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Tamara Harbison is a huge loser and proud of it. The 27-year-old waitress from Morrisville, North Carolina, shed a whopping 125 lbs in 9 months with the help of Dr. Ian Smith's book "The Fat Smash Diet: The Last Diet You'll Ever Need" (St. Martin's Griffin). The dedicated southern belle who has been maintaining her new weight since January followed a strict regimen of healthy eating, regular exercise and good ole fashioned hard work to get slim and trim. "I originally had no real expectations for this diet. I simply followed Dr. Ian's diet and exercise plan 100 percent without cheating because I was so impressed with my results. The fat seemed to melt away day by day," says the former teacher. Harbison shares with ESSENCE.com how she said bye-bye to fast food, her new favorite places to shop, and why she was in denial about her weight.

ESSENCE.COM: Was this your first attempt to lose weight? If not, why do you think it worked this time?

TAMARA HARBISON: No, this wasn't my first attempt to lose weight but my attempts were few and far between. This time I think I was really motivated by the results. I went into the diet with no expectations. I really thought that I was genetically built to be large. The weight fell off of me so quickly I figured something must have been right about it.

ESSENCE.COM: How did you find out about the diet?

HARBISON: My mom brought the book to me. Her beautician was dropping weight and she asked her what she had been doing, and that's how I found out about the book. I learned of Dr. Ian through the television show "Celebrity Fit Club."