"I'm Down to the Last 4 Pounds!"

Obstacle in the Home Stretch

Six months ago, Lisa Renwick, 37, was 20 pounds over her ideal weight and exercise-phobic. Now she's only four pounds away from reaching her fitness goal. But with Thanksgiving dinner fast approaching -- and the return of some of her lingering health issues -- can she continue to stay on track? Here's her plan:

"I'm doing all-new workouts!"

"My trainer, Leslie Rice Hart, suggested that I try Pilates classes. I knew nothing about it when I went in. When I saw that scary-looking equipment, I was a little intimidated. But my Pilates instructor explained how the Reformer and Tower machines work and walked me through the exercises. I've been going once a week, and I can see and feel the difference all over, especially in my core muscles.

"But I can't lie; I've been slacking off on my cardio. Thankfully, Leslie developed an interval-training program so I can do cardio and strength-training in the same workout. It varies depending on how I feel, but they usually go something like this: Start with five minutes on a stationary bike at various speeds, followed by a series of lunges. Next I'm on to a StepMill for three to five minutes, and then back on the floor for some oblique exercises. We continue like that, switching cardio and strength moves, for an hour. I've been doing the intervals twice a week, and I'll squeeze in a separate cardio workout, usually on the StepMill, on the weekend."

"I will resist holiday pig-outs!"

"We're going to have Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family this year. We're big eaters, and there will be 40 people and 10 different appetizers -- including egg rolls (those I cannot resist) -- before we even get to the turkey. But I talked with Cindy Sherwin, RD, my nutritionist, and we've come up with a plan: I'll bring a veggie dish and a fruit salad so I'll have something to eat that's healthier. And I love black-and-white cookies, so if I can find a way to make a light version, I'll bring those, too."