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 / Sawanda Middleton Spinks, 38: From 221 pounds to 158 pounds
Former weight: 221 pounds
Current weight: 158 pounds
Pounds lost: 63 pounds
Height: 5 feet 5 inches
Age: 38 years
How long she's kept it off: Two-and-a-half years. She started July 1, 2012, and reached her current weight nine months later.
Personal life: "After being laid off from my job, I became a weight-loss coach helping other women lose weight," says Spinks (www.born2blossom.com). "I am a single mother of a remarkable 5-year-old son who was born with a medical brain condition, hydrocephalus. I volunteer as the Georgia state chapter co-director for the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation (www.hydrocephaluskids.org). I live in Kennesaw."
Turning point: "I just separated from my husband and I was raising my son as a single parent," she says. "I was beating myself up for my part in the separation. I saw the picture of myself at a graduation and I could not believe I let myself go like that. I was always a chubby child and teen, but this time I was wearing a size 18 to 20W and I couldn't hide the weight, nor hide the depression I was feeling about this sudden life change. I did not want my son to feel the negative effects of this change, so I had to change the way I felt about myself and my life …With my knees hurting all the time, back pains and other ailments … I changed my mindset and started thinking more of a healthy lifestyle."
Diet plan: Breakfast is two eggs with vegetables and turkey bacon. Snacks include apples and almond butter. Lunch is chicken breast, sweet potato and vegetables. Dinner is lean protein and vegetables.
Exercise routine: She works out five to six times per week. "I started working out a month after I started. I had to get my food intake correct first." She started with DVDs and fitness apps. "I was not able to run five minutes straight. Now, I can run up to 30 minutes."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge is that dreaded … scale," she says. "I'm gaining more muscle, which is showing up on the scale as a weight gain … Even though I know this, it still bothers me."
How life has changed: "My son is so happy to play with his mommy. I can now run with him at the playgrounds. My knees no longer hurt and I am now wearing size 6 jeans — I've never been in a size 6 before," she says. "Find your motivation, your big why, and you will be unstoppable, even when you do feel like stopping."
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