It took a neighbor to get Patti Radcliff into the gym, but it took a personal trainer to get her into her ideal dress size.

Photo by Lesley Young

Kettle bells have been a key part of Patti Radcliff's regimen with personal trainer Tommy Gerber. She has lost 70 pounds and dropped five dress sizes.

"My neighbor approached me to start walking," said Radcliff, 40, who works for International Paper. "The two of us had decided our weight was out of control."

"I joined the gym and started taking classes and working out, but I wasn't seeing results."

Following several friends' recommendations, Radcliff contacted personal trainer Tommy Gerber and began meeting with him three days a week.

"Several different people told me about him independently of each other, plus a friend of mine had made a phenomenal change. You could hardly recognize her," Radcliff said.

Since last February, Radcliff has lost 70 pounds and dropped five dress sizes.

"I'm addicted now," she said.

Gerber first helped Radcliff with her diet, giving her guidelines to follow that offered versatility for any situation.

"It made sense and was easy to do, and it was easy to eat out and do," she said.

She met with Gerber at Forever Fitness in the Clark Tower three days a week for weight training that included weight machines, free weights and kettlebells -- lots of kettlebells.

"He incorporated them into every workout," she said. "In addition to the muscles you're supposed to be working out, like the shoulders or back or arms, you're incorporating balance and core strengthening."

In the year she has been working with Gerber, Radcliff has experienced many different types of workouts.

"Just when it seems to plateau, he changes the routine," she said. "Just when I get to the point where it wasn't hard anymore, that's when he changes it."

Radcliff also worked out her cardiovascular system three or four days a week, putting in 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 on the Stairmaster, 10 on the Elliptical and 10 on the stationary bike, for a total of 40 minutes.

Although she has met her goal -- and then some -- Radcliff completed her first half-marathon in October and is training for another one in March. She continues to meet with Gerber, now twice a week, and get in her 40-minute cardio sessions three or four days a week.

"I just want to keep working out," she said.

More important than her weight, Radcliff has seen changes in the numbers for something else.

"I'm no longer on cholesterol medication," she said.

Have you lost weight and kept it off, adopted better eating habits, started exercising or had success living a more healthful lifestyle? E-mail your story to sunyata00@gmail.com.

Patti Radcliff

Age: 40.

Hometown: Bartlett.

What she did: Radcliff began meeting with personal trainer Tommy Gerber three days a week for weight training and working out her cardiovascular system for 40 minutes three or four days a week. She lost 70 pounds and dropped five dress sizes.

Personal trainer: Tommy Gerber, tgfitness.net, (901) 438-6115.

Gym info: Forever Fit Health Club in the Clark Tower, 5100 Poplar, 7th floor, (901) 763-1140.

Advice: "It's really hard to do it by yourself. Either have a buddy to work out with you, or find a trainer, and find a trainer who works for you."

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Success Story: Patti Radcliff