Former weight: 252 pounds
Current weight: 145 pounds
Pounds lost: 107 pounds
Height: 5 feet 5 1/2 inches
Age: 34 years
How long she's kept it off: She started her lifestyle changes in 2008 but had stops and starts until she made major changes in February 2011. She reached her current weight in May.
Personal life: "I married my high school sweetheart in November 2005. We have two ragdoll cats, Mika and Mojo, and currently reside in the Johns Creek area," Plummer says. "I have worked at Netcom PaySystem as a financial coordinator for ten years. In June of 2011, I became a certified indoor cycling instructor."
Turning point: "My turning point was when I was told I was in danger of diabetes in 2008," she says. "I had to get on medication and start testing my blood sugar." In February 2011, a gym opened up close to home and she began indoor cycling. "Along with indoor cycling, weight-training two to three times a week and a low-carb, low-calorie diet, the weight started falling off."
Diet plan: Breakfast is a mozzarella cheese stick, coffee with almonds for a snack. Lunch is salad with a cheese stick and green tea. In the afternoon, she has a whey protein vanilla shake and an apple. Dinner is salmon or a chicken breast with vegetables and a sweet potato.
Exercise routine: She lifts weights two to three times per week and cycles four to five times per week. "To celebrate my weight loss goal, I was an instructor for 200 people for the Ovarian Cycle [indoor cycling charity event] (www.ovariancycle.org) in April 2012."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge at first was finding the motivation on bad days to get to the gym," she says. "Once I got in the routine, it was a big stress reliever for me and I started looking forward to my workouts."
How life has changed: "I am happy to say that as of current, I am not in danger of diabetes and all my numbers are great," she says. "I had to stay motivated daily no matter what obstacles I had going on in my life. I had to look at the overall bigger picture and know that this was not going to be an overnight journey."
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, c/o Holly Steel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
