Mara Lockard of Coweta County loses 62 pounds
For the AJC
Former weight: 205 pounds
Current weight: 143 pounds
Pounds lost: 62
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
How long she’s kept it off: She started in January 2005 and reached her goal in June 2007.
Personal life: “I’m an Army wife and my husband, Lt. Col. William Lockard, has deployed four times since we moved here in spring 2004. We live in Coweta County with our two children, Gabrielle and Xander.” She works as a leader for Weight Watchers and began her employment after meeting her goal in 2007.
Turning point: “My husband first deployed to Kuwait in the fall of 2004,” she said.
“Also at this time, I determined that I no longer had to [completely] avoid dairy products — my then-breastfeeding son could not tolerate when I consumed dairy. So Ben & Jerry’s became my best friend in my husband’s absence, not to mention the corner pizza place. ...
“I would send photos of us to my husband on a weekly basis. When I saw my ‘before’ picture for the first time, I saw that I had grown, too — I’d gained 25 pounds in four months.”
Diet plan: A typical breakfast includes whole- grain cereal, fruit, yogurt and a teaspoon of olive oil. Lunch is a bowl of vegetables or salad with a veggie burger. Dinner comes from her stash of low-fat cookbooks.
Exercise routine: “These days I work out six or seven days a week,” she said. “I have to laugh at how many folks mention Stone Mountain as part of their exercise in this column, because our family has made it an annual tradition to walk up and down Stone Mountain the day after Thanksgiving.”
Biggest challenge: “Emotional eating, without a doubt,” she said. “Attending a Weight Watchers meeting, even now that I’m a leader, helps to keep things in perspective.”
How life has changed: “I have so much more energy to play with my children now. I no longer walk with pain in my knees,” she said. “I had not felt confident about my appearance in a long, long time. At my 20-year college reunion this past summer, I walked into the room with my head held high.”
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 .
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