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\"We see ourselves differently than the rest of the world does and I didn't like the way I looked going into a room, I didn't like the view people were getting when I walked out of the room,\" Norville said today on \"GMA.\" \"And when you don't feel good about yourself, it colors everything about your life.\"

Norville said it was a visit to her doctor, when she was lectured about her high blood pressure, that triggered her lifestyle change. She said she had a long history of heart problems, especially on her father's side, and her doctor told her that she couldn't outrun her genetics and encouraged Norville to take control of her health.

\"PHOTO:
Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
PHOTO: Deborah Norville attends the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's 2018 Food & Wine gala at the Metropolitan Club in New York City, Nov. 6, 2018.
>

She dubbed her weight gain the \"Fat 50's,\" she said, adding that she didn't like the way she looked and felt self-conscious everywhere she went.

Norville said she credits her weight loss to reading labels. She especially paid attention to the sugar content of what she was eating, noting that it appeared even in the most unexpected places, such as half and half.

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A post shared by Deborah Norville (@deborahnorville) on Nov 27, 2018 at 1:51pm PST

She also limited her intake of ingredients that end in \"ose\" -- including fructose and lactose. She said she started preparing her own foods and bringing her own lunches to work.

\"I said [to my doctor], 'So what do I do?' and he said, 'Cut out sugar,'\" Norville told \"GMA.\" \"That simple.\"

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A post shared by Deborah Norville (@deborahnorville) on Oct 25, 2018 at 1:51pm PDT

While she doesn't count calories and doesn't have an exercise routine, she said she stayed super discipline to eating clean and healthy and the weight started coming off.

\"If it ends in -ose, it's gross!\" @DeborahNorville breaks down which sugars, sweetners and ingredients to avoid in order to drop weight and get healthy this holiday season. ?? pic.twitter.com/XFSi6PWFVG

— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 29, 2018

Now, Norville said she feels more cheerful and proud of herself, and even fits into a dress that she bought in 1977 -- the year she graduated from high school.

\"I like me better because I feel healthy,\" Norville said.

Her tips for staying on track during the holidays includes filling your plate with vegetables and skipping the dips/extras. She also recommends drinking sparkling water with lemon to fill yourself up and stay hydrated when flat water doesn't feel very special.

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