Laura Hyman is proof that it's never too late to make a change.

After losing both her mother and mother-in-law in short period of time, the 54-year-old grandmother decided it was finally time toĀ lose weight.

ā€œMy mother was only 70 years old [when she died] and I was 50 years old. I got scaredĀ and I did not want to miss out on my kids and my grandkids,ā€ said Hyman, who was used to ā€œtaking care of everyone else but myself.ā€ At her heaviest, she weighed 264 lbs.

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A self-described "emotional eater," Hyman started theĀ Isagenix weight loss program with her husband Myron in September 2015. Swapping fried foods and carb-heavy meals in favor of organic foods like chicken, quinoa and vegetables and enjoying the program's shakes helped the retired Indio, California-based coupleĀ lose 100 pounds each in less than a year.

ā€œ[Isagenix] gave us a time schedule for our meals and snacks,ā€ says Hyman, who now weighs 161 lbs. and eats five times a day: two shakes, two snacks and one full meal. ā€œThis system taught us that not only the food we are eating counts but the timing of when we are eating is so important.ā€ Now after dinner, Hyman says, ā€œthe kitchen is closed.ā€

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The couple also started theĀ IsaBody Challenge, a 16-week body transformation program, at the beginning of their weight loss journeys.

ā€œIt became a great support system through the Isabody Facebook page,ā€ says Hyman. ā€œI could go on there daily and get workout ideas and meal ideas, and when I put my first before-and-after pictures in there, I could not believe how much love and support I got. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced.ā€

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Since October, Hyman has also amped up her workouts, hiring a trainer and going to the gym 3 to 4 times a week. ā€œI’ve gained 8 lbs. of lean muscle, which is different because I’m used to the scale going down,ā€ she says. ā€œBut now it’s going up and I’m seeing where it is, in muscle. I’m still able to get rid of the visceral fat with the system and it’s amazing.ā€

Now on her sixth IsaBody Challenge, Hyman was just picked as a finalist out of more than 30,000 applicants Myron received an honorable mention, and she feels better than ever.

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ā€œI fuel my body and don’t eat for emotional reasons,ā€ she says. ā€œI feel better than I did in my 20s.ā€

And being able to do it with her husband has made it even more rewarding.

ā€œWe’ve both invested in each other, cheered each other on and never let the other feel like a failure,ā€ says Hyman. ā€œAccomplishing this weight loss together has made our relationship so much stronger.ā€

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