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 / Linda Rogers, 45: From 305 pounds to 184 pounds
Former weight: 305 pounds
Current weight: 184 pounds
Pounds lost: 121 pounds
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Age: 45 years
How long she's kept it off: "I started on March 1, 2013, and reached my current weight in February 2014. I still have about 20 to 25 pounds to my goal weight," says Rogers.
Personal life: "I am a stay-at-home mom. I have three kids: Cody, 23, Skye, 22, and Colton, 14. I have been married to my husband, Jay, for 25 years … I'm an inactive registered nurse." She and her family live in Woodstock with their dog, Kitty.
Turning point: "I lost my identical twin sister in April 2004. At that point, I think I gave up my weight-loss struggle," she says. "I had watched her work hard to lose weight, not nearly as much as I needed to lose, and she still got cancer and died at age 35. I unconsciously decided that it didn't matter what I ate. I might as well enjoy myself. Several years ago, I told my husband that I wanted to get a tattoo in memory of Carla, my twin. He said, 'If you lose 100 pounds, you can get one.' Well, I knew I would never get that tattoo … As the 10-year anniversary of her passing started to get closer, I really wanted the tattoo. On March 1, 2013, I joined Weight Watchers, still with no real hope for success. That first week I lost 11 pounds. I went another week and lost a few more, then a few more … I can only say it worked this time by the grace of God. On April 18, 2014, just 10 days before the 10-year anniversary of my sister's passing, I got the tattoo." I reached the 100-pound goal in November 2013."
Diet plan: Breakfast is a meal shake with chia seeds and strawberries. Lunch is salad with tuna. Dinner is chicken and vegetables. Dessert is yogurt with fruit and cereal.
Exercise routine: "When I started, I would only walk in the pool, slowly," she says. "I now do yoga, step, Pilates, spin and water-aerobics classes." She exercises four to six times per week.
Biggest challenge: "Right now, I have had a lot stuff going on with aging parents, so I have kind of been stalled at [121 pounds lost] … I'm ready to kick it back up and finish off the last 20 to 25 pounds."
How life has changed: "I don't ever want to weigh 300 pounds again. The tendency is to think I've reached my goal, now I can quit. Wrong. There is no quitting, there is no stopping. I plan to live my life to the fullest, healthy."
