SUCCESS STORY
Angelique Martinez, 39: From 171 pounds to 131 pounds
Former weight: 171 pounds
Current weight: 131 pounds
Pounds lost: 40 pounds
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Age: 39 years
How long she's kept it off: "I started my journey in January of 2017 and reached my goal weight in October 2017," Martinez said.
Personal life: "I am a registered nurse who lives in Smyrna," Martinez said. "I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Randy, for over 13 years. We have two beautiful daughters, Adelaide, 5 1/2 years, and Laurel, 4 years."
Turning point: "I had started working out with a trainer … in September of 2016, but my weight had not changed," Martinez said. "In January of 2017, I started Sparkle A New You with wellness coach Jacynta Harb (www.sparkleanewyou.com). A friend had started Sparkle and had success, so I thought I should see what it was about. I started tracking and adding more aspects of health and wellness into my life. … Tracking my food definitely helps to keep me in line. Having a gym that has child care all day, and that my kids like to go to, has also helped me maintain my exercise regimen."
Diet plan: "Tracking everything I eat in My Fitness Pal is what has worked for me," she said. "It helped me realize how big my portion sizes really were. … I was definitely not drinking enough water." Breakfast is egg whites or grits with chia seeds and coffee. Lunch is soup or salad. Dinner is protein and vegetables.
Exercise routine: "I do a variety of exercises five to seven times a week. Exercises include Pilates reformer, spin class, running, strength training, cardio machines and classes," Martinez said. "I will also do a monthly challenge at times: burpee challenge, abdominal challenge or squat challenge."
Biggest challenge: "Accepting that I was not really eating as well as I thought. I was indulging in a lot of things that I did not need to be," Martinez said. "I am also an emotional eater and really had to step back and ask myself if I am really hungry or having a stressful moment?"
How life has changed: "I have more energy and I enjoy being active," Martinez said. "I started running, which is something that I never thought that I would be doing. I ran the Atlanta 10-miler this past October, which is something I would have never seen myself doing a year ago. I am more comfortable in my skin than I was before. … Some days my daughters will ask about going to the gym because they love the child care. When I got 10 pounds down, I was not very excited because I have been 10 pounds down many times before, and then something would happen to get me off track. I saw a sign that now hangs in my bathroom where I see it every day that says, 'Don't look back, you are not going that way.' "
Share Your Success: Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, a daytime phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
