The Buddy System: Reach Your Weight-Loss Goals with a Workout Buddy

Losing Weight with My Sister

When Lisa Tacca (far right), 39, a mom of three, was trying to get back in shape, her sister Janine Caldarella, 32, an avid runner, invited her to jog in their New York City suburb. "It was our time to bond," says Janine, who soon devised a goal for them: 26.2 miles.

The sisters met up for long runs on weekends and for after-work circuits with trainer David Maldonado at New York Sports Clubs in Commack, New York. Amy Shapiro, RD, a nutritionist in Smithtown, New York, gave them "a portion-size reality check" and eating tips for double-digit runs.

"We were close to tears," both agree about the early sessions with Maldonado, during which they'd give each other the don't-quit-on-me look. They've kept up the teamwork: On one 12-mile run, Lisa nearly stopped at mile 10. "Janine said, 'No, stay up; we can do it!'" Lisa says. A couple of weeks later, the two ran a half-marathon. "As we crossed the finish line, we grabbed hands," Janine says; it's a ritual they plan to repeat at the New York City Marathon in November, each having lost 11 pounds en route.