SUCCESS STORY / Alexis Wilborn, 30: From 230 pounds to 130 pounds
Former weight: 230 pounds
Current weight: 130 pounds
Pounds lost: 100 pounds
Height: 5 feet 1 inch
Age: 30
How long she's kept it off: She started in January 2009 and reached her goal in September.
Personal life: "I live [in Atlanta] with my husband, Joseph, we've been married for three years and we have a two-year-old son Joshua," says Wilborn. She works at Fox Sports Network as a SportSouth Log editor.
Turning point: "I started trying to lose weight after gaining weight from losing twin girls at twenty weeks back in January 2009. I have always been active and ran half marathons, but with the pregnancy came weight gain," says Wilborn. "Six months later, I became pregnant with Joshua. I gained a huge amount of weight with him because I fractured my ankle while pregnant and was put on bed rest for three months so that I would not have to have surgery and the bone could heal on its own. Once I was able to walk without a walking boot, I started to work out but then got in a car accident and was in physical therapy for four months. I started running with Black Girls Run Atlanta (www.blackgirlsrun.com) in September 2011.
Diet plan: "I don't eat pork, beef, or drink milk. I try to eat only fruits, veggies, fish and some chicken," she says. "I always keep an apple in my purse in case I'm hungry."
Exercise routine: She works out six days a week and runs four of those days, "with my running divas," she says. She also strength-trains three days per week. "I am now a certified spin instructor as well."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was just to get out of my own head. I had to accept that it wasn't going to happen overnight."
How life has changed: "I wanted to make sure that everything I did to lose the weight was natural so that it would not come back," she says. "My husband took the time to make sure our son was taken care of so I can have my fitness time." Soon, she plans to start her own fitness business to help others lose weight and start living life. "I want women to know we all grow through life-changing situations, but don't let it be your ending —stay strong, pray and keep going."
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 Patty Murphy, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
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