For Merine McCoy, helping women get in shape is more than just a business. It's a calling.

This 39-year-old wife and mother is not your typical personal fitness trainer. Her gym is inside her home. She says when people hear her personal testimony about how she lost 80 pounds, it touches their spirit and they reach out for help. Her clients gladly go out of their way to come to her modest Northeast Albuquerque home to receive one-on-one attention.

About a year ago, New Physique Fitness was born out of McCoy's own desire and desperation to lose weight. She sees this new venture as more than just a way to help earn income for her family; it's a means to "minister" to people who also need emotional and spiritual support.

Breaking Point A petite woman, standing 5-foot-2, McCoy weighed 180 pounds in December 1998. When January came around, she made a New Year's resolution to lose weight. A survivor of 14 different surgeries, she says her weight gain was more than an appearance issue: It was unhealthy, aggravating a back injury, arthritis in her knee, and a heart condition.

McCoy's breaking point came one Sunday morning while dressing for church. She reached for a size 16 suit she had worn six weeks earlier, and it didn't fit. "I sat in my bedroom and cried. I was so upset. Then I fell on my knees. I said, 'Lord, help me - I'm tired of being like this. If you help me to get this weight off, I'll be a living testimony for you, and I'll help others through my testimony.'"

The next day McCoy and her husband, Marcus, went to a health store looking for "a quick fix" protein drink. Instead, the clerk ended up referring her to a personal trainer. Two weeks into her diet and exercise program, she had a car accident that put her in bed for a month. But McCoy says she was amazed that she continued to lose weight because of her new eating habits. Eight months later, McCoy was wearing a size 8 dress, and by November she slipped into a size 4.

A Change For Life What you eat and how you burn calories are key elements in any diet. McCoy's old diet was full of fat. "I was hooked on Mexican food," she admits. Now she drinks water - about a gallon a day - and her eating habits have changed drastically. It's a regimen she recommends to her clients, tailored to their personal weight loss goals. McCoy says she now eats fish, chicken, rice, fresh vegetables, no breads, no salt or sugar, very little red meat, and virtually no pork. She eats five small meals between 8 and 5 so the body feels more satisfied. Breakfast might consist of grilled cod, a grapefruit, and a baked yam. A typical lunch is grilled chicken, half a cup of rice, and green salad without dressing.

McCoy exercises six days a week, with at least 45 minutes of cardiovascular work each day. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, she combines that with weight training. McCoy uses free weights and a cable weight machine to work her shoulders, chest, back, legs, arms, and abdominal muscles. Initially, she started with 12 to 15 repetitions, three to five sets for each exercise. Add to that 100 crunches (sit-ups) a day.

This routine is an engrained element in her life. Her new way of eating has become a family affair, although she admits the impact on the family was "a little rough at first." Her daughters, ages 7, 8, and 10, still get fast food occasionally as a treat.

As a result of her determination and discipline, McCoy has maintained her weight for two years. "It's not easy; it's hard," she says, but she continues to practice what she preaches.

Clients Get Results Ask Lisa Buck if she wants to stop going to McCoy's gym three times a week, and she'll insist, "No! She's my fix for the day. Going to her is very uplifting."

Buck, 38, works as an inventory management specialist at Kirtland Air Force Base. Her military job was in jeopardy because she had difficulty maintaining military weight standards. She also lost a promotion because of it. "I was depressed and down. I kind of gave up a little bit when they denied my promotion." Buck tried several diets, but hit a plateau. She began working out with McCoy in April of this year and in six weeks she went from a size 14 to a size 12. "It's a wonderful feeling."

Cynthia Watson, 53, of Albuquerque, can relate. "I've been on every diet you can name," she says, but never got complete control of her weight. At 5 feet 2 inches tall and 215 pounds, Watson also had high blood pressure.

Watson is an assistant pastor for Powerhouse Church of God and is part of the pastoral staff for Hospice Quality Continuum. As a minister, she was used to running ragged helping others but wasn't putting enough energy into helping herself. The first four months into her program with McCoy, Cynthia lost 30 pounds. She remembers when her "seams were screaming in a size 18"; by June, she was wearing a 14. "I feel much better about myself and I'm really excited about my blood pressure."

Building A Business McCoy started out just helping others accomplish what she accomplished. She searched her soul for direction and was led to create New Physique Fitness.

Discovering her calling has been an evolutionary process. Other people knew she had a special gift to motivate and inspire before she herself realized it. A few years back, McCoy worked at Wal-Mart in various customer service positions before a carpal tunnel injury ended her job. While working there, she encouraged fellow co-workers to join her at the mall to walk, and she led an exercise program for employees before work began.

After she left Wal-Mart, her family grew and it wasn't cost-effective to work outside the home due to the cost of day care.

McCoy now works with 25 clients; 18 of them come two to three times a week, at $20 each visit. She also has five clients outside New Mexico. She hasn't advertised her services; word of mouth has worked powerfully in her favor. McCoy's faith tells her she will eventually need a new home to accommodate growth.

McCoy also gives free seminars and plans to write a recipe book later this year. "I believe I'm being blessed because I vowed to help others."

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