Yolanda Silveri of Douglasville lost 139 pounds

Height: 5 feet 4 inches

Age: 30

How long she's kept it off: "I started on Jan. 1, 2010," said Silveri. "I reached my goal weight on July 1, 2011. I am currently working to maintain my weight and not lose any more."

Personal life: "I am a first-grade teacher for Henry County Public Schools. I am a single mother of a wonderful 10-year-old son, Jaylen. I just relocated to Douglasville."

Turning point: "I have been overweight for as long as I can remember," she said. "I could never lose the weight and keep it off ... in November 2009, after attending my 10th high school reunion, I really felt like I had been stuck living a life that I did not want."

Diet plan: "I began by fasting and praying that God would help me to break my addiction to food," she said. Breakfast is a protein shake, banana and coffee. She snacks on boiled eggs, grapes and string cheese. Lunch is salad with lean protein. Dinner is chicken or fish and vegetables.

Exercise routine: "I started exercising daily in my home," she said. "[I] walked in place while watching my favorite television programs. I felt too embarrassed to work out in public." She currently does Zumba classes, runs daily on her elliptical and strength trains with a trainer.

Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was last summer," she said. "... even though I was exercising for up to six hours a day and counting my calories religiously, I only lost 5 pounds. I began using my measurements as an indicator of success and realized that I lost about 12 to 13 inches in six weeks even though I only lost 5 pounds."

How life has changed: "I am still getting used to my new smaller body, and God is still working on breaking through my old ways of thinking. I am truly in love with running, and I'm even training for my first half marathon on Thanksgiving Day. During my workouts, when it got really tough, I just repeated, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' " citing Philippians 4:13.

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.