• Former weight: 157 pounds

• Current weight: 125 pounds

Family photo (ENLARGE)

Claire Monroe weighed 157.6 pounds. She says following a Weight Watchers plan helped her to lose weight while lving a normal life.

Family photo (ENLARGE)

Now she's 125 pounds. She stands with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Maya.

• Pounds lost: 32

• Height: 5 feet 3

• How long she's kept it off: She started in March 1999, reached her goal in November 1999. She's kept the weight off for 8 1/2 years.

• Personal life: Monroe works part-time as a Weight Watchers meeting leader and freelance television reporter. She lives in Henry County with her husband, Nathan, and daughter Maya.

• Turning point: "I was a yo-yo dieter in my teens and early 20s, but when I put on a pair of size 14 shorts and they fit, I knew it was time to get serious," says Monroe. "I joined Weight Watchers because it seemed credible. I learned very quickly that when I followed the plan, I lost weight. It worked and continues to work because I live a normal life: I eat meals at home, in restaurants, and at other people's houses; I don't have to deprive myself to stay at a healthy weight; and I've made eating healthfully and being physically active a big part of what I do each day."

• Diet plan: A typical eating day might include plain oatmeal with Splenda, cinnamon and skim milk for breakfast. A salad with chicken for lunch and grilled fish, pork chop or chicken along with grilled vegetables for dinner.

• Exercise routine: "I run an average of four days a week. I was not a runner when I was heavy," she says. "I started while I was losing and have since run four marathons. I also try to squeeze in one more day of cardio-kickboxing. Every day includes running around with my daughter, whose favorite outdoor game is tag."

• Biggest challenge: "The biggest challenge I've faced is staying motivated when most of the people in my life don't know I was once heavy," she says. "That's hard because I stopped getting the, 'Wow! You look great' comments that are so supportive."

• How life has changed: "I feel so much better about myself now that I've lost the weight and kept it off," she says. "Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure run in my family, and I'm sure I would have been much more prone to those illnesses had my weight stayed high. I had a very proud moment a few weeks ago when Maya and I were playing restaurant with her dolls. One of the dolls ordered cake, and my daughter told her she had to have something healthy first."

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