Shari Cannon, 44, of Rome, Ga. lost 120 pounds

Pounds lost: 120

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Age: 44

How long she's kept it off: "I started October 21, 2010 and hit my goal weight on March 10, 2012," says Cannon. "After my goal weight of 154 (pounds), I lost an additional nine pounds reaching 145 pounds on June 22, 2012."

Personal Life: "I live in Rome, Ga. with my husband, Doug, and our two dogs, Polo and Stella. I have a 20-year-old daughter, Maddie, who attends Georgia Southern. I work as a media-specialist parapro at McHenry Primary School. I love working in the library and seeing all the students."

Turning point: "I have been overweight for years," she says. "After looking at Maddie's high school graduation pictures of our family, I couldn't believe how much weight I had gained. Once Maddie left for college, I decided to focus on myself and I tried to diet on my own for two months and was not doing well, so that is when I joined Weight Watchers. I set small goals for myself instead of looking at the overall goal I needed to reach."

Diet plan: "My typical day is for breakfast a Fiber One muffin or a breakfast bar. For lunch, leftovers or turkey sandwich with veggie chips and yogurt. Dinner is chicken or fish with veggies. Snacks are fruit or 100-calorie snacks. I try and plan ahead if I am eating out. If I don't know the point value of a restaurant, I try and make the better choice of getting something grilled instead of fried."

Exercise routine: "I started exercising in December 2010," she says. "I exercise with Revolution Fitness. I started out slow and built up to where I am now. I would add more as I lost weight. I play tennis, do Zumba and boot camp. I exercise seven days a week. I do tennis two days, Zumba two days and boot camp three days. I am on two tennis teams."

Biggest challenge: "Getting my mind-set was a challenge," she says. "Once I realized this is a lifestyle change and not a diet, it helped me get started."

How life has changed: "After my weight loss, I feel like I did in high school. I have so much more energy," she says. "Before my weight loss, I would come home from work and sit on the sofa and watch TV. Now, I exercise every day and feel great. Instead of looking at how much total I needed to lose, I set my goals at 10-pound increments. I would reward myself after every 10 pounds - it quickly added up. At my last doctor's appointment, for the first time in years, I was considered in my normal weight range and had a great report - I feel amazing! My family and friends have been a great support system and I couldn't have done it without them."