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.
SUCCESS STORY / Amelia Luna, 43: From 226 pounds to 130 pounds
Former weight: 226 pounds
Current weight: 130 pounds
Pounds lost: 96
Height: 5 feet 6 inches
Age: 43
How long she's kept it off: "I started right before Thanksgiving 2009," says Luna, who reached her current weight in June 2012. She's kept it off over a year.
Personal life: "I live in Lilburn with my husband, daughter and two dogs," she says. "I am a yoga and Pilates instructor and a personal trainer (www.amelialuna.com) and I work for a local doctor's office assisting people along their weight-loss journey."
Turning point: "When my daughter was about a year old, I realized the baby weight I gained was not going to come off on its own and I had to start doing something about it," she says. "I am not a naturally thin person and I have had to lose weight before, but after my daughter was born, I had a significant amount of weight to lose. I believe that the body is a gift from God and that caring for it is a spiritual practice. The closer I stay to natural foods that God created, the better I feel."
Diet plan: "I do not eat flour or sugar and I weighed and measured my meals," she says. Breakfast is oatmeal, yogurt and fruit. Lunch is chicken or fish with rice or a potato and vegetables and fruit. Dinner is lean beef or turkey, veggies, salad and fruit. "I eat three healthy balanced meals and nothing in between."
Exercise routine: "I would never exercise if I was not a fitness instructor. Teaching keeps me on track," she says. "I teach yoga once a week, Pilates twice a week and I meet my students for a group walk every Wednesday morning. The gym I work at has a kids club, and my daughter loves to go play while I work."
Biggest challenge: "The hardest thing to overcome was my family's attitude toward changing our food habits," she says. "My husband and daughter are naturally thin and my husband was resistant to try new things. I cook dinner for the family every night, which means I have to serve up something healthy and tasty at the same time. Over time, as I have learned how to prepare healthier meals, my husband has come to appreciate that I am caring for the family's health with every plate."
How life has changed: "Before this process began, my family largely used food as entertainment. We went out to eat, we had friends and family over for large meals, we baked. Today my family loves to be active together instead," she says. "We love to hike, explore farmers' markets and farms and we love to go as a family to the gym. I believe I am successful because caring for my body is part of my spirituality. If I believe I am made in God's image, then I better care for the gift I've been given."
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