Share your weight loss success story!

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Success Stories wants YOU!

Family photo Veolia Gibson once weighed 400 pounds! She now weighs 138 pounds. She eats smart portions of food every few hours, sticking to a high veggie and protein diet.

Family photo Sissy Lusk went from 345 to 130 pounds. Weight Watchers was the key to her losing so much weight, and she is now a leader for the organization. The key for her was making exercise fun and not beating herself up for giving in to cravings now and then.

Family photo Jennifer Powell of Douglasville once weighed 286 pounds. She has polycystic ovarian syndrome, which makes it difficult to lose weight without medical intervention. After starting medication, she lost 40 pounds. She used this as inspiration to change her diet by eating smaller portions and exercising around the house. She lost over a 100 pounds on a budget!

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For over five years, I've been asking people a question my Southern mother taught me as a toddler not to ask in polite company: how much do you weigh?

But fearless losers have answered, and together my readers and I have watched many metro-Atlantans lose over 10,000 pounds in the weekly weight loss column, Success Stories.

I've admired the courage of those willing to share their struggle to lose weight and keep it off. And I've been especially grateful for my readers - a passionate group of folks who look forward to the next Success Story as much as I do.

In fact, it's often readers who have the best successes to share. I know there are more of you out there, mustering up the courage to answer my very nosy question and inspire us all.

Have you pounded the pavement to shrink your waistband like Veolia Gibson? Are you a ghost of your former self such as Sissy Lusk? Or did you come up with frugal ways to lose weight like Jennifer and Eddie Powell? Are your jeans falling off in spite of your love of baking like Chris Querry?

If you're ready to share your success, my readers and I are ready to read.

Drop me a line at ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you.

Editor's note: As extra incentive, AJC readers profiled in our Weight Loss Success Story feature throughout the year have the chance to be featured in our year-end, "biggest (weight loss) losers" special feature! Check out our weight loss winners from 2009.

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