“;Enough is enough”; became Jeninne Heleloa-Gafoa's mantra following her husband's death five days after his 35th birthday in 2005. Obesity contributed to his demise, and she didn't want the same fate for herself.

“;He weighed about 500 pounds; he was a big guy,”; she said.

Heleloa-Gafoa weighed 287 pounds at the time and shot up to 330 pounds before she made a decision in 2008 to work toward a healthier lifestyle. Her children depended on her, and she didn't want to put them through another traumatic experience. Today she weighs in at 180 — a loss of 150 pounds — and has a goal to lose 20 more.

Her husband's death forced her to address a weight problem she had lived with since young adulthood. Her weight had long been a source of public humiliation. She hated clothes shopping because she'd end up in the 6X section. “;I wore the same clothes for years,”; she said. She has since gone from a size 28 skirt to a size 14, and from at least a 4X T-shirt to a medium.

One thing the 37-year-old did not do in her remarkable weight-loss journey was resort to the quick fix. She did not fall prey to fad diets, special programs or surgeries, realizing that if it took time, about 20 years, to get to her 330-pound breaking point, it would take time and effort to return to her ideal version of herself.

Although she says it would have been easier to start a weight-loss program with a friend or family member who could offer mutual support, “;I didn't have anybody else, so I did it all on my own.”;

Before she began her weight-loss regimen, her mother had offered to pay for gastric bypass surgery, but Heleloa-Gafoa declined. “;I wouldn't have appreciated the results. Anything handed to you isn't worth having,”; she said.

Her grandmother Loretta Heleloa is amazed with her progress. “;She was huge after she gave birth. We can't believe how fast she lost all that weight.”;

Heleloa said her granddaughter spent lots of time sitting at home in her heavier days. “;Now, she is always on the go. I've noticed the changes that she has made. She now eats from a small plate. Before she would fill a big plate twice.”;

WITH CHILDHOOD obesity under attack in the news and chef Jamie Oliver's recent TV program, “;Food Revolution,”; on people's minds, Heleloa-Gafoa wanted to share her story in hopes of helping others deal with weight gain before it gets out of hand. She said too many people expect a quick fix, when sustained weight loss demands the hard work of making the kind of lifestyle changes that she introduced slowly but with determination.

Her plan was simple: eat less, make healthier food choices and become more active. Each meal consisted of protein, vegetables and fruits, with fewer simple carbohydrates from such staples as pastas and white rice, but she always had dessert.

“;I tried to eat more often, like I was grazing. I'd put something in my mouth every couple of hours, but I'd stop eating just before I was full, because it takes a while for food to get to the stomach,”; she said.

She went from eating regular ice cream to reduced fat ice cream, and later switched to sherbet. That doesn't mean there isn't room for pleasure. She doesn't deny herself treats. “;I still have chocolate,”; she said, but in moderation.

“;At McDonald's I used to eat a double quarter-pounder, and now I have a grilled chicken wrap. Both of my kids are very overweight. I want to lead by example and encourage them to make healthier choices.”;

Her 18-year-old daughter, Tulutulu Mana, said her own health is improving in light of changes her mother has made in the household, such as stocking the refrigerator and pantry with only healthy foods.

“;My mom's weight loss has made an impact on our whole family,”; Mana said. “;We're more active, we play racquetball together. My great-grandmother (at age 87) is also walking more.”;

HELELOA-GAFOA said her troubles began in her teens, following her parents' divorce, when she bounced in and out of 16 schools. At her grandparents' house, she gorged on frozen dinners and desserts.

“;We would have a chocolate bar and Hawaiian Sun juice waiting for us every day after school. I was constantly eating junk,”; she said.

When staying with her father, food choices were limited. “;He was very strict, so during school I would eat double lunches.”;

In high school she was able to muster some self-motivation and play sports. “;It felt good to push myself. ... I know what it's like to feel healthy.”;

The last time she weighed less than 200 pounds was during those high school years when she was an athlete. After she became a mother, she started packing on pounds until it became intolerable. She wanted to get back to her healthy state.

The first sport she took up, at 310 pounds, was racquetball. “;It was so hard; the ball was all over the place. But, it's the one constant thing I did. It's wonderful exercise and good fun!”;

She cautions that people who have a substantial amount of weight to lose should consult a physician first and start simply by replacing some of the meat and fat in their diet with more fruits and vegetables.

Incorporating an exercise routine was more difficult than changing eating patterns, she said. “;At the beginning of my journey, it was really hard to move,”; she said. “;I couldn't even go on a treadmill. Everything hurt, even sitting and lying down. Walking was just too painful.”;

Now, she continues to play racquetball, bike, swim and work out to exercise videos. One thing that helped was setting goals in 10-pound increments.

“;It was too frustrating to look at a goal weight. I had too far to go,”; she said. But by setting many small goals, “;I knew it was working and it felt good.”;

Her advice to others: “;Don't lose heart. If you pick up a few pounds, just get back up and keep going. Accept the plateaus and focus on how far you've come.”;

Rather than expecting overnight results, realize the process requires moderation and patience.

“;I've done this with discipline and diligence. I'm not done, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,”; she said. “;My quality of life is so much better.”;