Former weight: 243 pounds
Current weight: 185 pounds
Pounds lost: 58 pounds
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Age: 40 years
How long she's kept it off: Ten months – she started in September 2009 and met her goal in May.
Personal life:"I live in Brookhaven and work for Manheim as a senior quality assurance analyst," says Fabre. She "paid her weight loss experience forward" by creating a support group on Facebook and she also has a weight loss blog: www.healthyisthenewfine.blogspot.com.
Turning point: "There were two triggers," she says. "When I visited my doctor in Spring 2009 I asked her what [could I do] to prevent cancer. I thought she was going to tell me to pop this pill or that pill but she said, 'Dedra, we are the same height and you weigh in excess 50 more pounds than me!' It's not what I wanted to hear but it is what I needed to hear. Even though my doctor scared me, I wasn't mentally prepared to take on such a huge undertaking. What took me over the top was a picture my niece took of me. Seeing that picture changed my life. I knew I had to change my lifestyle."
Diet plan: She ate five to six meals per day. Breakfast is high-fiber cereal with almond milk, berries and flaxseed. She has a grilled chicken salad for lunch, chicken and vegetables for dinner. Snacks include Greek yogurt and protein bars.
Exercise routine: She started walking and lost five pounds. Then she met with a trainer two days per week and did cardio four days. To maintain her weight, she works out three days per week doing cardio and strength training.
Biggest challenge: "The biggest challenge was making the mental commitment to change my lifestyle," she says. "After you make up your mind, your body will follow."
How life has changed: "Before my weight-loss journey, I tried to climb Stone Mountain and I stopped after five minutes. Recently, I went up and down the mountain twice," she says. "Most importantly my weight-loss journey helped me walk into my purpose by supporting other people during their healthy lifestyle 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 e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
