Since high school, Linda Migliaccio had felt like she was constantly “fighting” her weight. She began dieting at just 15 years old, and for years afterward, the New Jersey native—who would later be diagnosed with binge eating disorder—found herself on a relentless rollercoaster of losing and regaining weight. In fact, Migliaccio estimates she’s lost and gained a staggering amount of weight at least 12 times over the years.

Her heaviest weight, 349 lbs., came at what she calls “the lowest point” in her life, following the death of her mother. During her mother’s illness, Migliaccio gained 200 pounds. After a fall in her bathroom that resulted in a torn ACL and meniscus in her right knee, a surgeon told her the injury was too severe to repair unless she lost weight. He bluntly warned her she would likely be in a wheelchair within a year if she didn’t make a change.

“That moment turned out to be the biggest favor anyone ever did for me,” she recalled. “It was exactly what I needed to hear, and it was the wake-up call that changed everything.”

Determined to turn her life around, Migliaccio adopted a “nutritarian” approach to eating—one that focuses on whole, plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts—while still allowing herself occasional treats like cheesesteaks or ice cream. This balanced 80/20 approach to healthy eating, along with the unwavering support of her friends and the community at her TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) weight loss group, kept her motivated. In just two years, she shed 189 pounds and, remarkably, avoided knee surgery altogether.

“I’m finally starting to connect with what truly brings me joy,” Migliaccio said, reflecting on her transformation.