SUCCESS STORY / Nellie Walkup, 49: From 225 pounds to 136 pounds

Former weight: 225 pounds

Current weight: 136 pounds

Pounds lost: 89 pounds

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Age: 49 years

How long she’s kept it off: “I started my weight-loss journey in 2006, after my second daughter was born, and reached goal a couple of times but was not successful in keeping it off until last November,” Walkup said.

Personal life: “I am a stay-at-home mom and live in Acworth with my husband of 13 years, two beautiful girls, ages 10 and 8, and my mother-in-law, 87,” she said.

Turning point: “I developed high cholesterol and knew it was because of my weight. I had also developed problems in my knees, feet and hips,” she said. “Over the years, I tried many diets, diet pills and shakes. … I knew how to lose weight — I just couldn’t keep it off. … A good friend asked me to be her accountability partner on her weight-loss journey as she read the book “Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food” by Lysa TerKeurst (madetocrave.org). I decided to read the book along with her to ‘help’ her. This book was the last piece of the puzzle I apparently needed to finally stop the mad cycle of losing and gaining weight.”

Diet plan: “I’ve been a yo-yo dieter my whole life,” Walkup said. “The whole time, I was exercising at the gym — but exercise was not sufficient for weight loss as long as I continued to eat the way I was eating.” Breakfast is granola and fruit; a salad for lunch; and usually chicken or turkey with vegetables for dinner. She snacks between meals on fruit or has a protein shake.

Exercise routine: She exercises five or six days a week doing cardio and weights. “I met with a wonderful trainer at the YMCA who is now a friend and helped me build an array of exercise routines that I still use,” she said.

Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge while losing weight was staying focused on the goal without getting distracted or derailed,” Walkup said. “For me, it has been harder to maintain than to lose because I became an expert on losing weight after all these years. But maintaining is new to me, so I stay ahead of the game by using the tools I’ve learned.”

How life has changed: “Life is very different for me now. I couldn’t run before because of all the physical problems I had developed, and last October I ran my first 5K,” she said. “I finally reached goal and have maintained for the longest period of time in my life. … Finally, what makes this all work for me now is that it is a way of life. Working out is fun, and eating food is for nourishment rather than a coping tool. … My girls love for me to chase them around the track at the YMCA, which is something I couldn’t do before.”