Former weight: 280 pounds
Current weight: 208 pounds
Pounds lost: 72 pounds
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Age: 25 years
How long she’s kept it off: She started in February and reached her current weight this month.
Personal life: “I live in Alpharetta by myself and am single but have my two precious cats, Finn and Thor. I work in human resources at an Atlanta hospital system,” Duncan said.
Turning point: “I started to see my boss at the time lose weight and asked her how she was doing it. She informed me of this diet doctor she was going to, and I decided then and there that this was my last try at losing weight," Duncan said. "If it didn’t work, then I would just accept being a big girl.” She saw a provider at the Olive Leaf: Natural Health Clinic who suggested the blood-type diet would be best for her.
Diet plan: “I used the blood-type diet plan for blood type O. I changed up my food a lot, but my common day-to-day meals were as follows: Breakfast is two hard-boiled eggs and two slices of turkey bacon. For lunch, I have a 3-ounce steak and steamed broccoli. Dinner is turkey sausage, with jasmine rice and peas. My go-to nibble is grapes."
Exercise routine: “I try to work out at least five to six times a week. I run about a 2-mile route every other day, and the days that I am not running, I am doing a 30-minute at-home HIIT workout.”
Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge that I still work on to this day is my love for sweets," Duncan said. She said she is realizing one meal will not make or break her plan. “(I am) finally learning that one meal that isn’t on the diet will not ruin all of the process you have made," she said. "I also had a pair of shorts that I would look at all the time to motivate me.”
How life has changed: “Life has changed a lot, more on how people view me than how I view myself. I am very proud of myself, but I have really noticed what other people are saying. I am getting compliments all of the time and keep hearing, ‘I’m so proud of you,’ ” Duncan said. "I have even had men from my past contact me. My response? ‘I’m still the same Emma, so you wouldn’t be getting anything new.’ ” Her top tips for others include: “Start to focus on your relationship with food and start a food journal. You’d be surprised as to what you can find out about yourself when you write down what you eat and write down what your emotions are for that day.”
Share Your Success: Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight-loss journey. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific weight-loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email reporter Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
About the Author
