Ramona Wood, 54, of Lawrenceville lost 91 pounds

Pounds lost: 91 pounds

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Age: 54 years

How long she's kept it off: "On April 29, 2015, I had bariatric surgery, the sleeve," Wood said. She reached her current weight eight months later and has maintained it ever since.

Personal life: "I live in Lawrenceville with my husband and three cats. We have three sons and one daughter. We also have seven grandkids. I work for emergency dispatch for the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources full time. On weekends, my part-time job, I take care of two Down syndrome and two autistic ladies and just started a third part-time job doing online Paparazzi Accessories jewelry shows."

Turning point: "For eight months I could not walk without a walker, my knees and ankles were so swollen. … I was in so much pain I had to crawl up and down stairs," Wood said. "… They would pump me up with steroids and cortisone shots in my knees, and it kept putting more weight on me. … When you take a steroid, it causes you to want to eat anything that ain't moving. … The doctors kept trying to talk me into getting double knee replacements. I was scared to death of that surgery. My medical doctor suggested that I check in to bariatric surgery. I checked with the Center for Weight Management at Gwinnett Medical Center. … One of my biggest (motivators) was we had two new grandbabies due July 2015, and I knew I had given our first two grandkids all of me, playing and going, and I was not going to cheat our two new grandsons."

Diet plan: Breakfast is yogurt or eggs, toast and coffee. Lunch is protein with veggies, and dinner is similar. "I usually eat a palm-size amount of food four to six times per day," Wood said.

Exercise routine: "Chasing around our 3-year-olds is a lot of exercise," said Wood, who keeps them two to three days per week. "In summer, especially, I swim and do exercises in the pool, water-resistance exercises," she said. "I do that three to four days a week." She also participates in two or three 5Ks per year.

Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was portion control — always feeling like I wanted more food," Wood said.

How life has changed: "My life has been totally revitalized. … I love my mobility." Wood said. "… It is so amazing not having the knee pain that I had. I'm so much more active, I feel 20 years younger. … It's pretty fun being able to do 5K walks with your teenage grandkids and play and chase around your 3-year-old grandbabies, also. … Life is great. I just wish I would have done this years ago. … I did not have to have knee replacement. … I love telling everyone my success story — I want everybody to feel the way I feel."

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.