As part of Joy's 25,000 pound Weight-loss Challenge, TODAY viewers were invited to submit short essays on how their lives had been transformed while following the monthlong diet plan. Two participants would win a trip to New York City and a makeover, courtesy of TODAY. When selected, Penny Matthews told TODAY show producers she had been afraid to step on the scale before beginning the weight-loss challenge, but "now I'm not scared."

Read her essay:

By Penny Matthews

I started accounting for my weight with the first [Weight-loss Challenge] segment. I had reached 220 pounds, a gain of 90 pounds over two years. I got on the scale and decided that I was going to weight myself every Tuesday and keep a written diary.

My weight gain started in September of 2010. That is when my sister passed away from cancer. I was just beginning my second semester towards becoming an RN. I had just found out I had made the Dean’s list the day she died. I withdrew from school until I was under better emotional control. After that, the weight started to pile on.

The following May, my 10-year-old dog Cisco was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to have a leg amputation. He was given 4 months to live.

Traumatically, later that month I had a fall off a horse. It resulted in breaking my back and consequently killing the nerves to my bladder. I was almost virtually bed bound, having to learn to walk again. This only compounded my weight gain.

In August 2011 Cisco had to be put to sleep. Then I had surgeries to implant an Interstim that would allow me to void.

Things started to improve and I was able to slowly start riding again in December 2011. I was released from physical therapy the same week that Joy's weight-loss challenge started and saw it as a good time to start working on my wellness plan and taking accountability for my eating habits. I lost 16 pounds during the month. Seeing the weekly weight loss was like having 4 mini-goals met during the month. I now have my incentive back. I truly owe it to the first day's tip of keeping a weight-loss diary.

It's not too late! Follow Joy's 25,000 pound Weight-loss Challenge

FOLLOW-UP EMAIL:

Because Tuesday is my Weight Day, to be posted on the calendar, I was amazed that I had lost three more pounds as of February 7th. I would say that now having lost a total of 19 pounds means that it has been going great since the 31st and that I have maintained a steady weight loss from many of the tips from Joy.

I now continue to keep a log and record on my calendar, and have, as well, greatly reduced my Starbucks drinks. I go to Drayers where I had my [physical therapy] because once I was released, they set up a personalized workout for my needs.

Then, there is the long walk to get the horse, so I think I am definitely getting 30 minutes of walking every day. I then added in Greek yogurt protein shakes for breakfast and added veggies to the dinner table.

I also try at all times to keep trigger foods out of the house and we also always add spice to our meals.

To not make my back hurt, I use commercial breaks to clean the house! Finally the most important tip Joy had was to forgive my splurge and just shake it off and get back on track.

This essay has been edited for clarity

Although my “25,000 Pound Weight-Loss Challenge” officially ends today, your personal journey may be just beginning.

As you move forward, having a solid support network in place will be critical to staying the course.  Your system could include a supportive family, co-workers or friends you can “buddy up” with at the gym, or a therapist who helps you probe your relationship with food. Also consider joining a weight loss community, either in-person or online. You can dramatically increase your chances of success by surrounding yourself with encouraging individuals who help you troubleshoot challenges, celebrate milestones, reinforce good habits, and stay motivated for the long haul. Best of luck as you continue losing and working towards your goal!

To enhance your weight-loss efforts, check out Joy’s delicious, easy-to-follow meal plan that’s perfectly formulated to maximize results.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of the weight-loss challenge? Did you reach your personal goal? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page.

Read yesterday's tip from Joy:
Forgive your slip-ups

We've only a day to go with the 25,000 Pound Weight-Loss Challenge! And we need everybody's help to make sure that we hit our goal by Tuesday. Have you recorded your progress today? Click here and tell us how it's going.

Nobody eats perfectly all the time, and it’s fine—totally normal, in fact—to stray from your plan from time to time. But to be successful in the long-term, you must learn to overcome these temporary setbacks. You can’t let one binge or one “off day” turn into a full week, or month, of splurging.  Instead of dwelling on your mistakes, shake it off and get right back on track at your very next meal, or the very next day. Remember, nobody gains weight from one rich meal or a single slice of cake.  The real trouble starts when you allow that one “splurge” to snowball into an all-out eating frenzy. As the challenge draws to a close, it’s important to remember to take it one meal at a time, and learn to forgive yourself if you should fall slightly off balance.

To enhance your weight-loss efforts, check out Joy’s delicious, easy-to-follow meal plan that’s perfectly formulated to maximize results.

If you've joined the Challenge and not logged your total pounds lost, go here to record your progress now. If you haven't joined yet, click here to sign up -- it's never too late. All through January TODAY viewers are being challenged to lose weight -- 25,000 pounds!-- together. After you join, you can log your weight loss anytime.  

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on our Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy:
Choose lean proteins

Condiments are a source of “hidden” calories because people often forget to account for them when tracking their food intake. A few squirts and smears of mayonnaise (100 cals per TB), regular salad dressing (up to 90 calories per tablespoon), barbecue sauce (20 cals per TB), and/or ketchup (15 cals per TB) can add up to a significant amount of calories every day, and even stand in the way of your weight-loss goal.

Today, your task is to clean out your condiment shelf. Ditch the fattening stuff and restock it with diet-friendly flavor enhancers like light salad dressings, salsa, mustard, low-fat mayo, balsamic vinegar, and hot sauce that can add dimension to your meals without jacking up the calorie count.

To enhance your weight loss efforts, check out Joy’s delicious, easy-to-follow meal plan that’s perfectly formulated to maximize results.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on our Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
Get moving during commercial breaks

Take advantage of those spare moments while watching your favorite shows—jump up off the couch and fill them with exercise. Take your pick: you can march or jog in place, do crunches, add extra jumping jacks (you’re still doing 300 a day, right?), or squeeze in a set of lunges or push-ups. During each 2-minute commercial break, you can burn an extra 20 calories…and that could add up to a total of 100 calories during an hour-long program! Way to be efficient, right?!

To enhance your weight loss efforts, check out Joy’s delicious, easy-to-follow meal plan that’s perfectly formulated to maximize results.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on our Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
Spice up your meals

At this point in the challenge, it’s all about fine-tuning your diet to get every advantage possible—and spicing up your food is one way to get ahead. New research out of Purdue University suggests that adding fiery seasonings and condiments like cayenne pepper, fresh and bottled hot peppers, and hot sauce to meals suppresses your appetite and slightly revs your metabolism.

To cash in on these calorie savings, mix spicy ingredients into your food as often as you can in the weeks ahead. Try sprinkling chopped hot peppers into salads, or mixing hot sauce into low-fat mayo or hummus to make a spicy spread for sandwiches. Add minced jalapeno or chipotle peppers to omelets, low-fat chicken or tuna salad, stir fries, and marinades. Bring on the heat!

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
Make the TV room a 'no-eating zone'

It’s incredibly easy to polish off a whole bag of chips or entire row of cookies when you’re mindlessly snacking while watching television. When you’re distracted by the TV, you’re less aware of your body’s internal fullness cues and more likely to overeat. From now on, make it a rule to eat meals only while sitting down at the kitchen table (not camped out on the couch), without a computer or a TV playing in the background. When your meal is your only focus, you’re far less likely to eat past the point of fullness.

You’ll be more in control of your eating, which translates to faster results.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
Low-fat dairy swaps can help you cut major calories

Getting rid of full-fat dairy products and replacing them with low-fat or fat-free choices saves you major calories, not to mention a whole lot of unhealthy saturated fat.

So stock your fridge with skim or 1 percent milk, nonfat yogurt, reduced-fat cheese, and light sour cream. If you typically splash cream or whole milk in your morning coffee, try evaporated skim milk instead. (Soy milk and unsweetened almond milk are good options, too.) This gives you wiggle room to enjoy the occasional full-fat versions when you’re dining out and don’t have the option for, say, low-fat cheese.

You've done such an amazing job --- more than 12,000 pounds lost so far -- we're upping the ante of the Weight-Loss Challenge to 25,000. Have you joined yet? If so, go here to record how many pounds you've dropped so far. If you haven't joined us yet, click here to sign up -- it's never too late. All through January TODAY viewers are try to lose weight -- 25,000 pounds!-- together. After you join, you can log your weight loss anytime. We can do it!

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
5 quick-fix dinners for hectic nights

Game plan a list of super-simple, starch-free dinners you can whip up in 20 minutes or less. These will be your go-to recipes for days when you’re short on time, so you’ll avoid losing resolve and grabbing unhealthy fast food or pizza. Some quick and easy ideas include: turkey burgers with frozen green beans, teriyaki grilled chicken with broccoli, frozen shrimp and vegetable stir fry, grilled or broiled fish with sautéed spinach, and an egg white omelet or frittata with vegetables and reduced-fat cheese. Then, make sure you have the ingredients for at least 2 of these meals on hand in your fridge, freezer, and cupboards at all times. On nights when you’re feeling stressed and exhausted, you’ll always have these quick suppers to fall back on, and you can still put something healthy and homemade on the table.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

For most people, eating out is a normal part of their weekend routine, and you don’t have to avoid restaurants just because you’re watching your weight.

It’s what you eat, not where you eat, that matters—so long as you make healthy choices, you can continue to enjoy a night out on the town. Try your best to stick with the “no starch at dinner rule,” but if it’s too limiting while dining out, just be sure you pick one of these diet-friendly options. For a standard, healthy meal you can order at just about any restaurant, enjoy grilled, broiled, or roasted lean protein (chicken, fish, shellfish) with a double order of steamed, roasted, or sautéed vegetables.

Or, opt for a giant salad tossed with grilled chicken and light dressing. If you’re going Mexican, try chicken or shrimp fajitas (use just 1-2 tortillas and pick just one high-cal topping—sour cream, guacamole, or cheese). At Italian restaurants, order salmon with grilled/roasted vegetables, mussels in white wine, or, for a pasta fix that won’t blow your diet, spaghetti with low-cal marinara or pomodoro sauce tossed with shrimp or chicken and lots of vegetables.

In the realm of American fare, choose a turkey burger with lettuce, tomato and mustard or BBQ sauce (nix the bun), or have a bowl of any non-creamy soup (minestrone, hearty vegetable, black bean, etc.) with a salad (get the dressing on the side and skip high-cal toppers like cheese and croutons). At the steakhouse, you can’t go wrong with a lean sirloin steak, baked potato (topped with ketchup—or either sour cream or butter, not both), and a side of steamed or grilled veggies.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
Metabolism boosts for a slimmer, sexier bod

Check this out from TODAY Food:
Weekend survival guide: 3 dishes under 250 calories

Adding a short strength-training regimen in conjunction with your daily cardio can help you accelerate your weight loss and tone up your slimmer, sexier bod.

Increasing your lean mass gives your metabolism a slight boost around the clock, since even at rest muscle cells burn more calories than fat.

Weekend survival guide: 3 dishes under 250 calories

Don’t worry, you don’t need to spend hours at the gym to see a difference. Starting today, your goal is to work in just 10-15 minutes of strength-training exercises 3 days a week. A series of push-ups, planks, lunges, squats, bicep curls, and triceps kickbacks will do the trick.

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy: 
Enjoy low-cal cocktails that won't blow your diet

If you like to relax with a drink on occasion, good news -- alcohol is no longer off limits. You can now enjoy up to 3 cocktails a week, provided you choose one of the slimmest options. Enjoy a glass of wine (white, red, or champagne -- your pick) for just 120 calories, a light beer (only 100 calories), or a shot of vodka mixed with club soda and a splash of cranberry juice (100 calories). You can stick to your plan and enjoy happy hour -- now that’s a reason to party!

For slimming recipes, menus and health tips, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think of today's Challenge tip? Still sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Share with us on TODAY Health's Facebook page. And record your progress on the new Twitter hashtag #TODAYHealth!

Read yesterday's tip from Joy:
Clean trigger foods out of your house