Niles woman appears on TLC special ‘100 pounds’ sheds weight

August 4, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By LINDA M. LINONIS

niles

Erica Perna dealt with a weight issue most of her life. “I was a chubby kid. And I did the yo-yo diet thing in college,” she said.

After she and her husband, Pascale, welcomed their son, Elijah, in May of 2008, she faced an unpleasant reality. “I couldn’t find clothes to fit. I had never been this big before,” she said. Her weight was 235 pounds.

Though she had dabbled in body building, she didn’t get serious about it until after her pregnancy. “I came up with my own diet,” she said, pulling material from the many diet books she had and researching diets online. She began working out with light weights and progressed. She lost weight, built up her body and changed her appearance.

Perna’s transformation is showcased in a segment on TLC’s new special, “How I Lost 100 Pounds.” The show features Perna and four others who reveal stories of incredible weight loss though exercise, healthy diets and gastric band surgery. Perna said she posted her story along with photos on www.bodybuilding.com, and TLC saw it.

For the show, Perna said she was filmed at her home; teaching a spinning class at Fizek Fitness, where she works part time; and in Boston, where she attended a boot camp for body builders.

“I hope it inspires other people,” Perna said. “I hope others see that it’s not impossible to change.”

Perna emphasized “starting out with small steps” and “doing it naturally” in dieting. “Take a sensible approach,” she urged.

Now, Perna said, watching her intake of calories, carbohydrates and fat is part of her daily routine. She plans out her meals, prepares them and stores them in a cooler that’s usually with her.

Perna said she is in training for the Cardinal Classic, an International Natural Bodybuilding Federation event Sept. 25 at Struthers Middle School. After competition, her reward will be a big oatmeal cookie.

Perna, who graduated in 1994 from Niles McKinley High School, has a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and a master’s degree from the University of Toledo. A former English teacher, she said she may return to that field. She recently obtained a personal- trainer certificate.

TLC’s programs include “What Not to Wear” and “Cake Boss.”