Catherine Anliker loses 105 pounds

By Michelle Brooks

For the AJC

Former weight: 268 pounds

Current weight: 163 pounds

Pounds lost: 105

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Age: 35 years old

How long she’s kept it off: She began in August 2008 and hit her 100-pound weight-loss goal in February.

Personal life: “I am a single professional,” Anliker said. “I own a small stationery store called By Invitation Only in Fayetteville.”

Turning point: “In July of 2008, I traveled with family and friends to Switzerland for what I knew would be a life-changing vacation,” she said. “I expected to be altered by the beautiful scenery. ... It was not until I returned home that my life was truly changed. Upon seeing myself in some of the photos we had taken, I was mortified. I knew I was heavy, and I knew I was unhealthy, but when I saw those pictures, I knew I had to make a change.”

She decided to join Weight Watchers.

“By September 2009 I had my eating and exercise plan worked out. ... However, the other mountain in my life, my financial debt, was becoming more elevated. I signed up for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University through my church. ... I was awestruck at the principles I was learning. ... I had never understood how the issues that surrounded my overeating and overspending were so remarkably similar. It was definitely an ‘ah ha!’ moment.”

Diet plan: Breakfast is a bar with a yogurt smoothie. Lunch is a sandwich or salad, and dinner is lean protein with vegetables and a starch.

Exercise routine: “I exercise for about 50 minutes approximately four times per week,” she said. She uses Leslie Sansone’s "Walk Away the Pounds" DVDs.

Biggest challenge: “So far, the biggest challenge has been the periods of plateaus I've faced,” she said. “There were times I wanted to give up, but I knew it’s worth it.”

How life has changed: “Life, for me, is completely different than it was before,” she said. “I have more energy, I have more motivation, and I have more life than ever. ... I'm no longer destined to hiding my personality inside a body of which I was ashamed. More than ever, I walk with confidence and grace -- with humility, though, because I know I'll struggle in this area the rest of my 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 e-mail 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; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.