Amy Shieffelin of Grayson loses 36 pounds

By Michelle Brooks

For the AJC

Former weight:
183 pounds

Current weight: 
147 pounds

Pounds lost: 36

Height: 5 feet 8 inches

How long she’s kept it off: Started Jan. 15 and reached goal in November.

Personal life: “I am married with two sons, one 9 and one 6,” Shieffelin said. “I am the vice president of a third-party administrator for workers’ compensation programs.” She and her family live in Grayson.

Turning point: “I had always been confident in my professional life and my confidence had begun to suffer. I finally decided I had enough of feeling bad and disliking my appearance,” she said. “I was even embarrassed to go to my boys’ ballgames and see people — people I had known for years. I also was at the point of stopping playing tennis because I was playing so bad [because of] my weight and lack of physical fitness. I have been playing for 15 years.”

Diet plan: “I eat five to six times per day, including a protein in most meals. I don’t eat carbohydrates after 3 or 4 p.m. and have plenty of water.”

Exercise routine: She does strength training twice a week at Revolution Fitness and Training in Lawrenceville (www.rev
training.com). She also does cardio three to four times a week. “We are a very active family with the boys playing baseball and football. My husband and I play tennis in leagues like ALTA and USTA,” she said.

Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge is to not let slip-ups make me slide backward,” she said. “I have lost the weight before but have never been able to control the slip-ups. The exercise also allows my body to tolerate slips better.”

How life has changed: “Life is mainly different in how I perceive my life. No changes have occurred in my life circumstances; I just handle stress much better, am nicer to my family and others, and am a much, much happier person. I am enjoying my life now instead of just getting through the days,” she said. “I also feel very strong now and ran my first 5K on Thanksgiving Day. Something I knew I could do physically but did not know I could do mentally.”

Be an inspiration: If you’ve made positive changes in your diet and/or fitness routine and are happy with the results, please share your success with us. Include your e-mail address, a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, 
c/o Suzanne Van Atten, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories
@gmail.com.