Atlanta loses weight: Inspirations

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Atlanta loses weight: Inspirations

With the holiday weight-gaining season before us, we thought that some weight-loss inspiration might be in order. So, here are 10 of our favorite Atlanta Weight Loss Success Stories.

With the holiday weight-gaining season before us, we thought that some weight-loss inspiration might be in order. So, here are 10 of our favorite Atlanta Weight Loss Success Stories. We wish you the best of luck with your own weight-loss efforts, and please send us your own success story to ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com. Please include a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG).

VEOLIA GIBSON: Starting weight: 400 lbs. Inspiration: Her turning point came when she realized, "You get to eat every day of your life, so you don't have to eat it all at once." She decided to start walking, and "the weight really started to come off. It worked because I didn't focus on losing 262 pounds all at once. I just focused on being healthy and walking."

VEOLIA GIBSON: Result: 138 lbs (lost 262) On her success: "I have so much energy and my stamina is incredible for a 54-year-old. ... And to me, the best part is that I did it all by myself without spending money, having surgery, taking pills or trying the latest diet fad."

TOMMY ORR: Starting weight: 420 lbs. Inspiration: When Orr was put on blood pressure medication, he knew it was time to make a change. "I didn't believe that was good enough for me and God would help me do this. He has and I am off the meds."

TOMMY ORR: Result: 326 lbs. (lost 94) On his success: "The biggest thing is getting your mind right and deciding for yourself that you want to do this."

CLOVIS D. CLARK: Starting weight: 247 lbs. Inspiration: "I lost the weight after a frightening experience with irregular heartbeats," says Clark. "I have two sons. I thought about them having to grow up without their mother, and I resolved to do all I could to prevent that."

CLOVIS D. CLARK: Result: 160 lbs. (lost 87) On her success: Clark, who now teaches fitness classes and participates in the Senior Olympics, says "I came from not being able to walk to the mailbox, hardly, to all this. You don't ever know what you can do."

ROSALIND RAGANS: Starting weight: 272 lbs. Inspiration: "I have post-polio syndrome, my right arm and my right leg are very weak," she said. "I had polio when I was 11 and my right side was paralyzed. With treatment, I realized a complete recovery. I was absolutely normal until the age of 40; then, I gradually got weaker until I am almost at the stage I was at when I was paralyzed the first time. I can only walk with a walker."

ROSALIND RAGANS: Result: 234 lbs. (lost 38) On her success: "Before, we could not get my blood pressure regulated even with medication, and my sugar was always zigzagging. All kinds of health problems have eased up. And, of course, the weight loss has enabled me to move more easily."

KRISTI HISLOPE: Starting weight: 275 lbs. Inspiration: In November 2004, Hislope's health began to fail. Her blood pressure was high, her sugar levels were elevated, she was developing glaucoma and had obesity-related surgery. "I needed to lose weight or I was going to die," Hislope says.

KRISTI HISLOPE: Result: 142 lbs. (lost 133) On her success: "As my weight went down, my confidence level went up. If I can lose 133 pounds, I can do anything."

JEFF GRANT: Starting weight: 220 lbs. Inspiration: "I got tired of looking in the mirror every morning and seeing a man that looked unhealthy and 20 years older."

JEFF GRANT: Result: 160 lbs. (lost 60) On his success: "For the first few years after making the change, I was participating in some serious athletic events like Ironman and marathons but still didn't see myself as an athlete. It's amazing how long it took for my mental image to catch up with the physical change," he says. Now Grant competes in ultra-endurance events around the world.

CHRIS GOULET: Starting weight: 283 lbs. Inspiration: Goulet's turning point came when she wasn't able to fit into a seat at a Braves game. "Not only was I embarrassed, but I realized that I was unable to fit into life anymore - my life," she says.

CHRIS GOULET: Result: 170 lbs. (lost 113) On her success: "I certainly didn't take the fast road to the finish line, but I never lost the drive to make it. I read that if you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, go down there and turn it on yourself - so I did."

SHANA DEZELLE: Starting weight: 245 lbs. Inspiration: "It registered to me that while I am here on Earth, I want to make the best of it for my body and wellness."

SHANA DEZELLE: Result: 150 lbs. (lost 95) On her success: "Everything is so much clearer now. I know who I am and what I want."

SIBRENNA SHIPMAN: Starting weight: 334 lbs. Inspiration: "One day, I visited my son's school and after leaving, the kids teased my son about how I looked and [when] defending me, he had to fight approximately eight to 10 little boys and got suspended in the process."

SIBRENNA SHIPMAN: Result: 145 lbs. (lost 189) On her success: "Actually, it was very easy getting off the weight, surprisingly. It is harder for me to keep it off," she says. "Actually losing weight gave me the oomph and the courage to go back to further my education."

KALVIN C. CHINYERE: Starting weight: 333 lbs. Inspiration: "After graduating from medical school, I started my internship in internal medicine," he says. "I worked for two months [in] the stroke unit in a Brooklyn [N.Y.] hospital. I watched people suffering after having a stroke. Many of these strokes could have been prevented by losing weight and adapting a healthier lifestyle. I vowed then to lose weight and keep it off."

KALVIN C. CHINYERE: Result: 198 lbs. (lost 135) On his success: "Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. Large temporary lifestyle changes lead to fast temporary weight loss. Small permanent lifestyle changes lead to slow permanent weight loss."

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With the holiday weight-gaining season before us, we thought that some weight-loss inspiration might be in order. So, here are 10 of our favorite Atlanta Weight Loss Success Stories. We wish you the best of luck with your own weight-loss efforts, and please send us your own success story to ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com. Please include a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG).

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