Former weight: 254 pounds
Current weight: 148 pounds
Pounds lost: 106 pounds
Height: 5 feet 3 inches
Age: 38 years
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How long she’s kept it off: “I am seven pounds from my goal. I began losing weight in November 2009 and hope to be at my goal very soon,” Selman says.
Personal life: “When I worked outside of the home, I was an accountant. Now I am a stay-at-home mom. I have lived in the Buford area for over 20 years,” she says. “I enjoy spending time with my husband, Dave, my daughter, Summer and my son, Levi.”
Turning point: “I had felt convicted several times about not taking care of the body God gave me, and not being a good role model to my family,” she says. “I had been significantly overweight for about the last fifteen years and the heaviest I’d ever been for the last three years. My mom going through cancer treatment made me realize that I didn’t know how much time I had and I needed to start right away. Thankfully, my mom is now cancer-free.”
Diet plan: She followed Weight Watchers' plan. Her day starts with cereal, milk and fruit. Lunch is a low-calorie frozen meal and fresh fruit. She snacks on turkey, whole-grain crackers and string cheese. Dinner is lean meat, such as venison, with brown rice and vegetables.
Exercise routine: “I walk either at a local park or at the mall three to five times per week and I do weight-training videos at home three times per week,” she says.
Biggest challenge: “Changing my eating habits,” she says. “I’d been in those bad habits for so long it was very challenging to develop new ones.”
How life has changed: “My life has changed spiritually, mentally and physically,” she says. “I am depending more on God and less on food when emotions get out of control. My mind is focused on making healthy choices for me and my family, being more active and being a better example for them to follow. My husband has lost 14 pounds as a result of just eating the healthier meals I am cooking. And hopefully, I’m teaching my kids to have healthier habits as well.”
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 e-mail 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 e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.