Dropping Pounds: Christine Van Houten

"I'd diet here or there and even be successful, but would gain it all back," says Van Houten, who works part-time in patient care in addition to being a nursing student.

She says she was an emotional eater who also didn't exercise.

"I'd be motivated to eat better and exercise for a while and then get bored," Van Houten says.

It was a friend who finally persuaded her to join Better Body Bootcamp in Great Neck.

"I was scared that I wouldn't be able to do the workouts," Van Houten says of the intensive program of classes that doesn't use treadmills, exercise bikes or elliptical machines. "I signed up for a one-month trial. It was really, really hard, but I saw results in the first month."

Better Body Bootcamp teaches members to exercise using their own body weight and such simple equipment as medicine balls, kettlebells and dumbbells, along with new techniques and exercises to keep classes interesting.

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Van Houten also became more serious about Weight Watchers. A repeat joiner of many years, she says she never fully committed to the program. This time around, she combined exercise with a renewed commitment to counting her points and eating more healthfully.

"You can't control your food until you control what triggers your eating," says Van Houten, who adds that she had sessions with a therapist to help get a handle on her stress eating.

Now, she breakfasts on four egg whites with an ounce of cheese and vegetables. Lunch and dinner are each a large salad with vegetables and four ounces of lean protein.

"I measure everything," says Van Houten, who snacks on whey protein shakes, nuts and fruit.

31, Floral Park

Occupation: Nursing student

Height: 5-foot-8