Dr. Tess Thomas, 41, lost 50 pounds

Current weight: 140 pounds

Pounds lost: 50 pounds

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Age: 41 years

How long she's kept it off: "I started my weight-loss journey July 2011," says Dr. Thomas. She met her goal in September.

Personal life: "I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the department of family medicine. I live in Buckhead with my husband, Joe Padanilam, and children, Lily, 4 years old, and Thomas, 2 years old. Joe and I have been married for eight years." She and her family live in Atlanta.

Turning point: "I was tired of the way I felt and I hated seeing myself in pictures. Diabetes runs in my family and since I had turned 40, I was worried that I would be high-risk. I also did not want my children to think it is okay to be overweight. I wanted to set an example in my home that exercise and eating healthy can be fun. Children learn by example."

Diet plan: "I follow a 1,500-calorie daily diet," she says. Breakfast is egg whites, veggies and low-fat cheese on a whole-wheat English muffin. Snacks are cranberry bread and peanut butter or Greek yogurt with granola. Lunch is a half a wheat pita with turkey, roasted red peppers, avocado and carrot sticks, and dinner is grilled salmon and brown rice.

Exercise routine: "I started Operation Boot Camp (www.operationbootcamp.com) this May," she says. She does boot camp four to five mornings per week and runs three to four miles, three days a week.

Biggest challenge: "I started to lose weight in July 2011 and lost about twenty pounds and then plateaued for several months," she says. "I ramped up the exercise and diet in May and was able to lose the last thirty pounds."

How life has changed: "I sleep so much better and have more energy to play with my kids," she says. "The family as a whole eats more fruits and vegetables. I feel more confident and am amazed about what my body can do as far as endurance and strength. I handle stress more effectively as well, and have a renewed sense of well-being. I also coached a team of women for the Peachtree Road Race so running during the week and weekends had to happen…"

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.