Kathy Kinev, 53, of Atlanta loses 143 pounds

Height: 5 feet 9 inches

How long she's kept it off: 9 months. She started in 2004 and met her goal in 2008.

Personal life: "I design jewelry and I also appraise gemstones and jewelry," Kinev says. "I have a Bachelor's of Fine Art in jewelry design from Georgia State University." She and her husband, William Colquitt Jackson, live in Atlanta.

Turning point: "Around 2004, I just got tired of losing and gaining the same 100 pounds," she says. "I did this for 30 years. I have tried every diet plan out there and everything did work, but for a limited time; I would always gain it back." In the summer of 2004, she read the first Atlanta Journal-Constitution Success Stories article about Loraine Belcher, who lost 209 pounds. "She had tried everything and she ended up joining TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly). I joined TOPS due to this article and lost my weight. That has helped me keep it off," she says.

Diet plan: "I count calories and write all my food down," she says. Breakfast is an egg with toast, butter and fruit. For lunch and dinner, she has lean protein with a salad and rice.

Exercise routine: "I walk at least 40 minutes every day," she says.

Biggest challenge: "Keeping it off," she says. "For me, this is a daily battle and I usually win the war. It is not easy to change 30 years of bad habits ... I overcome these challenges by using a tool box of counting calories, writing food down, planning snacks and calling friends when I need to."

How life has changed: "Drastically — I feel free," she says. "All that weight was a big load to get off. I now fit in my car seat. I can cross my legs under most desks and fly without an added extension to the belt. I feel great and am in much better shape than I was at 30." She realizes success is more than a program: "what is in your head is the most important part. You have to make [your] mind up and the weight will come off."

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 e-mail address, a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, c/o Suzanne Van Atten, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.