Stephanie Ann Dudley knew something was amiss when she started gaining weight.

Dudley, 44, has been working out steadily since she was 13. And between her gigs coaching a Les Mills Bodypump class at the YMCA and her law enforcement career, shes always stayed active and athletic. Up until those first few pounds came on in 2011, shed never changed uniform size not even after two children.

It didnt make sense, said Dudley, who lives in Pearland. I was gaining a lot in my waist. I always had an hourglass figure. It was really odd.

And it didnt stop at her waist. Her hair began falling out. She felt nauseated at night.

I was getting angry at things; I had a low patience threshold, she recalled.

Dudley asked her doctor to check her thyroid. When the tests came back normal, the doctor suggested regulating hormones through birth control pills. Still, Dudley started to feel more and more fatigued. It was hard to get up in the morning and go to work, she said.

She opted for a holisitic approach and sought the guidance of a natural doctor, who diagnosed her with Hashimotos thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease. Dudley eliminated certain trigger foods and took the right supplements for her body. Soon, she felt better and she stopped gaining weight.

Then she turned to technology. She used IDLife to access her DNA and generate a specific plan for her individual needs, and began logging her caloric intake with an app called MyFitnessPal. She also found a coach on Macros Inc, an online coaching forum that focuses on macro diets, which go a step further than calorie counting, by developing certain thresholds to be met for proteins, carbs and fats.

Dudleys macro coach helped her add more carbs to her diet.

Everyone is scared of carbs, she said. The same is true of fats, but by consulting with her coach, Dudley learned exactly what worked for her.

She shifted from strict cardio exercises to lifting more weights at the gym and focusing on portion control. Now, she weighs her food with a scale she purchased online.

And its helped.

Now I sleep better; my energy is better, Dudley said. My body is working more efficiently.

Dudley now has lost 16 pounds. But she likes to remind people who struggle with weight loss that it wasnt easy. She had to pursue multiple paths to make it happen. She is convinced that each person is different and needs a unique plan of attack for his or her health.

Stephanie does not grasp the powerhouse that she is, said Dudleys friend and colleague Dana Kantara. Any of us that make major changes in our lives, we are inspirations to people who are watching. Maybe thats what they needed to see to make their own change.

Dudley said that patience is key. Its a learning process, she said. People get impatient. They want to lose weight immediately. They have to be patient with themselves and with the process.

That means sometimes the process is slow or theres a diet or exercise failure along the way.

Just because you have one bad day doesnt mean its over, Dudley said. People concentrate too much on what the scale says. You cant compare yourself to others. Thats not healthy.

She recommends people start by committing to one small change at a time.

If you want results, you have to put forth the effort, Dudley added. Then it becomes a habit. And once you see the results, youll be excited. Love your body enough to take care of it.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.

Lindsay Peyton is ReNew Houston's Transformation columnist.

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Learning her body helped this Pearland woman lose 15 pounds - Houston Chronicle