• Height: 5 feet 2 inches

• Personal life: Lusk is married to John, her husband of 22 years. They have one daughter, Elizabeth. The family also has a poodle named Abby.

Frank Niemeir/Staff (ENLARGE)

AFTER: Lusk at 130 pounds.

Family (ENLARGE)

BEFORE: Lusk at 345 pounds.

READ THEIR STORIES: Longtime losers share winning tips, favorite recipes  Sissy Lusk, 42, Canton: From 345 to 130 pounds  Shelby Katz, 41, Peachtree Corners: From 208 to 125 pounds  Dacia Gilkey, 30, College Park: From 256 to 150 pounds  John Payne, 41, Acworth: From 185 to 148 pounds  Keith McKenney, 47, Atlanta: From 275 to 198 pounds  Karen Smicik, 36, Atlanta: From 198 to 158 pounds  Charles Aloisio, 72, Atlanta: From 250 to 150 pounds  Bob Shelton, 64, Atlanta: From 260 to 210 pounds  Benjamin 'Robby' Sneed, 28, Dallas: From 230 to 160 pounds

• How long she's kept it off: Nearly six years. Started in January 1999; met goal in February 2002.

• How she does it: Lusk started her weight loss with Weight Watchers (www.weightwatchers.com) and now she's a Weight Watchers leader. She continues to follow the program every day. She weighs herself every two to three days to stay on track and exercises five times a week.

• Why she's a successful loser: "I hated exercise. I found that you have to make it fun. Find something you enjoy," she says. For her, that means biking with her husband, roller skating and trying new exercise videos.

She's also learned not to deny herself. Once she tried to avoid a Krispy Kreme doughnut craving and ended up taking in more calories. "The day I realized that it was OK as long as I worked it into my Weight Watchers' points for the day, it wasn't all that desirable to me — I could eat one, not feel guilty, and go on."

• Secrets to continued success: "Don't let a lapse become a collapse — learn to forgive yourself," she says. "It allows you to brush it off and go on. You can start again right now, not tomorrow, but right now."

Cola Chicken
4 servings

Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

"This tastes a lot like sweet barbecue chicken," says Sissy Lusk. If you want the sauce a little spicier, add 1 teaspoon chili power and/or a few shakes of Tabasco. (This went over particularly well with our kid testers.)

4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ketchup
1 (12-ounce) can diet cola

Place chicken and onion in nonstick skillet on medium. Mix ketchup and cola and pour over chicken and onion. Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 45 minutes. Uncover, turn up heat and cook until sauce thickens and sticks to chicken.

Per serving: 198 calories (percent of calories from fat, 7), 27 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 800 milligrams sodium.