LaTisha Barnes, 46, of Stockbridge lost 23 pounds

Pounds lost: 23 pounds

Height: 4 feet 11 inches

Age: 46 years

How long she's kept it off: She started in January 2016 with Granite City Boxing in Ellenwood; she reached her current weight in March.

Personal life: "I have always worked in the health profession, with 18 years in the psychiatric field," Barnes said. With her husband, Ronnie Bell, she lives in Stockbridge with a blended family: five children and four grandchildren. "We are both from Savannah with strong family roots in the Lowcountry," she said. "There are five living generations of women on my maternal side. This is only possible through healthy living, mentally, physically and spiritually."

Turning point: In December 2015, Barnes and her husband decided to get healthy. "I had a health scare with fibroids," she said. "I scheduled an appointment with my doctor and was advised that making healthy lifestyle changes in eating habits and losing weight would greatly improve the fibroid development."

Diet plan: "I started a vegetarian diet after viewing the documentary 'What the Health,' " Barnes said. "I add protein through shakes and smoothies. … I must have my glass of wine, but it's not every day."

Exercise routine: When Barnes and her husband were two years into their training, they began working out with Rico Body Training (mr_lafitness on Instagram). They exercise three to four times weekly. "I have met my weight-loss goals, but I want to increase my upper-body and core strength. I want to have the toned body that shows the definition in my arms and legs," she said. "I am no longer focused on the number on the scale."

Biggest challenge: First, it was getting to the gym at 5:30 a.m. "That was 90 minutes earlier than our normal wake-up," she said. Now it's a younger workout group: "We try and keep up, to a degree, with the younger people. It pushes us to go a little harder," she said. "We therefore push them, too, as they say mentally that they want to be in our condition when they get older."

How life has changed: "I think at some point you may grow apart as a couple, but this is just one thing that many couples do on a regular basis to stay engaged with their significant other," Barnes said. "We both work, so we have those eight to nine hours of being separated. So when we are back in the house or at the gym, it affords us the opportunity to talk and to help each other through exercise. … The key is not about competition. It is solely about reaching your individual goals, which can be achieved together. We enjoy the program from Rico and his group, and we love the camaraderie of our workout buddies — so it's a win-win for us."

Share Your Success: Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight-loss journey. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific weight-loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. 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, 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.