"I Feel Reborn"

How She Did It

Age: 35
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 130
Pounds lost: 68
Months at current weight: 16

The Diet: Breakfast is egg whites scrambled with turkey and tomato. For lunch, she has a turkey or chicken sandwich on whole wheat with a piece of fruit. Dinner is chicken salad and steamed broccoli.

The Workout: Marietta weight-trains and works out on an elliptical machine for 30 minutes, four days a week. She takes a one-hour cardio-kickboxing class two days a week.

Stick-with-It-Tip: Hold on to a piece of clothing that fit the "old" you. "I still have a pair of jeans I wore when I was halfway though my weight loss. When I feel discouraged, I try them on. It reminds me why I'm doing this and how far I've come." Another tip: Add lemon and artificial sweetener to plain water. "It makes it easier to drink more."

Biggest Temptation: Doughnuts. To wean herself, Marietta would sit at the counter of Dunkin' Donuts and order one Munchkin with a cup of coffee. "I'd force myself to eat it slowly. Soon just one was enough to satisfy me."

What She Couldn't Wait to Wear: A turquoise bikini she had admired in the Victoria's Secret catalog. "It was a great feeling to go to the beach and not have to cover up."

Originally published in Fitness magazine.