After Changing Her Eating Habits, This Mom Went From Her Wheelchair to Walking 7,000 Steps A Day: 'I Don’t Feel Weighed Down' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Michele Rice-Nelson.Photo:Courtesy of Michele Rice-Nelson;Allison Michael OrensteinFour years ago Michele Rice-Nelson was balancing being a full-time caregiver for her mother, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, with parenting her then- 6-year-old son — and she was completely overwhelmed.Battling her own chronic pain from the degenerative spine disease that had recently forced her to retire, Rice-Nelson (who also has three grown children) would steal away late at night after getting them both to bed and eat: boxes of Pop Chips, tins of cheese straws, bags of Skinny Pop.“That was my way to cope and my escape,” she says. “I didn’t have time for myself.”Before she knew it, she’d gained 80 lbs., reaching 271. The extra weight aggravated her spine condition and left her reliant on a cane or wheelchair. At her son’s school field day in June 2022, she had to watch from afar, sitting in a wheelchair.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Michele Rice-Nelson.Allison Michael OrensteinHer turning point came that summer when her doctor told her she was pre-diabetic. Both her parents had the disease, and her father had lost his legs, his vision and then his life to it.She joined Nutrisystem in August 2022. Their meal plan “laid everything out for me. I didn’t have timeto think,” she says.She began taking regular walks with her dog (on a typical day she surpasses 7,000 steps), and she’s now lost nearly 100 lbs.This year she was on the field watching her son at his competition. And when her mother died at 91 earlier this year, she was in a stronger place as she mourned that loss.“Even in my grief, I can feel joy,” she says. “Things aren’t weighing me down. Once you take care of yourself, everything else will fall into place.”For more “Beyond the Scale” stories in this week’sPEOPLE, pick up a copy on newsstands Friday

Michele Rice-Nelson.Photo:Courtesy of Michele Rice-Nelson;Allison Michael Orenstein

Courtesy of Michele Rice-Nelson;Allison Michael Orenstein

Four years ago Michele Rice-Nelson was balancing being a full-time caregiver for her mother, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, with parenting her then- 6-year-old son — and she was completely overwhelmed.Battling her own chronic pain from the degenerative spine disease that had recently forced her to retire, Rice-Nelson (who also has three grown children) would steal away late at night after getting them both to bed and eat: boxes of Pop Chips, tins of cheese straws, bags of Skinny Pop.“That was my way to cope and my escape,” she says. “I didn’t have time for myself.”Before she knew it, she’d gained 80 lbs., reaching 271. The extra weight aggravated her spine condition and left her reliant on a cane or wheelchair. At her son’s school field day in June 2022, she had to watch from afar, sitting in a wheelchair.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Michele Rice-Nelson.Allison Michael OrensteinHer turning point came that summer when her doctor told her she was pre-diabetic. Both her parents had the disease, and her father had lost his legs, his vision and then his life to it.She joined Nutrisystem in August 2022. Their meal plan “laid everything out for me. I didn’t have timeto think,” she says.She began taking regular walks with her dog (on a typical day she surpasses 7,000 steps), and she’s now lost nearly 100 lbs.This year she was on the field watching her son at his competition. And when her mother died at 91 earlier this year, she was in a stronger place as she mourned that loss.“Even in my grief, I can feel joy,” she says. “Things aren’t weighing me down. Once you take care of yourself, everything else will fall into place.”For more “Beyond the Scale” stories in this week’sPEOPLE, pick up a copy on newsstands Friday

Four years ago Michele Rice-Nelson was balancing being a full-time caregiver for her mother, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, with parenting her then- 6-year-old son — and she was completely overwhelmed.

Battling her own chronic pain from the degenerative spine disease that had recently forced her to retire, Rice-Nelson (who also has three grown children) would steal away late at night after getting them both to bed and eat: boxes of Pop Chips, tins of cheese straws, bags of Skinny Pop.

“That was my way to cope and my escape,” she says. “I didn’t have time for myself.”

Before she knew it, she’d gained 80 lbs., reaching 271. The extra weight aggravated her spine condition and left her reliant on a cane or wheelchair. At her son’s school field day in June 2022, she had to watch from afar, sitting in a wheelchair.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Michele Rice-Nelson.Allison Michael Orenstein

Allison Michael Orenstein

Her turning point came that summer when her doctor told her she was pre-diabetic. Both her parents had the disease, and her father had lost his legs, his vision and then his life to it.

She joined Nutrisystem in August 2022. Their meal plan “laid everything out for me. I didn’t have timeto think,” she says.

She began taking regular walks with her dog (on a typical day she surpasses 7,000 steps), and she’s now lost nearly 100 lbs.

This year she was on the field watching her son at his competition. And when her mother died at 91 earlier this year, she was in a stronger place as she mourned that loss.

“Even in my grief, I can feel joy,” she says. “Things aren’t weighing me down. Once you take care of yourself, everything else will fall into place.”

For more “Beyond the Scale” stories in this week’sPEOPLE, pick up a copy on newsstands Friday

source: people.com