People often lose weight and get in shape because they hit a breaking point. Maybe they see a photo and are shocked by the fat staring back at them or a doctor tells them they're headed for major health problems. It happened to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" actress Nia Vardalos -- dizzy spells and out of control blood sugar made her buck up, and Vardalos is now smaller and healthier than she once was.

Vardalos put on weight after struggling for years with infertility, and it took a doctor's stern warning to get her back on track. She didn't enlist the help of a fancy trainer, though, and there was nothing extreme about her diet. She changed her lifestyle in a way that's entirely possible for every one of us -- she eats three low-glycemic meals and four snacks a day, she takes long, daily walks, and she keep herself in check by stepping on the scale once a week and trying on her clothes to make sure they fit.

It was all about the wake-up call for Vardolos, not Hollywood pressure to lose weight. She just wanted to be healthier, and now she is. She's happier too -- she is now mom to a 4-year-old little girl, whom she adopted last year. Oh, and those two movies she has coming out ("My Life in Ruins" and "I Hate Valentine's Day") can't hurt either.

Have you had a wake-up call?