Melissa Pavelschak, 39, of Canton lost 52 pounds

Pounds lost: 52 pounds

Height: 5 feet 10 inches

Age: 39 years

How long she's kept it off: "I started Lock It In with metabolism specialist Nancy Masoud on July 27, 2017, and I achieved 52 pounds of weight lost on Nov. 8, 2017," Pavelschak said.

Personal life: She's a medical assistant and lives in Canton.

Turning point: "I had previously tried multiple methods to be able to lose and keep off the weight after but had been very unsuccessful," Pavelschak said. "One day I saw a picture of myself and it hit me hard after seeing it, knowing that was not how I wanted to look or feel anymore. A friend told me about Nancy and her program, so I decided to go all in and do exactly as her program stated with zero excuses."

Diet plan: Breakfast is typically Greek yogurt. "Breakfast was my hardest meal to be consistent with, previously," she said. Lunch is protein and salad, or a vegetable. Dinner is protein and vegetables. She snacks on fruit.

Exercise routine: She exercises four to five times per week doing cardio and weights. "I did not exercise until I reached the end of the program, which is completely OK to do while on the program," Pavelschak said. "I have been exercising now, which I never did prior, and plan on continuing to work on that so that I can keep working on becoming more toned."

Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge, honestly, was accepting that I had reached the highest weight I had been and putting all my energy and focus into jumping into this program and committing to becoming successful 100 percent," she said. "I was tired of having to make sure I wore clothes all the time that hid my weight gain as well as tired of feeling sluggish and unhappy with myself."

How life has changed: "Since I have made such a positive change with my eating habits, I feel completely better in so many ways," Pavelschak said. "I no longer feel bloated, extra full or sick after I eat my meals. No more tired, exhausted feeling all the time as I previously did. Once I started doing this program with Nancy, and with the help of Real Health Medical,  also, who tested me for food sensitivities, so I knew what my body was not agreeing with, I noticed a huge difference fairly quickly. … Prior to doing the program, I ate a lot of fast food and sugary snacks daily. I now look at food and think more so along the lines of 'What is this doing for my body?' … I have much more energy all around. Prior to doing the program, I would come home from work and be dead tired. Now I come home and continue to keep going with everyday life no matter what it brings."

Share Your Success: 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, a daytime 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.