Gerica Ross, 24, of McDonough, Ga. lost 30 pounds

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Age: 24 years

How long she's kept it off: "I started trying to lose weight in September 2008 with many failed attempts," says Ross. She reached her current weight shortly after that, but still didn't feel that she was in shape or healthy until last fall.

Personal life: "I recently finished up my masters in business administration and I live at home with my parents and my dog, a cock-a-poo named Muffin in McDonough," she says. "I work as the spending authority manager for the state department of transportation in the office of financial management."

Turning point: "My turning point definitely came in July 2011 when I saw pictures of myself in my bikini at my birthday...I was mortified," she says of her 24th birthday celebration on Lake Allatoona. "I knew something had to be done. I downloaded a couch to 5K app on my phone and told myself I would use that to help me start running so that I could run in the Alzheimer's Association Walk at Atlantic Station in October."

Diet plan: Breakfast is cream of wheat or yogurt, a low-calorie frozen dinner for lunch and mostly vegetables for dinner with chicken a few times a week. On running days she has a protein shake.

Exercise routine: "I run three to four times a week and I also do kick-boxing or hot yoga once a week," she says. "I do a three-mile run, two five-mile runs, and one long run on the weekend of about eight to ten miles."

Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was just sticking to a workout routine. It was so easy to get discouraged by the scale in my case…So I stopped using the scale as much and concentrated more on measurements."

How life has changed: "My recent success has come from me thinking of all of the people in the world who can't even run or workout and here I am complaining about it… I always tell myself I run for those who can't, and I always dedicate all of my runs to my Grandpa who passed from Alzheimer's in April 2010," she says. "I also now know that I can do absolutely anything that I put my mind to, no matter how hard it is."

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.