Susan Kelly-Gates loses 75 pounds

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Age: 47

How long she's kept it off:She started in February 2009. "I didn't want to just lose weight. Instead I wanted to be healthy and fit," says Kelly-Gates.

Personal life: "I'm a senior recruiter for Wells Fargo and I live in Cumming with my husband and our four-legged children, a dog and a cat."

Turning point: "I just woke up one day and looked in the mirror and didn't like the person looking back at me," she says. "I think, like so many women, I was settled into living everyday life with all the chores and responsibility of taking care of everything and everyone other than myself. … I deserved to be healthy and take care of me."

Diet plan: Her day starts with a protein shake, oatmeal and egg whites. Lunch is a salad or chicken and broccoli. Dinner is always lean meat, veggies and a salad. "You have to eat to fuel your body and not eat to satisfy an emotion, and believe me that can be difficult at times," she says.

Exercise routine:"I exercise six days a week," she says. "My exercise routines vary from day-to-day and I think that is part of what has helped me to achieve the results that I've seen. Senergy Fitness is the training group at our gym … they have helped me to succeed in so many areas. My Polar [heart-rate] monitor allows me to track my calories burned as well as identify what zone I am training in … it helps me know if I need to increase my effort level or if I'm pushing too hard..."

Biggest challenge: "In November 2009, I had to have rotator cuff surgery. I was really concerned it would knock me out of the gym … instead, I found ways to still train and didn't let my arm in a sling be an excuse for not continuing."

How life has changed:"I've become much healthier than I was, my self- confidence has increased tremendously and that has helped me to have a better outlook on life and I feel I'm a much happier person. It's hard to make big changes in your life and often times it's easier to give up and accept things the way they are… I hope that by sharing my story it will inspire someone else to start their fitness 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.