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70 Pounds Lighter and Counting: Tania Contreras Platero
Serious About Getting Healthier
Tania Contreras Platero, Biller 3, She started by making some di-
HCP Los Angeles, is living proof etary changes, cutting out soda
that setbacks do not have to de- and coffee and drinking more
fine your life. At her heaviest, she water as well as green tea juice
weighed 280 pounds. Yet it is not or protein shakes. She slowly
that Platero did not care or ever started exercising as well. Today,
consider making a lifestyle change. she regularly does cardio,
A HCP teammate originally in 2007, strength, and core training at the
she came back to the company in gym at the LA site, and she
2010, and joined the Vitality well- started running at the indoor
ness program a couple of years track. Her FitBit helps her keep
later. She enjoyed the tools and in- track of her steps as well. And in
formation the program gave her to January of this year, at her site,
get started, but for a while, her ex- she joined the Biggest Loser
ercise routine was on and off. Challenge, learning a lot about
calorie counting and decreasing
In 2013 and 2014, she experienced body fat from champs Cortez
a couple of accidents that set her and Kari Ikemoto, who con-
back in her goals—at a mud run, tinue to encourage her to reach
she fell at one of the obstacles, in- her fitness and health goals.
juring herself, and she was also in a
car accident. Although she wanted Ikemoto noted that Platero’s
to join the group exercise series Vi- dedication inspires her.
tality champ Willie Cortez offered “When I hear that she was in
at the LA site, she couldn’t because the office gym at 5 a.m., it
of her back pain. pushes me to work just as
hard and encourage others to
In September of 2015, it all do the same,” Ikemoto said.
changed. “I noticed I wasn’t living a “Her persistence and hard
healthy lifestyle,” Platero said. “I work show that it is possible
used to eat dinner very late at to reach your health goals, no
night, and very heavy food.” She matter how big or small.”
also couldn’t sleep at night because
her back pain was getting worse. To date, since September,
She also realized she had high cho- she has lost 70 pounds. She
lesterol. “I thought to myself, I can Two quotes Platero lives by are: Let’s do this! and hopes to lose 50 more, and
prevent this. I can be proactive and Set your goals high…focus, determination, consis- she has set other goals for
do something about it. I’m not going tency and discipline will get you there. herself as well: a 10K in July
to let it take over me.” and a half marathon in November.
