When one spouse leaves for military duty, it leaves the other ample time to prepare for his or her return. Misty Shaffer, 25, used her time to drop over 100 pounds while her husband, Larry, served in Afghanistan in 2012, KforTV, a local Oklahoma City station, reported (click for pictures).
Misty, who'd struggled with weight her whole life, weighed around 260 pounds when Larry was first deployed and has never weighed under 220 since they've been married -- or even when she was in high school, where they met. Though her husband never said anything about it, she decided to spend their time apart getting back in shape.
"I just sat in bed one night and was like, 'I can do this,'" she told KforTV. "I need to do this."
As a personal shopper at a supermarket, it wasn't always easy for Misty to resist junk foods, but removing sweets and similarly damaging foods would become the back bone of her weight-loss plan. The first few months were the hardest. Eventually, her cravings switched to the healthy foods she was regularly eating. Unhealthy options like Diet Coke lost most of their appeal.
Previously, Misty had used food as the end to everything -- whether positive or negative. As a gift to herself and her husband, she controlled it rather than used it.
"I would eat when I was bored," she said. "I'd eat three huge meals a day, and then snack in between. Sad or happy, I'd turn to food for everything."
When Larry returned in May of 2013, his initial reaction was "wow" as his wife jumped into his arms and lifted her higher than ever.
"A lot of people look at it like, 'Why is that such a big deal?'" Misty said of elevating in her husband's arms. "But (when) you never thought you'd see that moment, that somebody can pick you up ... it is a big deal."
The experience has affected her enough to continue to stay fit.
"I've seen how hard I worked, and what I had to go through to get to this point," she said.
