Once teased as a “whale,” Meaghan Byrne lost 100 pounds with Pilates and a few fries. Here is her story.

Turning Point: Growing up, Meaghan Byrne and her family moved around a lot – and to deal with this stress, she turned to burgers, ice cream and mac ‘n’ cheese, hitting 228 lbs. in high school.

“The kids called me ‘whale,’” she says, “and then my doctor told me I was way too fat.”

How She Lost 100 Pounds: In September 2003, the 5′5″ Byrne started on the Slim-Fast plan, drinking a prepackaged shake at breakfast and lunch, and eating baked fish and vegetables for dinner. She also worked out to Pilates videos and did up to 80 crunches twice a day.

By August 2005, she had dropped to 112 lbs. – but feeling that was “too skinny,” she now maintains her weight at around 128 lbs. “If my friends get McDonald’s,” says Byrne, 20, “I get a cheeseburger and eat three fries.”

Ready For the Tan Last year, Byrne was stuck with a too-big bathing suit that she covered with a T-shirt. This year, her bikini fits. “I’m going to work on my tan!” she says. [via]