• Former weight: 150 pounds

• Current weight: 109 pounds

Marvin Scott, Images Unlimited Photography (ENLARGE)

BEFORE: Pamela Myers weighed 150 pounds.

Marvin Scott, Images Unlimited Photography (ENLARGE)

AFTER: In figure competitions.

PHOTOS: See other before and after pictures sent by users like you! ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | new TEN | Inspirations | Inspirations II | Readers photos Upload your own photos! Topic: Atlanta's weight loss resource 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. More success stories Sonya Moste, 41, of Fayetteville lost 60 pounds  Dick Jones, 53, of Alpharetta loses 72 pounds  Derrick Williams, 37, of Dunwoody sheds 75 pounds  Sherrie Cline, 44, of Cartersville loses 72 pounds  Hannah Conheady, 19, of Lawrenceville sheds 102 pounds  Sara Corcoran, 39, of Johns Creek sheds 114 pounds  Jennifer Sabatier, 34, of Atlanta loses 80 pounds  Mickey Ruffalo, 57, of Woodstock loses 65 pounds  Jane Walters, 51, of McDonough sheds 38 pounds  Vivian Lawson, 46, of Kennesaw loses 71 pounds  Back to Health

• Pounds lost: 41

• Height: 5 feet 2 inches

• How long she's kept it off: A couple of years

• Personal life: Myers is a certified Aerobics and Fitness Association of America personal trainer and has her own business, Pamela Myers Model Fitness (www.pamelamyersfitness.com). She also works at the South DeKalb Family YMCA as a wellness coordinator. She is the mother of two boys, William, 13, and Madison, 7. She and her family live in Ellenwood.

• Turning point: "When I had my second baby, I was hitting double-digit clothes. It kind of pushed me to go to the gym." She began going to her local YMCA with her boys. "I am happiest in a training environment that allows me to rest in knowing my children are engaged in safe, character-building activities such as swimming, basketball and soccer."

She mentioned to her aerobics instructor that after having two children, she never thought she could wear a swimsuit again. "He saw my genetic potential in the sport of bodybuilding," she says. So with her aerobics instructor's encouragement and her then-husband's support, in August 2005 she entered her first figure competition. Then, in the summer of 2006, after an 18-year career in corporate America, Myers was downsized out of a job. She saw that as an opportunity to make fitness a bigger part of her life and started a personal training business.

• Diet plan: "I am eating five to six small meals a day. I control my portions using a salad plate. I don't use my dinner plates anymore," she says. For breakfast, she has Quaker weight-control banana nut oatmeal to which she adds a scoop of vanilla protein powder and rice milk. Lunch is usually a salad with lean meat or fish. Dinner is usually lean meat or fish cooked on the George Foreman grill, with brown rice, or a wrap with grilled chicken and spinach. And wherever she goes, she keeps food and seasonings with her so she can stick to her plan. "You can go to McDonald's and you can eat clean — you have to keep dressings on your person to avoid the fat and calories," she says.

• Exercise routine: Myers is a National Physique Committee figure competitor. She trains regularly at her local YMCA. Daily, she does 35 minutes of high-intensity cardio on an elliptical machine. This is followed by 150 to 300 crunches. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she works on upper body and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays she does lower-body workouts.

• Munchie antidote: "Trail mix — that satisfies me," she says. She takes almond cereal, honey-roasted cashews, whole almonds, dark-chocolate-covered raisins and dried cranberries and puts the mix into small bags for on-the-go snacking.

• Secret to success: "Balance in your spirit, balance in your mind, balance in your body, balance in your social life — making time for things other than work," she says. She also says the support of those around her is part of her success. Her trainer, Marvin Scott, helped her discover figure competitions. "He encouraged me beyond my own fears." And her then-husband convinced her to give it a try and took care of the boys while she worked out. "He encouraged me to go for the first contest. Little did he know I was going to turn into a workout fiend."

• How life has changed: "For me it's a total transformation. I find myself a little happier in midlife," she says. "Now it's like my destiny is in my own hands. I set how high I can go, and that feels good. You know that song, the future is so bright, you've got to wear shades? I keep my shades handy at all times."