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 / Teri Noble, 29: From 199 pounds to 159 pounds
Former weight: 199 pounds
Current weight: 159 pounds
Pounds lost: 40 pounds
Height: 5 feet 6 inches
Age: 29
How long she's kept it off: "I started my weight-loss journey in December 2013," says Noble. "As of August 2014, I reached my goal of wearing a size 8 to 10."
Personal life: "I am the administrative assistant to an elementary school principal in DeKalb County. I currently reside in Stone Mountain. I am also a full-time student at the University of Phoenix studying business administration."
Turning point: "I went to my primary care doctor for a physical in November of 2013. After stepping on the scale and seeing my weight of 199 pounds, I became very sad. I also began to notice that I was beginning to wear a size 16 in clothes. Trying on clothes became an embarrassment for me, walking up the stairs to my house would leave me out of breath and my family and friends began to notice how much weight I had gained. My thighs were huge and they made my pants look awful. I tried to lose weight a year prior, but I lacked the discipline …"
Diet plan: She cut out fried foods, sweets and added fat-flush water, "a water container filled with lemons, limes, mint leaves and cucumbers." Breakfast is oatmeal with brown sugar. She snacks on fruit. Lunch is a grilled chicken salad and dinner is salmon with brown rice and vegetables.
Exercise routine: "When I exercise, I do 30 minutes of cardio or walking around the school's track. I also integrate walking three miles around the base of Stone Mountain … I try to incorporate some type of exercise regimen during the week. If I am at the grocery store or shopping centers, I tend to park far away from the door in order to get a good walk in."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was changing my eating habits and backing away from the foods that I loved."
How life has changed: "[My family] and my boyfriend of one year have been very instrumental in helping me reach my weight-loss goal. The stress of not being able to fit certain things or wear certain clothes is no longer an issue. I have gained a greater sense of confidence within myself; I'm not ashamed of myself or my body anymore … It's a step-by-step challenge that you cannot dive into head first. Take baby steps and eventually you will find that maintaining a healthy weight will come naturally."
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