Boo Gibson, 56, of Marietta lost 27 pounds

Pounds lost: 27 pounds

Height: 5 feet 3 inches

Age: 56 years

How long she's kept it off: "I started in August 2016, and I reached my current weight in February," Gibson said. "So six months."

Personal life: "I live in Marietta, Ga., with my amazing husband of 30 years, Don. We have two beautiful grown girls: Sarah Kate and Anna. I'm currently the executive administrator for the chief strategy officer of The Boon Group."

Turning point: "If I had $10 for every time I lost these same 20 pounds, I'd be a millionaire. I was at 25 pounds and still gaining. I realized I couldn't do it on my own. I had known Jacynta for years, so I contacted her and told her I was fed up and I needed help. I joined Sparkle A New You (sparkleanewyou.com) and found a whole community of people who were on the same journey. … We are all making healthier choices and friends along the way — It is not a diet but a lifestyle change."

Diet plan: "We don't diet at Sparkle — diet is considered a bad word around us. We have changed our eating habits." Her typical breakfast is granola mixed with Greek yogurt. Lunch is a salad with lean meat, and dinner is lean meat and vegetables.

Exercise routine: "I herniated three disks in my lower back three and a half years ago. My absolutely amazing chiropractor … single-handedly rehabbed me. In order to maintain my back health, I started walking short distances and going to Barre3 classes. … After joining Sparkle, I realized I needed to up my exercise game. So now I do Barre3 three days a week and body jump fitness three days a week. I have a chronically bad back, no cartilage in my knees and a bad neck, so I have to do things that I can modify or that have no impact."

Biggest challenge: "First, walking through the door. Secondly, changing my mind-set to not being negative every time the scale went up instead of down. I'm learning how to find success in other aspects of the journey and not just the scale. Maintaining my weight is my new battle. I don't want to go back to what I was. … I continue to set new goals for myself and keep the new mind-set."

How life has changed: "I feel so good and healthy and strong. My sweet husband compliments me every day. He's never done that before. It's pretty awesome. And I have some great new friends through this process. I just signed up for a 10-mile race. I will only be walking it, but it is by far the hugest undertaking I've ever tried. I will be prepping for it with my other Sparkle buddies. We have someone who has graciously offered to train us."

Share Your Success: 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, a daytime 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 Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.