THREE LAKES - Beer, burritos and burgers. Great tasting foods that if you're not careful can lead to weight gain. That's where diets come in.

If you've ever been on one you know cutting out your favorite foods is tough. One Northwoods woman underwent an extreme makeover one healthy choice at a time.


Cherie Diorio is a vibrant Three Lakes mother of two who lost over 100 pounds and is now literally half her size.

Cherie says, "So far I've lost 136 pounds. I've gone down at least 14 clothes sizes and I just wake up everyday and hope I'm not dreaming."

Cherie started the 13-week Ministry Weight Management HMR Program. She started with shakes and pre-packaged entrees. All the portion control and calorie counting is done for her.


Melissa Wild is a Health Educator with Ministry Weight Management's HMR Program and says, "Having those meal replacements available allows them to really focus on the other lifestyle skills they're working on because their eating has become decision-free."

Lifestyle skills like regular exercise. Cherie says she tried several diets, self-hypnosis and even acupuncture-but nothing worked. Now after 25 years, she says she's got her weight and her health under control.

According to Cherie, "My sleep apnea's disappeared. My blood pressure was just starting to sneak up and that's low. My cholesterol's dropped 50 points.

Cherier started with a personalized "diet prescription" based on her food choices. Every week she attends a class to learn how to put a calorie price tag on foods.

"Being thinner now and looking at those pictures now I just can't believe it's me," says Cherie.

Cherie still holds on to her old clothes to remind her of how far she's come.

According to Cherie, "I just look in the mirror and I just couldn't look better so I'm really excited."

Excited to spent the rest of her life happy and healthy and half her size.

The Ministry Weight Management's HMR Program is a research-based program available in Rhinelander and other locations here in the Northwoods.

Every month HMR coordinators send data to the program's national headquarters.

That informaton is then used to improve the plan to help others like Cherie reach their long-term weight loss goals.