goodness.
That is...
We don't have anywhere to put the microphone.
Hold on.
Um...
My goodness, girl!
That's great.
Was this your goal to get in a bikini?
Yes.
And look good in it, not just to get in it, you know.
You look great.
Thank you.
Well see, what I want to talk to you about is that you've kept it off since March.
Yes, I have.
And that, as we all know, is the hardest part.
Losing it compared to losing it, keeping it off, is the battle.
Yes.
And how did you do it?
Just by eating like the rest of the world does.
I couldn't eat one piece of pizza.
I couldn't eat half a pizza.
So I just eat the vegetables, fruits, don't eat red meats, and just watch it.
Yeah.
And I eat chocolate, you know, in one piece.
Isn't that the hardest thing?
Yes, I love chocolate.
Because I've found now, I don't know if you, too, Billy, I can't...
I have a thing about chips and salt.
It's not the sweets that do it for me.
It's salt that does it for me.
And if I eat anything with salt in it, I crave things the rest of the day.
So I have to stay off of it.
Oh.
Stay off of it.
Oh, you don't have that problem?
I have chocolate.
And if I can have one piece of chocolate, that'll do me.
That'll satisfy you.
That'll satisfy me.
And so what has been the hardest part for you?
Losing it or keeping it off?
Losing it.
Losing it was harder for you.
Well, I guess.
I mean, that's...
Dieting is hard.
Yeah.
Now that I've got it off...
Did you make the click in your head?
I mean, which I say you have to somewhere.
At some point, you have to get it.
You all know what I'm talking about?
Those of you who've done it, you've got to get it.
Right.
You've got to want it.
You've got to be able to taste it.
And once you get that, like you said, any diet will work.
Any diet will work.
Any diet will work.
So do you think you'll let...
Do you have a fear of putting it back on?
No.
No.
No.
Why?
Because they're going to bury me in a size four coffin.
Why is this such a...
Why do you think it's such a big deal aside from vanity?
Because for the first time, I think I have begun to understand why a lot of overweight
people say they are happy with it.
I think if it isn't an issue for you, that you can be happy with it.
For me, it was an issue of being out of control.
And I saw myself as an addiction.
And there are certain things I can't have.
You know, like you can't tell a heroin addict, you can have a little bit of heroin.
I'll just shoot up in the left arm.
You know?
You can't do that.
So I treat it like an addiction.
And so certain things I know I cannot have.
And if I do, it's going to trigger other things.
Do you know that about yourself?
Yeah.
But I also treat myself like I had a disease.
Me too.
And I was special.
I had to take care of this disease.
People who have heart problems and do special things, diabetes, I had the disease of overweight.
So I told my friends when they wanted to go out for lunch, I have to have salads.
And I made it a point.
My family knows.
Well, see, it's a...
The mother's got a problem, and she's got to have this.
This is a hard thing to do.
As I said, I was inspired by Billy.
It's a hard thing to do to go out and not eat anything.
Do you find that difficult to socialize?
When I came in last night, I had dinner with my aunt.
And she was surprised that when we went to dinner that I didn't order anything.
She said, well, we didn't have to do this.
And I said, no, I'm here to be with you.
I'm not really here to eat.
And I've changed my whole socialization process in terms of dealing with people.
I don't need to have food in front of me, putting it in my face, to enjoy that other person.
Because I have eaten entire baskets of bread before the meal was ordered.
And you know what I realized doing this is that our whole socialization process is around eating.
Because for the first three weeks on Optifast, I didn't do anything.
Because I did not feel that I was in control enough to do anything that I could take my little shakes out
after that movie experience where the popcorn almost drove me insane.
So I just canceled everything in terms of social engagements.
But I realized everything revolves around eating or drinking.
Let's meet for a drink. Can we get together for dinner?
Could you come over to my... everything is about food.
And you have to put that under control.
So you can now just go out and just watch other people eat and it's okay?
I can watch other people eat and I do not need the food to enjoy them.
I had a great conversation with her, my aunt, last night.
And I do that quite often now when I'm with people.
I don't need to have the food to enjoy them.
You just talk to them?
Yeah, strange. But yeah, we actually sit there and talk.
Alright, coming up next, a man who lost 165 pounds just this past year
is going to share his secrets and relive his weight loss dream of running,
like you did, a 26-mile marathon.
Back in a moment.
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This is Scott Schmerrin as he looked just one year ago.
He made a resolution on the Monday after Thanksgiving
to lose the weight he's been carrying around since childhood.
Today he is 165 pounds lighter, a million pounds lighter,
165 pounds lighter, a man who just two weeks ago fulfilled his dream
of running the Chicago Marathon.
Let's take a look.
I can't even describe how important this day is in my life right now.
It's like nobody else out here exists.
That's the beginning. 26 miles.
Never done it. Close.
Should be a nice little stroll for a Sunday morning.
We'll do it alright.
Right now I've got so much adrenaline I could probably climb
the top of a building right now.
I'm ready.
It's the ultimate goal, I said, all to myself.
And I get to really prove it to myself and not everybody else
I've come this far if it's a milestone.
I did it. That's right.
I can't believe it.
No.
If I can do it, anybody can do anything they want to do.
The world is yours.
You want it, then, though.
That's how I feel too.
Please give a big round of applause to Scott Schmerrin,
who is literally half the man he was a year ago.
Alright.
Really great.
Wow.
You look good, Scott.
Thanks.
So what was your catalyst?
What made you finally, because I know you've yo-yo'd too.
I finally reached that point in my life where I just could not stand myself anymore.
It was either I was going to die or I was going to do something about this.
And I figured I owed it to myself to do something about it first before I gave up on myself.
And you didn't use anybody's plan but your own.
I used my own.
Which shows that you can do it.
You don't need anybody's plan but your own.
If you need medical supervision, take medical supervision.
If you need weight watchers, diet centers, whatever you do works if you do it.
Yes, I think the main thing is you have to decide in your mind
that this is the single most important thing you're ever going to do.
Right.
And decide that you're going to do this for the rest of your life.
And that's what you did.
Definitely.
Well, let me ask you this.
How was this different?
Because I know, because after the first day I was so psyched, so psyched, so psyched.
I was ready.
I was ready.
I had countdown.
Three more days.
Two more days.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I drank so much water the first day I thought I was going to float away.
I'm ready.
But then I had many first days before.
Many first days before and failed.
What was different about this for you?
Well, it really had gotten to the point where I didn't like myself anymore.
I knew I was a better person than this.
I'd lost weight before.
You know, a lot of people that lose weight, all of a sudden they lose the weight
and they finally have all these skills they thought they never had before,
but they did have them.
And I knew I was a good person.
And I just, I did not want to be the way I was anymore.
I couldn't stand it.
I didn't like to be walking through a crowd and having people notice me,
not because I was a good person, but because I was big.
And so let me ask, do you feel differently about yourself?
Because there's a part of me that feels different,
and then there's another part of me that knows that I haven't changed.
You know, I see my little fat face in pictures, but I say, I still am that person.
You see what I'm saying?
I think now I'm different in the fact that I knew what was on the inside before.
Now everybody else can see what's on the outside.
That's good. That's good.
What did that marathon feel like?
Because I've had like visions of doing it.
It was the most wondrous thing I've ever done.
You know, my training runs, I always visualized how the ending of the race would be.
There would be a bunch of people on both sides, and they'd be cheering you on.
The faster you run, the harder they cheer, and the faster you run.
And it was just like that. It was the most incredible thing.
I sprinted the last 300 yards. I felt incredible.
I could have run another four or five miles.
You could have?
Yeah, I felt wonderful. I felt great.
I agree with that totally.
Really?
I thought it was an unattainable goal just three or four years ago,
and now that I have it behind me, I just feel so good. 26 miles.
What was the toughest for you? Because I've been thinking about maybe doing it. Just thinking.
If you train properly and set a nice steady pace, I think you can make it through.
If you start out very fast with all of those other thin, rather anemic-looking runners,
you will be sorry about halfway through.
But I intentionally slowed myself down in the beginning and took a nice steady pace.
And I know now that I have it behind me, I could go a little faster next time.
Did you all have support from your family members?
Oh, definitely.
The only way you could do it.
I think when I started the marathon, a lot of people thought that it was a little bit crazy and far-fetched.
I think once you decide to do something, you can't let anybody else convince you that what you're doing is wrong.
Even if it's right, you have to decide yourself, and that's what you're going to do, regardless of what the world says.
And don't you fight too when you start losing, because I'm hearing this now.
My dad called and said, enough already.
I already know what you're going to say.
I'm lost enough already.
You look emaciated. Why don't you put on a few pounds?
Well, listen, if you're a public person, you have to deal with all this.
My mother called the other day, Scott. This is what she said.
You want to hear what people are saying? No, I don't, mother.
Well, this is what people are saying. People are saying you're on crack.
I told you I didn't want to hear what people were saying.
I had somebody ask me if I had AIDS.
I've heard that I was on AIDS, that I was on crack, or doing dope.
Right. Not a good time to lose weight quickly.
Yeah. Have you heard that too? Anorexic. I've heard all of that stuff.
Well, a lot of us, I know, you can't do it unless you have people in your life
who are willing to support you.
And Stedman has been very supportive of me.
When we come back, we'll talk to Stedman.
And in a moment.
Thank you.
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Really great. 262 you lost?
Oh, that is incredible.
We're doing diet success stories here on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
The question that I'm asked, almost as much as I'm asked, how did you lose weight?
I'm asked, how does Stedman feel about you losing the weight?
And Stedman and I have a commuter relationship during the week.
So he's in the hospital.
He's in the hospital.
And Stedman and I have a commuter relationship during the week.
So he's in North Carolina working and I'm in Chicago working.
And he's on the phone now.
Honey, I heard you weren't at work early this morning.
Yes, I have to work. I was at a meeting.
Okay. Did they get you out of the meeting?
Yeah, they did. I'm glad they did.
Hi, honey.
How are you?
How do you feel about your girlfriend losing all this weight?
You know, I think it's a phenomenal thing.
And I have to say that I have so much respect for you as a person for losing the weight.
Our relationship is one thing, but the respect I have for you as a person being able to acquire that much discipline
is one of the most amazing things that I've ever experienced before, to see you actually go through it.
I have to say that I'm extremely proud. Nobody is more proud of you than I am.
Tell them, you remember that private conversation we had the other night?
When I was asking how this had affected you and you said it's changed my life.
Remember you said that?
Yeah, because since the beginning, every time we'd walk into a room, I would see how people would react to you.
I could see on their faces, they said, yes, she's this and she's that, but she's overweight.
I've had to deal with that for months and months and months.
I saw a diamond in the rough and I said that you have a lot of potential and that you have a great body and you have great curves.
You're attractive and you just need to streamline.
Yeah. Well, I appreciate your support.
I will tell everybody this that you said the other day, same thing Billy said.
Stedman happened to look at some old pictures and he said, well, now I understand why everybody was saying that because I never saw you that way.
It's very easy when you're gaining the weight to sort of kid yourself about how you're looking.
I guess people who deal with you every day, they get used to you because they care a lot about you even though you're overweight.
You sort of forget until you look back at the picture.
They're afraid to say anything.
You think so?
Yeah, I think they're afraid they're going to hurt your feelings. They're really going to hurt you.
I see people now that I talk to customers, friends and they say, well, I really don't want to say anything, but you were really big then.
They'll tell you now, but they were afraid to tell you when you were.
Yeah, like Gail said to me this morning, I didn't notice that water coming out of your head, Moby.
Thanks, honey. I'll talk to you later.
Okay.
We'll have more success stories when we return from our audience.
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Hello, I'm Angela Blacks coming up on the news at 4, an investigation into the murder of a baby girl.
Also, a woman who shared a prison cell with a mass murder suspect talks about what kind of person that suspect is.
We'll tell you about a special education program that's keeping pregnant teenagers in school.
Oprah Winfrey is showing off her new and improved slimmed down look. We'll have more on her incredible weight loss program.
Also, good news for local skiers, some dancing moves by some talented students, and a special report on surviving cancer.
All that and more at 4.
Alright, caller, you're on the air. Hello?
Oprah? Yes?
I had to tell you that when I saw you take that coat off, I thought I was going to just cry for the rest of the day.
You look so beautiful. Thank you. I am so excited for you. Thank you.
I've been about 40 pounds overweight for years, about the same length of time that you have been.
But I am telling you that you look great and I hope that I can do the same thing.
You can. You can. It's like Scott said, because I'm telling you, I'm a food addict and I treat it like that.
If I can do this, you can do anything. Don't you believe that, Scott?
Yeah, if you really decide you want it, you can have anything you want.
You can. You can. Now, thank you, caller. My producer just told me people are calling in asking, did I have liposuction?
I'm going to tell you what I did now. I did Obtifast. I drank those shakes every day except for the bacon avocado cheeseburger.
That is all I did. I haven't had one thing sucked or tucked. Okay? Thank you.
You know what? You try to tell people the truth and they still want to talk about you.
Yeah, what did you want to say? You had a problem or question about that? I wanted to talk to somebody.
I wanted to talk to Ann. I, of course, want to mention Ann who helped me so much through this whole process.
Ann Engels! I just want to wish you continued success in your efforts. I know you're going to make it.
You've already surprised everybody and we're very proud of you.
Ann Engels says I was one of their better students. I don't mean to brag over at Obtifast.
I thank you all for being so patient with me. Is it Izzy that takes the blood? Is Isidor here? My little blood taker? Isidor, thank you!
I'll be back in a moment. Great, isn't it? Great.
Thank you.
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This is our flubbing machine.
The printing press.
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If you're getting the idea that we don't add expensive perfumes and prints, you're right, because that doesn't make it any softer.
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And she has. Oprah's middle name is success. When she confronts an issue, she goes for broke.
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Oprah's Secret Diet. Today on Eyewitness News at 4, only on 7.
Dr. Yulene on the dangers in your food. This week at 5.
This show is dedicated to everybody who supported me on my diet.
To the woman who told me in the department store the other day, has anyone told you, you look like a thin Oprah Winfrey?
The look on her face was worth everything, let me tell you.
Dedicated to the woman who happens to be back here, Ms. Pom-Poms.
I saw her at Ed DeBevitt's the other day and she saw me and goes, I'm never eating again.
But beyond that, to Dr. Feindemir, who helped me through this and did my EKGs every week, I thank you for your support.
Beyond this, it was meant to inspire anyone and everyone out there who is a food addict like myself.
Because every day for the rest of my life is going to be a struggle not to succumb once more to the old buffet table.
And I am by no means through, I do by no means think that because I did this and I have lost weight that I am better than anybody else.
It just for me, as I said earlier in this show, was a means of getting my life under control.
I'm not going to gain it back because of fear of tabloids and everything that will be printed if I gain one pound.
But I want you to know that whatever diet you choose, and this audience is filled with people who have had great successes,
you can do with the help of your family doctor.
And if you can believe in yourself and believe that this is the most important thing in your life, as Scott said to us earlier,
you can conquer it because if I did it, if Scott did it, if Billy did it, you can do it.
I thank you very much. Thank you.
Hi, I'm Steve Edwards.
Tomorrow on AM, Shirley Temple Black, Barbara Eden, singer Patty Austin, and more of Christina's Thanksgiving recipes at 9 on AM.
For written transcripts, send $3 to Oprah Times Scripts 267 Broadway, New York, New York 1007.
Thank you.