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TUCSON - Anyone who has ever tried to get rid of unwanted pounds knows that there are many "fad" diets out there. Rachel Tineo, who turned 40 this year, says she's tried them all.

"I tried anything from Weight Watchers to Slimfast; counting calories, South Beach; I even contemplated the lap band," she said.

However, after nothing worked, she realized she had to get back into an exercise routine.

"I had no self esteem, I didn't want to take any pictures, I didn't want to go anywhere and I just didn't feel good about myself at all," she continued.

Now, after almost a year of of regular exercise and proper eating, Tineo's not only reached her goal, but exceeded it!

Her inspiration? An upcoming family portrait with her daughters.

"She made it a point that she's going to lose weight and she's going to take this picture with us and she's going to stand there and be happy and feel pretty; and she did," her oldest daughter, Corina, said.

For TIneo, who was camera shy for so many years, the payoff was rewarding.

"It felt really good. It felt like I accomplished something."

So what's her secret?

According to her trainer, Danny Sawaya, it's not only about losing weight, it's about gaining strength.

Instead of focusing on the scale, or on a certain weight, we focused on getting stronger and more conditioned. And based on that, the results have come," Sawaya said.

However, it's not only muscle she's gained. Tineo says she's learned tools that she'll carry with her for the rest of her life.

"Now its going to be my life long goal to stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can," she said.

Moving forward, Rachel is continuing with her mission to get healthy and in shape, and is also spreading the word to others to help them battle their fight against weight.