Conner and Mandy Volpe 
Conner and Mandy Volpe before photo
Val McLeod 
Val McLeod before photo
Zach Mayfield 
Zach Mayfield before photo
Kendra Miller 
Kendra Miller before photo
Rebecca Becki Gregory; Professional photo, contributed by Karen Kessinger, Muddy Faces Photography, www.muddyfaces.com 
Rebecca Becki Gregory before photo
By Michelle C. Brooks
Article originally appeared January 1, 2015 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Today, as the calendar flips, many vow to put down forkfuls of festive gooey goodness - resolving to eat clean, exercise more and be healthier. To help us all, I spoke with some metro-Atlantans featured in 2014 Success Stories. Below are their tips. — Michelle C. Brooks, for the Journal-Constitution
Mandy Volpe, 27, and Conner Volpe, 26, Suwanee, Ga.
lost 179 pounds together.
Mandy and Conner were featured in June. They both maintain within twelve to fifteen pounds.
On maintaining: “At a couple of points, I plateaued and it’s very frustrating,” says Mandy. “I’m working on increasing the intensity of exercise.”
“This isn’t something we jump on and off - we are in it for life,” says Conner.
On holidays: “Around the holidays you slip up,” says Conner. “Instead of a piece of pie that’s as big as your head, get a tiny portion and keep exercising….If you’d have asked me before why I was overweight, I would have said I wasn’t exercising enough, but I was eating 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day.”
“When you get knocked off the horse you have to get back on. Everyday has not been 100 percent good for us, it’s always about getting back on the horse,” says Mandy.
”The struggle is always going to be there,” says Conner. “I am never going to look at a menu and prefer to order celery.”
Val McLeod, 55, of Atlanta, lost 370 pounds.
Val was featured in February. She is an author, speaker and global brand awareness ambassador for eXfuze. In 2014, she dropped from a size 20 to 16; she maintains within eleven pounds.
On nutrition: “What I have found, which was a revelation to me, is putting good nutrition into your body. The whole focus of what I’m eating and how much - it’s misdirected energy,” she says. “Once you’re giving your body the nutrition it wants, your appetite changes, your pH changes, you begin to detoxify your body, the inflammation - that’s huge. All disease starts with inflammation: heart disease, high-blood pressure; inflammation on the cellular level. A body in balance begins to recover and repair itself.”
On cravings: “For people like me, who don’t have a history of eating clean…[we] keep craving because we don’t get it that the body is asking for solid nutrition.”
On exercise: “I am not in the gym like a maniac at all…but my body is okay because [of] good nutrition.”
Zach Mayfield, 31, of Marietta, Ga., lost 170 pounds.
Zach was featured in January. He has graduated college, works in computer information systems and is a Beachbody coach. He maintains within 13 pounds.
On moderation: “I got up to 260 pounds which is proof that when you add it you can still subtract it,” he says. “You’ve got to treat yourself - just don’t overdo it.”
On New Year’s resolutions: “Why are you doing it? Is it because it’s the thing to do at New Years? If so, you are going to fail. Basically you’re going through the motions because it’s the hip thing to do…You have to do it for you. If you don’t…it won’t work.”
On a budget: “You have a park in your neighborhood. You have stairs in your apartment or house - walk up those stairs. There’s tons of workout stuff on You Tube.”
Kendra Miller, 32, of College Park, Ga. lost 185 pounds.
Kendra was featured in July. She teaches pre-K and has two boys. She maintains within five pounds.
On making it fun: “Find what fits you. For me, it was walking. For someone else, it may be dancing or biking. Make it fun - rock climbing, playing outside with your kids. If you are just living life everyday and having fun, the weight will come off. I tried going to the gym and it didn’t work for me, but I started walking and the weight just slid off.”
On good habits: My favorite phrase is: If you don’t stop, you won’t have to keep starting over… I’ve learned that practice really [doesn’t] make you perfect…practice makes you better.”
On treats: “I treat myself, it is okay…Then, other days, I tell myself I have already been treating myself so, no.”
On New Year’s: “Don’t think about, I ate too much — just start where you are.”
Rebecca Becki Gregory, 62, Smyrna, Ga. lost 70 pounds.
Rebecca was featured in May. She’s a human resources manager. She maintains within six pounds.
On accountability: “My Weight Watchers’ membership requires me to check in once a month…it really does help keep me on track…The other thing that really helps a lot is my Fitbit - I work hard at getting my 10,000 steps a day.”
On traveling: “It is very difficult for me to control things when I’m traveling. I’ll give in to it, but I’ll get on it when I get back…I look for places to exercise…I walk airports…I haven’t let [exercise] go at all.”
On holidays: “I’ve been enjoying the seasonal treats and I’ve got to admit, I’ve put on a few extra pounds… I’m an all or nothing person, either I’m on it or I’m not… I’m determined to get back on it in January.”
On starting: “Make small steps,” she says. “You can eat a little bit of pie — you just can’t eat the whole pie.”
For links to their original Success Stories:
Mandy Volpe: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/health/mandy-volpe-26-of-suwanee-lost-82-pounds/ngCyk/
Conner Volpe: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/conner-volpe-26-of-suwanee-ga-lost-96-pounds/ngG8b/
Val McLeod: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/health/val-mcleod-54-of-ellenwood-ga-lost-370-pounds/ndRWt/
Zach Mayfield: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/zach-mayfield-30-of-marietta-ga-lost-170-pounds/nc5DT/
Kendra Miller: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/kendra-miller-31-of-college-park-ga-lost-185-pound/ngW4F/
Rebecca Becki Gregory: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/rebecca-becki-gregory-62-of-smyrna-ga-lost-70-poun/nfzgw/