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 Patty Murphy, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
SUCCESS STORY / Anessia Foley, 39: from 150 pounds to 123 pounds
Former weight: 150 pounds
Current weight: 123 pounds
Pounds lost: 27 pounds
Height: 5 feet 1 inch
Age: 39 years
How long she's kept it off: Almost a year. She began June 2013 and reached her goal March 2014.
Personal life: "I work as a freelance graphic designer. I live in East Cobb with my husband, Tony, and our daughter, Kerris," said Foley. "We also have a 21-year-old son, Peyton, who lives in Denver."
Turning point: "Sick, tired and completely over it," she said. "I had no hope, no motivation and no energy. That was no kind of life. I'd tried losing weight before, never with much success. Every year, that dreaded number just kept climbing up. We all have our own personal Jiminy Cricket that reminds us what we really need to do. Well, mine kept putting one name in front of me over and over again, Jacynta. She is a wellness coach (www.sparkleanewyou.com) helping people lose weight. After her name came up so many times … I listened to the cricket, and I sent Jacynta a Facebook message."
Diet plan: She eats five meals daily which include fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein. "I measure everything. I think I have at least four sets of measuring cups just to keep up. I track everything in MyFitnessPal."
Exercise routine: "I try to exercise every day," she said. She walks, runs and does FitnessBlender.com workouts. "I got a FitBit for Christmas, so I've also added walking while on conference calls and while reading to my daily activities so that I get my 10,000 steps in."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge during my weight-loss journey was getting bored," she says. "At first, counting calories and measuring was enough to keep it interesting. When that became a way of life, I had to shake things up. I have experimented by eating a 100 percent all-natural diet, nothing out of a box, package, or bag, and going gluten-free…Changing my diet in those ways has kept my meals exciting."
How life has changed: "What I'm most excited about is the new life I've revealed to myself," she says. "I feel like I was wearing glasses made of fat before. That's all I could see. Through this, I learned to see and know myself. Once you know who you are, you don't have to spend all of your time trying to figure it out…There's a beautiful world out there… I've run 5Ks and 10Ks…I feel like I've never been a better wife, mom, daughter, and friend."
About the Author
