A friend dropped by the Danielson household in Elk Grove recently to give Beth, the matriarch of the clan of five, some old photographs.

Six-year-old Hannah, with the bluntness of youth, took one look at the rather large woman in the photo and asked, bemusedly, "Mommy, who's that?"

"That's Mommy," Beth replied.

In truth, that image was the old Beth Bushnell Danielson, two years removed, 100 pounds heavier, woefully out of shape and overwhelmed by having three young children to rear and rein in.

In the past two years, the 5-foot-9 Bushnell Danielson, 37, has gone to 143.6 pounds from 243 pounds.

"I'm struggling with that last six-tenths of a pound," she says, laughing.

She's in no hurry to shed those ounces. It has taken Bushnell Danielson nearly two years to change her eating habits and establish an exercise regimen that has enabled her to slowly, steadily lose weight.

We asked her to share her story:

• How she gained the weight: "I've struggled with weight my whole life. All of us in my family have. My mom has (adult onset) diabetes, and my brother does, too. I was on my way there. It was just a matter of time.

"Right after he (youngest son Ted, age 4) was born, I did Weight Watchers. It worked immediately, but I stopped doing that at the same time I stopped nursing. It all came back on."

• Motivation to lose weight: "My mom was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago with cryptogenetic cirrhosis – no known cause. When doctors started talking liver donors, I immediately said I wanted to do it. But I knew they wouldn't take overweight people as donors. I said to my mom then, 'I'm going to lose 50 pounds and show you I'm serious.' I told her if I did, she'd have to consider this. She said, go for it, not thinking I would."

• How she got started exercising: "I woke up Nov. 1, got out of bed. My feet hurt. My knees hurt. I said to my husband, 'This it it.'

"I started on a recumbent bike at home. But my girlfriends (Julie Pressey, Sally Zuck, Cathleen Bailey and Lisi Williams) were going to a club in my neighborhood, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 a.m. and weekends at 7. I said, 'I can do Saturday and Sunday, but you're smoking crack if you think I'm going to get up at 5.' But I added Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then I said to them, 'Hey, who's coming tomorrow?'"

• Evolution of her workout: "I started out doing an hour of cardio. First, I'd walk a decent pace on treadmill for 30 minutes and then come home and vomit. But I worked my way up to 40 minutes on treadmill and elliptical. Now, I do 1 1/2-hour workout, cardio, and a half-hour of weights, alternating every other day upper and lower body."

• On being a self-taught exerciser: "I've always known what to do. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. So many people have asked me, 'What's your secret? What plan are you on? Who's your trainer?' I tell them, 'Just take in less and move more.' I didn't want any fad quick fix. It doesn't work."

• What she eats daily: "I never before in my life ate breakfast. (Now) I'll have a protein shake or have high fiber cereal with fruit and Dannon's 60-calorie yogurt. For a morning snack, a piece of fruit.

"(For lunch) I found these tortillas with 12 grams of fiber. I'll put anything in it, salad or sauté vegetables, or low-fat Amy's sausages – chop it up and put it in a wrap. I've tried to increase my fiber intake.

"(For dinner) half my plate is a big salad, a quarter is lean protein (fish and chicken). The other quarter is a vegetable. I'll eat pasta and rice, but a small scoop with more vegetables."

• What about dessert? "I have a sweet tooth. If I say, 'No more sugar,' then I'll binge. I have a reputation as a baker. I've gotten to the point where I can bake a batch of cookies and eat one – rather than eat six. When I don't bake, I eat a square of Trader Joe's dark chocolate. I can nibble on one square for 20 minutes and be very happy. Everything in moderation."

• How fast did the weight come off? "At the start, it was two or three pounds a week. Every 15 pounds, I hit a plateau. The first couple of times it happened, I'd get scared and think, 'Oh my gosh, this is it.' I slowly learned to switch up my workout routine, drink more water, and be diligent about what I ate."

• Motivation for maintaining her weight: "People would approach me at the gym or when I pick my kids up from school and say things like how good I looked. It gave me motivation – and also a sense of accountability."

Call The Bee's Sam McManis, (916) 321-1145. Got a weight-loss success story? E-mail candidates to smcmanis@sacbee.com.