• Former weight: 170 pounds

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Before: Weight in photo: 170 pounds; age in photo: 19 years; when photo was taken: April 2008.

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After: weight in photo: 134 pounds; age in photo: 20 years; when photo was taken: February 2009.

• Current weight: 134 pounds

• Pounds lost: 36

• Height: 5 feet 6 inches

• How long she’s kept it off: Barrow started her weight loss journey in May 2008 and met her goal in January. She’s kept it off for three months.

• Personal life: Originally from Vinings, Barrow currently lives in Athens. She attends the University of Georgia, where she is majoring in broadcast news and is a member of the Kappa Delta sorority.

• Turning point: “Like most college freshmen, I failed to exercise and almost every meal was eaten at the local fast food restaurants,” she says. “I remember shopping one day with my mom in Athens; I was struggling to fit in a size 10. Tears falling down my face, I knew something had to change.”

• Diet plan: When an uncle lost 30 pounds on the Jenny Craig plan, Barrow decided to try it. “I was never deprived of my favorite foods, especially cheesecake,” she says. Breakfast is Special K cereal with skim milk and fruit. Lunch is a veggie burger with a side salad. And dinner includes grilled chicken or fish and vegetables followed by a light dessert.

• Exercise routine: “After slowly regaining my endurance, I currently yearn to work out every day. I work out about six to seven days [per week],” she says. She does the stepclimber and elliptical trainer and attends a spin class once a week.

• Biggest challenge: “The biggest challenge was knowing that I was actually losing,” she says. “It took awhile, about two to three months, for me to see visible results. Until then, I felt like I was working so hard for nothing. My motivation to look and feel good about myself kept me going, and eventually the weight started falling off.”

• How life has changed: “My confidence has skyrocketed. I love shopping now,” she says. “My health is great, and I have become very health-conscious about food and love making different healthy dishes. Words cannot describe how incredible it feels to wake up knowing I am 36 pounds lighter.”

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Be an inspiration: 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 Suzanne Van Atten, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.

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