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 / Patricia Jones, 54: From 162 pounds to 146 pounds
Former weight: 162 pounds
Current weight: 146 pounds
Pounds lost: 16 pounds
Height: 5 feet 4 ½ inches
Age: 54 years
How long she's kept it off: She started in September 2009 and has maintained within 10 pounds ever since.
Personal life: "I live in Riverdale," said Jones. "My husband of 30-plus years and I have three kids and three grandchildren, aged 9, 11 and 5. I am an IT technician."
Turning point: "I had just finished chemotherapy (for breast cancer). Over a period of time, I gained 15 to 20 pounds. When I went back to work, I felt like I weighed 200 pounds. I was huffing and puffing. … I was not used to being that heavy. A co-worker told me about Casi's Straight Military Style Bootcamp (www.casisbootcamp.com). I decided to join the next boot camp. … I was lagging in energy from being off work so long. … (Bootcamp) gave me my energy back, gave me my stamina back and I felt fine. … No chemicals, just naturally losing weight, and that's the best part. … Any time I spend a lot of time off work I stay home and gain weight … (including) when I had open-heart surgery (within the last two years). Because of the surgery, I couldn't do any upper-body exercises."
Diet plan: "(Casi) put us on this four to six meals per day, which I didn't think I could ever do. I learned to drink water with all my meals. … I tried to make sure no eating after 6 o'clock." Breakfast is oatmeal or an egg. Lunch is cucumber tomato salad with chicken. Dinner is a piece of fruit or pasta with sauce.
Exercise routine: "I have two workout partners: a pool partner and a walk/run partner." She works out Mondays through Fridays doing water aerobics and walking.
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge is sleeping two and a half to three hours a night. That contributes to my weight gain because I'm not sleeping. … I wake up and do dishes; I try to take a nap."
How life has changed: "I feel better, I've got all the energy in the world. … God has given me all I need to do to be physically healthy," she said. "Weight is a dangerous thing when it comes to the cancers and the heart trouble and stroke. I would really like to inspire others. … I had to learn I needed to care about me. I gotta take care of me. I had to realize that especially with the cancer, who is going to take care of me if I don't take care of me? … First (tip), to (love) and care for self. Don't do it for someone else."
