Necol Crawford lost 40 pounds

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Age: 44

How long she's kept it off: "I started Weight Watchers in January 2011," Crawford said. She met her goal weight in September.

Personal life: "I am a single mom of a 23-year-old daughter," she said. She works as a payroll systems analyst, and she lives in Marietta.

Turning point: "Not feeling good in my own skin," she said. "Looking at myself in my department's Christmas card and not recognizing me -- I felt absolutely depressed at what I saw."

Diet plan: "Our company has a [Weight Watchers at Work] program. When the rest of the ladies in my department joined, I figured I would give it another try. This time, I was mentally ready to do it. I was determined to make it a lifestyle change," she said. "For me, I found that keeping to a common daily meal plan helped me to stay on plan."

She starts her day with oatmeal and coffee. She has a morning snack of fruit. Lunch is half a sandwich and baked chips. In the afternoons, she has a snack bar and almonds. Dinner is chicken with brown rice and veggies.

Exercise routine: "My goal is to work out no less than three days a week," she said. "Our company has a beautiful gym that I take advantage of. There is a yoga body movement class that I go to plus lots of cardio training."

Biggest challenge: "Staying away from carbs," she said. "I love, love, love French bread with spread, but I have learned to love whole-wheat breads and whole-wheat pastas."

How life has changed: "I have made a conscious choice to change my life to eat the right things and take better care of my body," she said. "I don't deny myself from having anything. If I feel like fried chicken, I will have it as long as I count it and don't eat the whole chicken. I've made a mindful decision to live the rest of my life this way. I don't feel like I am missing anything -- I am truly living my best life now."

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 email ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.