Tonya Maloy, 47, of Marietta lost 72 pounds

Pounds lost: 75 pounds

Height: 5 feet 7 inches

Age: 47 years

How long she's kept it off: "The weight loss has been slow but steady since 2015. I have kept off all the weight and am still losing," Maloy said. "I started in January 2015 and am current to February 2018."

Personal life: "I am an underwriting assistant in Roswell, Ga. I live in Marietta, Ga., with my fiancé and my daughter," she said. "I am a mother of two daughters — one in college and one in high school."

Turning point: "I lost my mother to cancer in April 2014 and I turned to food. I ate all the wrong foods and I ate all the time. One afternoon, Jan. 3, 2015, I was bringing three bags of groceries in the house. I had to climb the 12 steps up my back porch and I was so exhausted that I had to stop and sit down outside to catch my breath before taking the last few steps into my back door. I was so embarrassed and angry with myself that this is what I had become — unable to walk up 12 stairs and into a house without having to rest. That was the turning point," Maloy said. "It was time to take back my life for my family. I began my journey that very day."

Diet plan: "I count macros, protein-to-fat-to-carbohydrate ratios," Maloy said. "My protein intake is a minimum of 100 grams a day." Breakfast is two baked eggs with turkey bacon. Lunch and dinner vary but include lean meats and fish with lots of vegetables.

Exercise routine: "I started out walking a mile five days a week. … Now I work out six days a week at Burn Boot Camp Roswell. Each camp is 45 minutes long — incorporating cardio and weights," she said. "There are days that I do back-to-back camps for a total of 90 minutes of exercise a day."

Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was me. That voice that we all have telling us 'this is too hard' or 'you aren't making progress fast enough.' That voice was in my head every day for a year… I believe that I will always be my own biggest challenge," she said. "However, I have gained so much confidence in my fitness ability over the last three years. … I have setbacks all the time. … But when I look at where I am now versus where I started, I put it out of mind, refocus and keep going."

How life has changed: "I see life as an adventure now," Maloy said. "I hike on a regular basis, something that I never did before. I look forward to participating in 5k races. I enjoy the outdoors so much more, I am even considering a zip-line adventure. I have more self-confidence than I ever had. … I dance at concerts like no one is watching. I am a completely new version of me — one that I enjoy being around."

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.