How this Smyrna nurse and mother lost 40 pounds in less than 10 months

Kenneth Craig has a look at new research and shows us how social media helped one woman shed a third of her body weight.

SUCCESS STORY

Angelique Martinez, 39: From 171 pounds to 131 pounds

Angelique Martinez weighed 171 pounds in the photo on the left, taken in July 2016. In the photo on the right, taken this month, she weighed 131 pounds. (All photos contributed by Angelique Martinez).

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Former weight: 171 pounds

Current weight: 131 pounds

Pounds lost: 40 pounds

Height: 5 feet 4 inches

Age: 39 years

How long she's kept it off: "I started my journey in January of 2017 and reached my goal weight in October 2017," Martinez said.

Personal life: "I am a registered nurse who lives in Smyrna," Martinez said. "I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Randy, for over 13 years. We have two beautiful daughters, Adelaide, 5 1/2 years, and Laurel, 4 years."

Turning point: "I had started working out with a trainer … in September of 2016, but my weight had not changed," Martinez said. "In January of 2017, I started Sparkle A New You with wellness coach Jacynta Harb (www.sparkleanewyou.com). A friend had started Sparkle and had success, so I thought I should see what it was about. I started tracking and adding more aspects of health and wellness into my life. … Tracking my food definitely helps to keep me in line. Having a gym that has child care all day, and that my kids like to go to, has also helped me maintain my exercise regimen."

Diet plan: "Tracking everything I eat in My Fitness Pal is what has worked for me," she said. "It helped me realize how big my portion sizes really were. … I was definitely not drinking enough water." Breakfast is egg whites or grits with chia seeds and coffee. Lunch is soup or salad. Dinner is protein and vegetables.

Exercise routine: "I do a variety of exercises five to seven times a week. Exercises include Pilates reformer, spin class, running, strength training, cardio machines and classes," Martinez said. "I will also do a monthly challenge at times: burpee challenge, abdominal challenge or squat challenge."

Biggest challenge: "Accepting that I was not really eating as well as I thought. I was indulging in a lot of things that I did not need to be," Martinez said. "I am also an emotional eater and really had to step back and ask myself if I am really hungry or having a stressful moment?"

How life has changed: "I have more energy and I enjoy being active," Martinez said. "I started running, which is something that I never thought that I would be doing. I ran the Atlanta 10-miler this past October, which is something I would have never seen myself doing a year ago. I am more comfortable in my skin than I was before. … Some days my daughters will ask about going to the gym because they love the child care. When I got 10 pounds down, I was not very excited because I have been 10 pounds down many times before, and then something would happen to get me off track. I saw a sign that now hangs in my bathroom where I see it every day that says, 'Don't look back, you are not going that way.' "


Share Your Success: Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, a daytime phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.