Paula Bechtler, 44, of Hiram lost 93 pounds

Paula Bechtler weighed 155 pounds when this photo was taken this past May.

Paula Bechtler weighed 155 pounds when this photo was taken this past May.

SUCCESS STORY / Paula Bechtler, 44: From 248 pounds to 155 pounds

Former weight: 248 pounds

Current weight: 155 pounds

Pounds lost: 93 pounds

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Age: 44 years

How long she's kept it off: She started in June 2016 and reached her goal weight in May.

Personal life: "I've been married to Bill for 15 years, and we have a 14-year-old daughter, CJ, a 12-year-old son, Ben, and a 7-year-old beagle, Dottie. I'm a project manager at Kennesaw State University, where I've worked for eight years," Bechtler said. She lives in Hiram and blogs at https://whatilost.wordpress.com/.

Turning point: "A friend urged me to give Weight Watchers a try, and I reluctantly joined. I had been overweight or obese most of my adult life. I was terrified to try it and fail. I felt extremely self-conscious at my first meeting, making up some excuse not to stay afterward for the newbie orientation session. I gave it half a try the first week, and I was surprised to see that I lost 1.8 pounds. That motivated me to give it a real chance, and the weight continued to come off, week after week. Once I saw that it was working, I was all in and had to be convinced by my leader … to loosen my white-knuckle grip a little bit."

Diet plan: Breakfast is toast with peanut butter, steel-cut oatmeal or an egg white omelet. Lunch is a turkey sandwich or a frozen low-calorie meal. Dinner is a home-cooked meal in a smaller portion. "If I had to be perfect in my choices, I would never have been successful long-term."

Exercise routine: "I started walking and gradually increased the number of steps I walked every day. My goal is to get about 10,000 steps per day. Having a Fitbit helps me track my steps and motivates me to be more active."

Biggest challenge: "Finding the confidence to walk in the door for that first meeting." She felt that if she failed again, "it would signal a life sentence to being overweight. … As I began to lose the weight, I struggled with viewing the food choices that I made being good or bad. … The guilt that ensues after I make a bad choice can snowball into more bad choices. I think I will have that internal struggle for the rest of my life."

How life has changed: "I used to look at people who were not overweight and wonder what that felt like. Now I know what it feels like and it's amazing. Walking around in this healthy body is much more thrilling than eating fast food every day. … I have a lot more energy, I sleep better and I no longer need to use a CPAP machine at night. I no longer need to take medication for cholesterol or acid reflux. … I'm doing the Peachtree Road Race this year for the first time."


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.