Flinn eats a variety of healthy foods but says a perfect meal for her is a 12-inch Subway sandwich, with no cheese and no mayo, along with a diet soda and a bag of baked chips. "I don't eat like a rabbit," she said.

The problem with diets is as soon as you go off them, you gain the weight back. And many times these fad or crash diets are far from healthy, Flinn says. "I am not going to starve myself," she said.

Both women are now seeing newfound confidence and success.

Flinn wrote and published a book, "From Desperate to Dandridge." You can see her progress in a blog: debrawalksutah.blogspot.com. People can also write and post their personal weight loss stories on the blog.

Cox is discovering a whole new life. She donated her "fat clothes" to a homeless shelter in Salt Lake City. She bought a new wardrobe for her new slim frame, got a makeover and is now dating more. She is considering going back to school for a master's degree.

Cox's co-workers tell her she should get a new photo for her badge at work. But Cox likes to show people her "before" photo. "I want people to know if I can do this, they can, too," she said.

Flinn's goal is for size 10 pants. She's at a 14 right now. Allison Riley, public relations representative for Subway who helped organize Flinn's walking route through Utah, said, "Let's go shopping for a size 12 in Cache Valley!"

Today Flinn is scheduled to walk with East High Principal Paul Sagers, who has lost more than 80 pounds — down from 336.

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E-mail: astewart@desnews.com