At 340 pounds, Tykeshia L. Robinson, a financial analyst with Westinghouse’s Columbia, S.C., site knew she had to make a change in her lifestyle because of her daughter, who is now 10 years old.

“Her Grammie had just passed, and I was sick at the time,” 39-year-old Robinson says. “She mentioned that all of her parents were sick and were going to leave her.”

Motivated by her daughter, Robinson decided it was time to take back her health and lose the weight. She knew it would be a lot of work—she would need to learn how to eat properly and find exercise routines that she thoroughly enjoyed.

Time was the biggest obstacle for Robinson. Being a single parent and having to juggle everything on her own was difficult. However she also came to terms with the fact that she would not be good to anyone if she didn’t take care of herself first.

“Once I had that realization, I found creative ways to accomplish my fitness goals from day to day,” she says.

The first step for Robinson to lose the weight was to cut everything she was eating in half so her body became accustomed to eating less calories. Gradually, she then incorporated more green, leafy vegetables and protein into her diet. To balance each meal, she included carbs in small amounts such as a side of rice or a sweet potato. At the beginning, she used a food journal to help keep better track of the food she ate and at what times.

As she worked on her nutrition, Robinson also took Zumba classes, which she credits as a key reason for losing much of the weight.

“I loved to dance which is why I took Zumba in the first place,” she says. “That is the one exercise I really stuck to.”

When Robinson first started her weight loss journey in December 2013 she went to the 24-hour fitness center at the company site every day. She wasn’t sure where to start, but along the way, she found the support she needed.

“I had no idea what I was doing, but two of my co-workers, David Robinson and Teena Davis, noticed my consistency in coming to the gym and pitched in and helped me with the equipment,” she says. “They would also come up with different routines for me such as planks, wall sits and different strength training with weights. Now my primary tools are the treadmill, strength training and weekly Zumba classes.”

Time is always a challenge for anyone who wants to lose weight; however, Robinson says that it was not much of a factor for her because of the onsite fitness center at Westinghouse. She primarily exercised during lunch or immediately after work.

“I never waited until after I got home because you have family and other life obligations to attend to,” she says.

By Jan. 1, 2015, Robinson had lost a majority of the total 145 pounds.

Currently weighing 195 pounds, Robinson’s life has changed for the better, with the greatest change being her ability to keep up with her daughter who participates in many activities, including Girls on the Run.

Girls on the Run is a non-profit program for girls in third through eighth grade. The group inspires them to be healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

“It’s important to not only be present but to actually interact,” Robinson says. “(My daughter) participates in Girls on the Run 5K, and I was able to complete my first 5K last year. That’s something I never thought I would do.”

Robinson trained for the 5K about 90 days before the actual run by using the fitness trail outside the Westinghouse Columbia site three to four days a week.

Initially, she walked to help her body gain strength. As the days went by, she added trotting to get used to the movement of running.

At the 5K, Robinson ended up walking more than half of the course but she was excited to complete the course because it was something she had never done before.

Now that she has shed the weight and met her goal, Robinson’s current goals are simple: She works to maintain the weight and keep herself strong.

“My routine now consists of tightening and toning my body from the weight loss,” she says. “As a result of the weight loss, I no longer take insulin for diabetes and I am currently working on getting off of the blood pressure medicine.”

Robinson’s key to success throughout her journey: not giving up.

“I struggled with being overweight all of my life and never thought this would be my reality,” she says.

“With enough support and perseverance anything is possible. The key is to never give up because it’s never too late. No matter how much time you have or how you might feel on any given day, don’t put any limitations on what you think you can do. You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish if you just put one foot in front of the other.”

Robinson is especially grateful to her support system, including those at Westinghouse who continued to motivate her to lose the weight.

“I want to say thank you to everyone I encountered here at work who were so encouraging and complimentary to me as I went through my transformation,” she says.

“That meant more to me than anything, to know that they took an interest in me and wanted to see me meet my goal.”