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.
Former weight: 327 pounds
Current weight: 240 pounds
Pounds lost: 87 pounds
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Age: 35 years
How long she's kept it off: "I started March 9, 2012, and I have kept it all off that I have lost," says Porter. "I still have weight to lose, so I am still in serious weight-loss mode." She reached her current weight in December.
Personal life: "I am a single gal that lives in Decatur, Ga. I work for Abbadabba's and I am currently the director of store operations and buyer." Abbadabba's offers employees wellness benefits that reimburse gym memberships, and their 'get out and sweat' benefit reimburses race entry fees.
Turning point: "I just felt uncomfortable in my own body," she says. "The picture in my head of what I felt I looked like was not how I actually looked. I also really wanted to get back to things that made me happy and give myself a goal to work toward that put me in the spotlight and gave me satisfaction."
Diet plan: "I have chosen to not do any diets. I felt this needed to be a lifestyle change that I made, and a diet wouldn't work. I clean eat each day, as much fresh, non-preservative foods I can eat. A typical day consists of the following: half a gallon to a gallon of water; breakfast is two eggs, an English muffin, piece of fruit, and a cup of coffee; lunch is a salad with veggies and lean protein; dinner is lean protein, veggies and quinoa."
Exercise routine: "I have just completed my fourth half-marathon in less than six months, and I have been training for the next one as soon as I complete one. I run two to six miles, five times a week. Four to five times a week, I do strength training, either on my own or with a trainer. The exercises mostly use my own body weight, plyometrics, or we use light weights while doing high-intensity interval training." When she set a goal for her first half-marathon, she made it stick with plane tickets and hotel reservations. "I had never run a race, I had to set the hardest goal that I could think of. I set it in Chicago so I couldn't bail out … locally, I could have gotten out of it."
Biggest challenge: "The biggest challenge besides being patient, was finding the right meal size and combination of foods to help maintain muscle growth while slimming down."
How life has changed: "It's not a diet or a quick change, it's a lifestyle change," she says. "Life is not much different, besides making sure I work out every day and not being as stressed," she says. "I am happier, not as negative, more outgoing – always have been a big outgoing person, but even more now. I never let my weight hold me back in the first place."
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