SUCCESS STORY / Erica Sawyer, 37: From 368 pounds to 176 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Previous weight: 368 pounds

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Special Erica Sawyer has her weight down 176 pounds in this July 2011 photo.

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Special Erica Sawyer weighed 368 pounds in this May 2009.

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Current weight: 176 pounds

Pounds lost: 192 pounds

Height: 5 feet 9 inches

Age: 37 years

How long she’s kept it off: She started in February 2010. In October, she reached her current weight – her goal weight is 155 pounds.

Personal life: “I’m a workforce analytics and rewards analyst for Cox Communications, Inc.,” says Sawyer. “I’m a proud single mother of one daughter, Camille Marie Rivers.” She and her family live in Covington, Ga.

Turning point: “When I could no longer fit the clothes in the plus-size stores which go up to a size 32/34 -- I knew I was a beautiful young lady but I wasn’t healthy,” she says.

Diet plan: “I’m on a high-protein diet so that I stay full throughout the day,” she says. “I eat every two to three hours to boost my metabolism.” She starts the day with a whey protein shake, snacks on peanut butter and an apple. Then she has Greek yogurt with a granola bar and blueberries. Lunch is a low-calorie frozen meal and dinner is a grilled chicken salad.

Exercise routine: “I work out twice a day,” she says. “I wake up every morning at 4:30 a.m. and I run seven miles, Monday through Saturday. I workout on my lunch break with my personal trainer.”

Biggest challenge: “Staying off the scale,” she says. “I had to realize that muscle weighs more than fat and the more I added muscle, the less the scale went down. I now monitor my progress by the clothes I wear.”

How life has changed: “When I was overweight, I would have to sit on the edge of the bed every morning for about ten minutes because I couldn’t move,” she says. “Now when I wake up, I hop right out the bed and I hit the ground running. I was so large that my hip overlaid the gear shaft and the steering wheel sat in my lap. And I remember that I couldn’t ride any of the rides at Six Flags because I couldn’t fit in them -- neither is a problem any longer. I have a second chance at life because of my weight loss. It kept me back from so many things in life…it only takes hard work and determination to succeed in anything in life.”

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.