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Weight loss success stories of 2012

 

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  • Congratulations to all metro Atlantans who have lost weight in 2012! Here are some of our favorite success stories of the year.
  • Nealon Kent Hightower, 32, of Decatur, was 325 pounds in November, 2007. He is photographed here with his son, Henry August Hightower at 4 weeks old.
  • Nealon Kent Hightower weighed 216 pounds in July, 2009. He is photographed here with his son, Henry August Hightower, 21 months old. Nealon began to walk three times a week for 30 minutes and changed his diet.
  • Renee Liverpool, 27, of Lilburn, was 147 pounds in June, 2009. She says that she joined Weight Watchers when
  • Renee Liverpool reached her goal of 112 pounds in October, 2011. When Weight Watchers was looking for real success stories for television commercials, Liverpool submitted her information and was selected. She was featured in the
  • Michael Andrew Reynolds, 29, of Fairburn began his weight loss journey on Aug. 7, 2010, when he weighed 380 pounds. On his turning point:
  • Michael Andrew Reynolds resolved to lose 200 pounds in one year, and reached his goal at 180 pounds on July 29, 2011. On his biggest challenge:
  • Marlon Gibson, 33, of College Park, was 405 pounds in January, 2011.
  • Marlon Gibson (right), with his friend Evan Eskridge, began a strict diet and exercise routine. By mid-April, 2012, his weight dropped to 165 pounds.
  • Amy Plummer, 34, of Johns Creek, was 252 pounds in 2008 when she was told that she was in danger of getting diabetes. She joined a gym and made some progress, before making a breakthrough in February, 2011.
  • Amy Plummer weighed 145 pounds as of June, 2012. She credits her success to indoor cycling, weight-training two to three times a week and a low-carb, low-calorie diet.
  • Rhonda, 34, and William Allen, 38, of Marietta, were 250 and 335 pounds, respectively, in December, 2008. Together, they resolved to change their diets:
  • Rhonda and William Allen in April, 2012, when they weighed 135 and 222 pounds, respectively.
  • Chad Deal, 41, of Lawrenceville, weighed 315 pounds in October 2010. He says that realilzing that he had a food addiciton helped him find the resolve to begin losing weight. He also wanted to have more energy to keep up with his children.
  • Chad Deal in April, 2012. In June, he realized his goal at 177 pounds. With help from his wife Amy, he changed his eating habits and joined a gym later in the process. He says that his children also encouraged him along the way.
  • Carol Carpenter, 69, of Dallas, Ga., was 272 pounds when she began losing weight in July 2007. (This photo was from ten years earlier.) She says that
  • Carol Carpenter weighed 144 pounds in August, 2012. She credits her success with mastering portion control and with giving herself a variety of exercise options to keep her interest high.
  • Kristy Bell Olds, 35, of Loganville, was 372 pounds in June, 2008. She started losing weight in April, 2010 after she participated in her first Promise Walk. After that,
  • Kristy Bell Olds weighed 181 pounds in August, 2012.
  • Alexis Wilborn, 30, of Atlanta, gained weight after her pregnancy 2009, when she weighed 230 pounds. (She's seen here at 185 pounds when this photo was taken in August, 2011.) Although she was used to being active, a foot injury, car accident and the resulting physical therapy were major set-backs to her goals.
  • Alexis Wilborn was down to 130 pounds in September, 2012 (She's shown here at 135 pounds in May.) She remained patient as her body healed and worked her way up to working out six days a week and running four. Now she's a certified spin instructor.
  • Stephanie Motowicki, 36, of Hoschton, was 342 pounds when she began her weight loss journey in July, 2011 (She's seen here in December, 2010, when she weighed 325.) She began with Weight Watchers and started walking between four and nine miles on most days of the week.
  • Stephanie Motowicki dropped to 215 pounds by October, 2012. She was training for a half-marathon to be held on Thanksgiving Day. She says that her biggest challenge was pushing through the plateaus that she experienced.
 
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Submit your wedding photos

Check out who's been getting married in and around Atlanta, plus submit your own wedding pictures.

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NEW: Atlanta proms 2013, Part 3

There were so many amazing prom photos this year, we had to create three photo galleries. Check out the newest photos here.

summer free events

Photos: Free (or cheap) summer fun

As summer cranks up and the kids get bored, you might want to keep this list handy. There are a lot of free or inexpensive things to do across metro Atlanta.

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