The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Success story
Ashley Calhoun, 27. Weight lost: 46 pounds
Former weight: 236 pounds
Current weight: 190 pounds
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
How long she’s kept it off: She started in March and reached her current weight in December.
Personal life: “I work for Hiscox Insurance. I’m an email marketing manager. I love it. I have a huge passion for digital marketing,” Calhoun said. “I live in Buckhead with my boyfriend. We’ve been together three years. I have a dog named Zoey, a chocolate lab.”
Turning point: “I have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS),” Calhoun said. “I’ve always had a problem with weight fluctuation, but I had a pretty good grip on my weight. I had been really in shape. Then in October of last year, a guy fell asleep at the wheel and hit me. I had a back injury and neck injury — it was a double whammy. With the injury and PCOS, I gained 90 pounds. … I was bedridden and couldn’t be active. It was two months before I was cleared to go on walks. Before the accident, I loved to work out. To start over and basically get re-fit again has been very challenging.” Her cousin came to visit the same week she was cleared to work out. They tried SculptHouse. “I immediately fell in love with the class. … That has helped me lose the weight.”
Diet plan: She follows a no-red meat, no-pork, no-gluten diet. Her diet is more plant- and seafoodbased, and she eats lots of fruit and vegetables.
Exercise routine: “I exercise at SculptHouse three to four times per week,” Calhoun said. “On my off days,
I will do elliptical or running on my own, or a HITT workout on my own. Also, my work is super awesome and has treadmill desks. I’ll rent one for an hour and I’ll walk for an hour. My average workout number is six times per week.”
Biggest challenge: “I definitely say the confidence to get started, and just PCOS in general, including all of these things that PCOS has fighting against me such as my metabolism,” Calhoun said. “A huge symptom of PCOS is being exhausted. … I’ll get the full six to eight hours of sleep, but because of PCOS I’m exhausted. It’s just the symptoms of the hormone disorder fighting against me.”
How life has changed: “I definitely feel a lot happier just overall,” Calhoun said. “… I have this whole new fitness family in my life. The trainer and the friends I’ve made have all helped me so much. I’ve gotten to be a morning person — I was not really a workout person in the morning. Overall, it’s made me change my attitude because now I work out to have a healthier life. … It’s made me more positive about the journey I am on. … If someone can read what I’m going through, hopefully they can … have that push to find their journey.”
Share Your Success:
Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight loss journey. The Atlanta JournalConstitution does not endorse any specific weight loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail. com.