SUCCESS STORY / Christina Lenahan, 26: From 296 pounds to 158 pounds
Former weight: 296 pounds
Current weight: 158 pounds
Pounds lost: 138 pounds
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Age: 26
How long she's kept it off: "I started in August 2013. I reached my goal this past January," Lenahan says.
Personal life: "We have two dogs, they are our babies. I just got married in May, I'm an interior designer." She and her husband live in Cumming. She blogs on Instagram at @christina_ww_thing1. "It exploded with 25,000 followers who wait for my recipes — it is very mind-blowing to me some days."
Turning point: "I had been on a Mediterranean cruise with my mom and sister. I had been obese my entire life. When I got home, I was taking a picture and I didn't recognize myself. … A couple of weeks after this, I went to my doctor and he sat me down and said: 'If you ever want to have your own children, you need to do something about your weight. You will never have children at the weight you are at.' At that point, it was about any future children, it wasn't just me. I joined Weight Watchers, I did it in college with a friend but … slipped into bad habits. … It really clicked for me this time. … I started looking at it as a lifestyle, not a diet."
Diet plan: "Breakfast used to be something I skipped." She has an egg white omelet with toast or a protein bagel and watermelon. Lunch is a wrap; dinner is a home-cooked meal.
Exercise routine: "At the beginning, I really just focused on walking and moving. … I could go for a walk and I would feel like a new person. It turned into hiking; it turned into getting into the gym and getting on machines that were always intimidating to me. I joined a local runners group. … I always hated running, … I was truly the only kid who was overweight in my class. I was bullied, and if I couldn't finish that run, it would give me something else to be picked on for. … For the first time in my life, I ran a mile and I cried."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was probably just convincing myself I could do it. I knew that I could, but reassuring myself that it was possible (was the challenge). I think there's a little fear in reaching a goal that has been so out of reach for so long."
How life has changed: "Life has changed a lot. I'm definitely more active. I'm definitely a happier person. I enjoy spontaneous activities. I enjoy being outside — I used to hate it because I would sweat. … I am in two new commercials for Weight Watchers. That was such a cool experience. … I am very humbled. It is so weird to have friends and family all over the country say, 'I just saw you on TV.'… I was recently in a Buzz Feed video and a Pop Sugar article as well."
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, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
About the Author
