Kendra Bates of Marietta loses 116 pounds

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Age: 40 years

How long she's kept it off: She started March 2008 and reached 160 pounds in December 2009.

Personal life: "I have been fully supported by my husband of 21 years, James Bates, and our home-schooled children: Caleb 18, Aaron and Adam 15, Kenlee 8, Kenan 6, Jaycelyn 5, and Eliana 3," says Bates.  She's a group fitness instructor at Anytime Fitness and lives in Marietta.

Turning point: "I hadn't realized that I had gained so much weight. I knew it in my head, but it wasn't until I saw [the before] picture that I realized it in my heart," she says. She was diagnosed with MRSA of the mastoid bone, which is located directly behind the ears. "I was told that because I was allergic to all the antibiotics, if it entered my bloodstream, I would die. It was at this very moment I decided I could not die, I had a family to finish raising and my wonderful husband would go crazy trying to homeschool our children and work full-time. Thus began my journey to fight the disease and get myself back in shape."

Diet plan: "As a registered nurse, I thought I knew how to eat but I must have slept through personal nutrition because I could give advice but not follow it," she says. She joined SparkPeople.com and ate what she wanted, but in moderation.

Exercise routine: She began with Zumba, exercise inspired by Latin dance. "Zumba allows me to work at my fitness level and at my pace, even if that included a wheelchair."

Biggest challenge: "There were many times my calories would drop to 600 or so a day because I was afraid to eat for fear of gaining back or not losing," she says. "[Eating more] was such a huge thing for me to grasp."

How life has changed: "I am not sure it is the weight loss itself that allowed me to make these changes or the freedom Zumba offers me, or a combination of both, but I have found a new zeal for life. I look at each day as an adventure, a journey to be explored. I have been set free from the bondage of negative stinky thinking ..."

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 Holly Steel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.

[END]