Renee Liverpool loses 35 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Current weight: 112 pounds

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Family photo BEFORE: Renee Liverpool weighed 147 pounds in this June 2009 photo.

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Weight Watchers AFTER: Renee Liverpool weighed 112 pounds in this October 2011 photo.

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Pounds lost: 35 pounds

Height: 4 feet 10 inches

Age: 29 years

How long she’s kept it off: Nearly eight months. “On Nov. 21, 2010, I joined Weight Watchers,” Liverpool said. “I met my goal weight on May 29, 2011."

Personal life: “I am married to my wonderful and supportive husband, Jamal,” she said. “We live together in Lilburn, Ga., with our two dogs. I work as a meeting leader for Weight Watchers.” She blogs at skinnychicknotes.blogspot.com.

Turning point: “Before joining, I had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and had to have my gallbladder removed due to a diet filled with fatty and salty foods,” she said. “My BMI, body-mass index, was 31.8, which characterized me as obese. I also have a history of type 2 diabetes on both sides of my family. I knew that I needed to make a change.”

Diet plan: Breakfast is an egg with wheat toast, turkey bacon and fruit. Lunch is soup and salad. Dinner is baked fish, brown rice and vegetables.

Exercise routine: “I get some sort of activity in every day. ... I do a variety of things from dancing to kickboxing and running," she said. "I am now training for my first 10K race, so right now, it mostly consists of running."

Biggest challenge: “I think the biggest challenge for me has been to remember not to deprive myself,” she said. “There is no way that anyone can go throughout their lives without the foods that they absolutely love.”

How life has changed: “I dropped five dress sizes and have never felt better,” she said. “I think I am most excited about my health. I went back to the doctor after losing 10 percent of my starting weight, and my blood pressure was normal. No medication for me. My BMI is down to 24.2, which is normal weight. I loved the environment [at Weight Watchers] so much that I decided to become a meeting leader.”

When Weight Watchers was looking for real success stories for television commercials, Liverpool submitted her information and was selected. She is featured in the current "believe" advertisements running for the next few months.

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 email address, a daytime phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, c/o Holly Steel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.