Even in the dark theater, Pam Hambach felt the eyes of everyone in attendance as she shifted back and forth, trying to shoehorn her body into the too-tight seat. As the tension built, she wondered, How did I let myself get to this point?

“Diets did not work for me,” reveals Pam, thinking of the list that rolled as long as movie credits. Each fad left her starving and reaching for salty snacks. She shares, “The more I deprived myself, the more cravings I had.” But everything changed when Pam started eating protein-rich breakfasts. “I was never hungry. I just never had an issue with feeling starved.”

Pam lost 13 pounds the first month, thanks to those fruit smoothies with 33 grams of protein, made with either pea protein or whey protein powder, plus clean, whole foods like rolled oats and almond milk. “Weight literally fell off my body. I had to buy a new size of clothing every month,” she recalls. “People said I looked great.” And it wasn’t long before Pam’s cholesterol numbers dramatically improved too. “My doctor sent me a letter that said ‘wow!’”

Cut to the big finale: Today Pam has shed 104 total inches from her body—15 in her hips! And her strength and confidence are taking center stage. She beams, “I look younger now than I did when I got married 22 years ago!”

JENNY DICOLA PHOTOGRAPHY. H&M: MARK CASTLE II. LINES + ANGLES; GETTY; ADOBE STOCK (6) ■