• Former weight: 223.

• Current weight: 150.

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Before: 223 pounds
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After
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• How long she's kept the weight off: Benson reached 137 last June but gained some weight this past holiday season. She's working on taking it off now.

• Personal life: Benson is a homemaker in Tucker.

• Turning point: When a friend in his 50s died of complications from diabetes, Benson started thinking about her own health, including her high blood pressure. "I had just turned 30 and I was looking at myself and going, 'I don't want to die,' " she said.

• Diet plan: Benson signed up for the Optifast program through Emory Bariatrics. Although the standard program is 14 weeks of a physician-supervised liquid fast plus a seven-week transition back to regular food, Benson opted to extend the fast to 21 weeks. Participants have weekly physical exams plus counseling sessions conducted by psychologists, registered dietitians and physical therapists, during which they learn about food preparation, nutrition, portion control, dealing with eating out and other social situations, as well as the psychological triggers for overeating.

• Exercise routine: As part of the program, Benson was issued a pedometer and instructed to take 10,000 steps a day. She did it mostly by walking. In the first two weeks of the program, Benson said, her blood pressure dropped about 20 points. "Seeing that immediate result was really very encouraging," she said.

• Biggest challenge: Forcing herself to exercise, as well as revealing to others her diet program. "I couldn't hide it in any way," she said. "I had to take the Optifast to restaurants and explain to people what I was doing. I had to ask people, 'Could you support me in this?' "

• Secret to success: Benson said she had to tap what she initially thought was a "selfish" part of herself to take the time to exercise. But she has learned to give herself permission to take care of her health. "Also, I could not have even remotely done it without my husband, Roger," she said. "He was completely and totally supportive the entire time."

• How life has changed: Once a picky eater, Benson said the 21-week fast changed her perspective on food. "It completely reset my taste buds," she said. "When I started to eat again, I started to try new things. It's kind of like discovering a new color every day." Benson now exercises regularly — she and Roger recently took a five-mile walk around Stone Mountain — and she feels better about her appearance. "I would very rarely go to a mall because I was embarrassed," she said, noting that she was often ignored by salespeople in clothing stores when she was heavier. "Now I'm not apologizing for myself all the 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 story with us. Briefly tell us your goal (weight loss, an athletic achievement, overcoming a health problem, etc.), how you achieved it and how long you've maintained it. Include a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, c/o Julia McBee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Eighth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303; or e-mail successstories@ajc.com.