Taking control

Mike Sciacca

It was four days after the New Year began in 1998 that Jean Krueger

says she actually saw a true image of herself.

The Huntington Beach resident sat on her couch and was going

through photographs taken about two weeks prior, on Christmas Day,

when she ran across a picture of herself.

She did not recognize herself from the weight she had gained.

“When I looked at that picture, I thought I was looking at a photo

of my mother,” said Krueger, startled by the image. “It definitely

was a wake-up call for me. I sat down right there and then and wrote

down goals for myself, things that I wanted to achieve.”

Among the 101 goals Krueger set for herself, one very important to

her was to lose weight. She joined Weight Watchers but yearned for

something more.

She wanted to share her story of triumph of the 60 pounds she

dropped over a year’s time and so, Krueger, 59, penned a book.

That book, titled “Why the Weight? Dare to Be Great!,” chronicles

not only Krueger’s desire to gain control of her life, but gives

direction to others wishing to do the same.

“There’s a lot more to it than just losing the weight -- it’s

about blending the body, mind and spirit into achieving not only the

weight loss, but triumphing in other areas of your life,” said

Krueger, a mother of two and grandmother of one.

“I tell people through this book that they can dust off their own

dreams and become unstoppable.”

Krueger’s book was published at the end of 2002. Last weekend she

participated in the Book Expo of America at the L.A. Convention

Center, an annual event that is the nation’s largest book expo.

She will hold a workshop and book signing at two Huntington Beach

locations beginning next week.

“I was a classic example of how being overweight can hold someone

back from achieving their ultimate self-image and success,” said

Krueger whose exercise regiment includes walking the Huntington Beach

Pier daily.

“I started putting on the pounds in college, that’s where my bad

eating habits began to form,” she said. “They continued during a

period in my life where I lost people close to me. I turned to food

for comfort, as though that was the answer. It wasn’t.”

Krueger’s personal losses included the deaths of five family

members, including three brothers -- two to AIDS, another, to suicide

-- in a short period of time.

She later lost her father and mother.

“It was devastating,” she said. “Food was my friend and source of

comfort.”

Other losses included a favorite job as a TV producer and health

problems such as asthma, arthritis and cancer.

But she overcame her obstacles by making a decision to change.

That one Christmas photograph was the catalyst.

“Of my 101 goals that I set for myself, I have put check marks by

about 75 that I have achieved,” said Krueger who also has done the

50-mile Rosarito to Ensenada bike ride on several occasions. “In

fact, my check marks are v-shaped, as in ‘v’ for ‘victory.’ Making a

decision to gain my life back has opened up marvelous things for me,

both physically and mentally.”

Krueger’s book has changed the life of several of her readers,

including Jana Rogers.

The 58-year-old, a resident of Garden Grove, has nearly completed

reading Krueger’s book.

“It has changed my life,” said the retired probation officer who

did not reveal her weight but said she had gained up to 30-pounds of

excess weight. “My own personal mantra is to take back my life and

Jean’s philosophy has been instrumental in my doing just that.”

Like Krueger, Rogers said she turned to food for comfort to sooth

periods of loss in her life.

“Jean teaches you that food is not a solution to loss,” she said.

“She gives you guidelines on how weight loss is within your control.

Weight has always been an issue for me but now I do feel in control.

It’s a wonderful book that really has motivated me.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.