SUCCESS STORY / Lexie Fuhrman, 27: From 310 pounds to 255 pounds
Former weight: 310 pounds
Current weight: 255 pounds
Pounds lost: 55 pounds
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Age: 27 years
How long she's kept it off: "I started my health journey in February 2017." She reached her current weight in April.
Personal life: "I've been lucky to have a fantastic support system, including my boyfriend of eight years, my mother and my best friends. … I have a bachelor's degree in integrated studies and work full time as an after-school director for Kiddos Atlanta in the Buckhead area." She lives in Smyrna.
Turning point: "My turning point was about a year after my father passed away. I had put my personal health on the back burner to work, go to school, and drive back and forth to Savannah, Georgia, every other weekend to help care for my dad. Don't get me wrong, I would do it all again, I point this out merely to say that life happens, and things will not always be in your control. I realized my mental health had taken a turn for the worse and exercise had always helped me before. … I never focused on losing weight. It was just a byproduct of gaining back my energy and mental stability." She began working out with personal trainer Reginald Wells, owner of Streamline Fitness Training (streamlinefitnesstraining.com) in Marietta.
Diet plan: Breakfast is a banana or protein bar, and lunch and dinner are vegetables and protein.
Exercise routine: She exercises four times per week. "Around the time I started to exercise at the gym, I was also diagnosed with a torn meniscus in my right knee … high-impact exercises were off the table — barely any jogging and absolutely no jumping. Thankfully I have amazing trainers who modified my workouts."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was more of a mental block than anything. I was scared to strain my knee because surgery would be expensive. … After much coaxing, my trainers finally got me to start stretching correctly."
How life has changed: "My confidence has definitely grown over the last few years. I've become more assertive in my job and equally as positive. Because I have more energy, I've been able to do strenuous 10-hour workdays during our summer camp programs and keep up with the kids. … My mental health has recovered immensely since I can now channel my stress and anxiety into a killer workout at Streamline. I never actually focused on my weight. The scale doesn't budge very often, which can be very discouraging for a lot of people. It's also easy to obsess over. I had to reevaluate my relationship with food and what makes my body feel better."
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.
