Raleigh, N.C. — A Raleigh woman's dramatic weight loss gained some national attention Friday.

Susan Caldwell, 33, is a picture of good health, but it wasn’t always that way. Two years ago, she weighed 285 pounds.

“Now, I look at pictures and I just cringe. I can’t believe I looked like that, and I never want to go back there ever again,” she said.

Caldwell says she started gaining weight in college and was in the worst shape of her life in 2006 when she saw a woman in People Magazine in the grocery store.

“I weighed almost what she weighed, and I remember looking at the picture of her, being amazed that she was able to lose that much weight,” Caldwell said.

Inspired by the magazine, the mother of two changed her life. She watched what she ate and began working out.

“You see it incrementally. Each month goes by, you see a little less of Susan, a little less of Susan,” said Bill Clausen with Tone Up.

Her hard work and determination paid off. Caldwell lost 123 pounds and dropped 14 dress sizes. On Friday, She graced the pages of People Magazine’s “Half Their Size” issue.

“The thought of being able to inspire other people like it inspired me was an amazing feeling,” she said.

The key to Caldwell’s success has been taking it one step at a time by setting small goals to reach her ultimate goal of 155 pounds.

“For some reason, the last 7 pounds seem to be the hardest for me, but I’ll get there,” she said.

None of the people featured in the issue had surgery to lose weight. Most said they did it the old fashioned way by eating right and working out.