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 email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
SUCCESS STORY / Becca Daniel, 22: From 202 pounds to 128 pounds
Former weight: 202 pounds
Current weight: 128 pounds
Pounds lost: 74 pounds
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Age: 22 years
How long she's kept it off: "I reached my original goal weight of 135 pounds in July 2012, so I have maintained my goal weight for over six months, but went on to lose the additional seven pounds which I have kept off for over a month now," Daniel said.
Personal life: "I live (in Marietta) with my fiance and our two dogs," she said. "It was pretty amazing. I got engaged the same month I reached my original goal weight. I am an office manager for a family-owned sink wholesale company."
Turning point: "I never realized I was as big as I was," she said. "My dad and I went to visit my sister in Alabama, and my dad took pictures during our trip and tagged me on Facebook. I was horrified at how large I had gotten. I never let anyone take pictures of me, so seeing myself in a photo was a true eye-opener. Then I got the courage to step on the scale and my own personal nightmare came true, I was over 200 pounds. I knew right then and there something had to change — I did not want to live my life in the obese category."
Diet plan: "I had no specific diet plan; I did research and taught myself about nutrition," she said. She joined the website MyFitnessPal.com, where she logged everything she ate. "I can track my calories, macro-nutrients and calories burned." Breakfast is two eggs, a piece of turkey bacon and a banana. At midmorning she has a protein bar. Lunch is a spinach salad with grilled chicken. Afternoons are Greek yogurt, and dinner is chicken stir-fry.
Exercise routine: "I work out with my personal trainer three times a week doing strength training," she said. "I run three times a week, two to three miles at a time … and take a spin class once a week. All together, I work out about five to six days a week."
Biggest challenge: "The hardest part for me is making it through the holidays. You just want to let loose and enjoy but not overindulge."
How life has changed: "When I was overweight, I hardly wanted to leave my room," she said. "I was ashamed of how I looked in clothes and how I felt. Now that I have lost weight, I feel so much better, have confidence, and that has made me so much happier. I finally love myself, and I believe that makes it easier for others to love me. Make new habits and form a new lifestyle, you don't have to diet to lose weight. … I didn't eat perfect 100 percent of the time or work out every day I planned, but that's OK. I always told myself it's OK to have a bad day sometimes, I just have to pick myself up and tell myself I will do better tomorrow."
About the Author
