Helen Turner is one whip-smart lady. She has a doctorate in immunology. She's researched biological communication at the cellular level. And she's found answers to questions most of us aren't even smart enough to ask.

So imagine Turner's surprise when her personal trainer, upon hearing her eating habits, asked her if she was stupid.

"I would eat one large meal in the day, and the rest of the time it was coffee," she said.

Changing her diet was a cornerstone for Turner's fitness transformation. By eating smart, regular meals and working out for the first time in her life, the 36-year-old Turner has lost 57 pounds since June.

The experience was "life changing." Turner said it gave her the confidence to get a more demanding job.

"It was something remarkable for me to go from being a fatty person to someone who can run up stairs and do push-ups," she said.

Turner had to tackle inertia first. She'd spent her whole life "chained to a lab book." By her early 30s, she was getting heavier and slowing down mentally and physically, she said.

"I felt my brain was really slowing down," she said. "And I live off my brain."

In the gym, Turner's personal trainer made her do "vast amounts of abdominal exercises." There was frustration and a few tears, but the results to date have been worth the effort. Her goal is to lose another 50 pounds.

And Turner discovered the world beyond her office.

"The things I can do now, kayaking and hiking, I didn't think they even applied to me before," she said. "Now I love it. I try and do something like that at least once a week. More often if I can. I am not afraid of that."

HELEN TURNER

Age: 36

Profession: Immunologist, incoming dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade University

Height: 5-feet-6

Weight: About 200 pounds and dropping

Neighborhood: Punchbowl

Fitness routine: Trains at Gold's Gym six days a week. Two of those days are with a personal trainer, who helps Turner with core strengthening — sit-ups, push-ups, lunges — and four days she does an hour of aerobic work on either a treadmill or an elliptical trainer.

Biggest hurdle: Walking through the door at Gold's Gym. It took Turner three attempts. On the day she succeeded, she had already driven around the block five times before going home to fetch her husband for moral support.

Food for thought: Turner started by learning to eat a large, healthy breakfast. She eats small snacks through the day and a small meal for dinner. She monitors her caloric intake with a computer program that displays percentages of protein, carbohydrates and fat for each thing eaten. Turner then compares the number of calories she consumes with the amount burned through exercise.

What saves your sanity: "I have met really nice people at the gym. I treadmill with the other girls, and we gossip. It's a nice atmosphere and the people are very supportive."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.