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 / Heather Duggan, 48: From 173 pounds to 138 pounds
Former weight: 173 pounds
Current weight: 138 pounds
Pounds lost: 35 pounds
Height: 5 feet 6 inches
Age: 48 years
How long she's kept it off: "My journey began in early June 2014 and I have arrived, although I still expect my weight will drop a little more," said Duggan.
Personal life: "An Atlanta native, I grew up near Emory," she said. "I live happily … in northern Sandy Springs and have two daughters, Allison, 19, and, Caroline, 17, and two cats. I am a certified cancer registrar, working remotely."
Turning point: "I launched quickly from 128 pounds in November 2013, to 173 pounds in June 2014, and suddenly realized that I was at my full-term pregnancy, highest-ever weight. During this time, my doctor also stumbled upon the fact that I have a strong case of asymptomatic celiac disease, a serious hereditary autoimmune disease in which the body attacks itself when gluten, a protein in wheat, is consumed … Not knowing what to do, I quickly began eating many readily-processed gluten-free labeled foods … manufacturers often add fat and sugar to compensate for the lack of gluten … [this] made me gain a lot of weight very quickly."
Diet plan: "I have eliminated gluten 99 percent from my diet, which requires a bit more diligence in discerning every last ingredient in foods, as gluten is hidden in many unsuspecting foods … I am now eating more natural, whole foods."
Exercise routine: "I began daily walking and running on my own, but quickly realized that I needed to get much more aggressive." She joined Just Fitness 4 U. "I made early morning, one-hour workouts part of my daily routine … I've learned to use body-weight exercises, weights and cardio, and for the first time in my life, I am running sizable distances."
Biggest challenge: "The hardest part is that change is slow; despite working out very hard, I saw no difference for a long time. My weight wouldn't budge one bit … I quit getting on the scales and then one day I was surprised — I was suddenly down 10 pounds."
How life has changed: "I never really believed I would get back to a reasonable weight range and surely never dreamed that I would also be in the best shape of my life," she said. "I now have a normal BMI, and have gained tremendous new confidence in the gym, as well as out of it … I want to keep it off and relish the influx of positives which are flowing into my life in all areas."
