It had always been tough for Melissa H. to stick to a diet. But then her cholesterol levels became so high that her doctor gave her an ultimatum: She had six months to improve her cholesterol through lifestyle changes or she would have to start taking medication. Melissa chose the former, but she didn't making much progress until she learned about the South Beach Diet Winter Challenge.

Initially, Melissa had some bad habits to break: vending machine snacks, soft drinks, and fast-food meals. But she found that SouthBeachDiet.com was so helpful in providing nutritious meal plan and snack ideas that it was soon easy for her to make healthier choices.

These days, Melissa eats a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, fish, lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Over the course of the Winter Challenge, she lowered her cholesterol by 44 points! "What a delicious way to get healthy, feel better, and lose weight!" she says.

FAVORITE SNACK: "It has to be the South Beach Diet High Protein Chocolate Cereal Bar." FAVORITE EXERCISE: "I take a daily 45-minute walk with my dog. And now that I'm comfortable wearing a bathing suit again, I like swimming." BEST COMPLIMENT: "I was trying on a new outfit for a party, and the sales clerk encouraged me to buy the smaller size because it fit better!" BEST ADVICE: "Focus on health, not pounds. My weight loss has been steady but slow; however, I was astonished with my cholesterol results, which motivated me to keep at it." MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY: "Eat only at restaurants that offer a wide variety of choices; keep healthy snacks in your cupboard and 'bad' snacks out."