Shira Miller, 43, of Sandy Springs loses 50 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Former weight: 175 pounds

Current weight: 125 pounds

Pounds lost: 50 pounds

Height: 5 feet 4 inches

How long she’s kept it off: 16 years. “[I] decided to officially start taking care of myself on September 4, 1992. I reached my goal weight in December 1993,” says Miller.

Personal life: “A resident of Sandy Springs, I own a boutique PR firm (ShiraMiller.com) and am dating a wonderful man named Justin.” She has also just completed a book proposal about maintaining weight loss for life.

Turning point: “Although I was in my 20s, my energy was low and I felt tired all of the time,” she says. “After years of yo-yo dieting, what finally worked was starting with my mind. This wasn’t to make anyone else happy — it was about taking better care of me for me.”

Diet plan: “I devised my own based on lots of research because in the past, trying formal diet plans just gave me something to rebel against.” For breakfast she has oatmeal with skim milk and walnuts. Mid-morning snack is Greek yogurt with fruit. Lunch is salad with grilled chicken. Afternoon snack is cheese and rice pudding with berries. Dinner is baked fish, sweet potato and broccoli.

Exercise routine: “I focus on keeping a balance between cardio, strength and core work,” she says. She works out six days per week.

Biggest challenge: “Not getting impatient, and staying focused on the fact that since it took years to put on the 50 pounds, it would take a long time to take it off slowly and permanently,” she says. “In maintenance mode, the challenge has been remaining aware of emotional eating habits that can creep up during higher stress times.”

How life has changed: “My self-confidence really increased,” she says. “I never would have had the courage to start my own business, or write a book or buy my own home or travel around the world if I hadn’t have gone through the process of believing I deserved a better life and better health.”

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