WebMD Fitness Rx Challenge: Final Leg

The goal is so close, Jeff and Stefanee can almost taste it -- and it’s going to taste a lot better than those doughnuts they’ve been forgoing. Just two more months remain in our yearlong WebMD Fitness Rx Challenge, and Jeff Kibler and Stefanee Williams are working harder than ever. The numbers on the scale are dropping, their workouts are getting tougher as they get fitter, and their bodies are looking buffer by the day. Let’s check in on their progress.

A Shrinking Waistline

Jeff Kibler

Age: 53

Weight: 188 lbs.

Goal: 170 lbs.

Jeff’s spent several months teetering between the low and mid-190s -- tightening his muscles and loosening his clothes with his workout devotion, but struggling to rack up results on the scale. But this month, he waves goodbye to the 190s plateau, weighing in at 188.

“It feels great!” he says. “I’ve really lost a lot this time, and I’ve shrunk. All my clothes are loose. I haven’t bought anything new, because I thought I’d wait until I’m completely done with the Challenge. But the other day I put on a pair of my partner’s pants by mistake. I was worried because they were a little snug, but then I realized that they were 32-inch pants. I haven’t worn a 32 since I don’t remember when.”

How did Jeff beat the plateau? He already “shops the perimeter” at the grocery store — you’ll usually find healthy items, like fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods in the outer aisles and most processed, less-healthy foods in the center. But he needed some help with portion management.

“I gave Jeff precise guidelines about what quantities to eat, and after following them for three weeks, we finally broke that 190 mark,” says trainer Michael Lin. “For example, his carb portion for a single meal shouldn’t be bigger than half his fist. Meat should be the size of his palm or smaller, while vegetable portions can be much bigger — as long as there isn’t too much in the way of toppings or dressing.”

Meanwhile, Jeff’s hard at work slashing the fat content in his meals. “Because of my family history of heart disease, I’m very conscious of keeping my cholesterol under control,” he says. Nutritionist Kathleen Zelman has urged him to eat more jicama, hummus, and legumes -- foods with heart-healthy soluble fiber that help keep cholesterol low and fill you up at the same time.

Find out Jeff's current vital stats -- weight loss, inches lost, cholesterol levels, and more.

Weight-Loss Merry-Go-Round

Stefanee Williams

Age: 31

Weight: 167 lbs.

Goal: 160 lbs.

January was a tough month for Stefanee. Her toddler son went through a merry-go-round of fevers, bronchitis, and ear infections, and overwhelmed by the regular trips to the doctor and one nerve-racking jaunt to the emergency room, she confesses she missed her workouts three weeks in a row.