"I definitely noticed the difference as far as muscle tone and being stronger and having more endurance in general," she said.

Initially, her weight jumped, she said. It was tough, but she kept at it, and the weight now has fallen below its starting point. It was just half a pound at first, she said, but it made her very happy.

"I've got to give it my all," Pointer said. "I didn't want to let what seems like no progress get me down, because I knew that I was getting benefits from it, whether the scale said so or not."

Pointer said the slow progress only inspired her to work even harder to get in cardio work outside of the gym and to make sure she's eating what's on her diet.

"The milestone day was a kick in the butt," she said.

Pointer and two other winners of the 2010 Durham Fitness Challenge are getting help setting fitness goals, and planning workouts and meals over a three-month period.

The challenge is sponsored by the David Turner Lymphoma Foundation, named for a Durham resident who was diagnosed at 24 with Stage IV lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. The Durham News is reporting on the participants' progress through November.

When Pointer took on the challenge in September, she said the toughest part might be sticking to the diet plan. She's not really interested in junk or fast food anymore, she said.

"I didn't eat a lot [before], but when I think about it, little bits here and there, it's more than I would have credited myself with," she said.

The workouts are somewhat easier now, too, she said. The difference was especially apparent during a one-hour boot camp held Sept. 25 in Durham. Pointer said she handled that workout much better than one earlier in the challenge.

"You really are breaking your body and forming new muscle fibers. It's going to be a little volatile at first," she said.

That's one of the great things about having personal trainer Craig Long, of Move It Be Fit, helping her, she said. Long will work with her on a new movement until she feels like she can accomplish anything, she said, and although he always makes her run around the tennis courts, the rest is different every time.

"I never do the same workout twice, which is really nice. Your body doesn't have a chance to adapt to it fully, which slows down progress," she said. "I appreciate his creativity."