Alex Respess loses 216 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Alex Respess, 25, of Duluth, lost 216 pounds

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Family photo Alex Respess weighs 243 pounds in this photo from June 2011. The 25-year-old dropped 216 pounds in an unusal way -- by competing in the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition/"

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Family photo Alex Respess was 20 years old and 450 pounds in this November 2006 photo. Respess reached his turning point after his mother's passing just a few months before this photo was taken.

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Former weight: 459 pounds

Current weight: 243 pounds

Pounds lost: 216 pounds

Height: 6 feet 3 inches

Age: 25 years

How long he’s kept it off: “I started in March 2010 and reached my goal March 8, 2011,” said Respess in a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Personal life: “I am a student at Kennesaw State University studying sports management,” he says. “I live in Duluth, Georgia and host a boot camp class called Track 2 Transformation Bootcamp every Saturday.”

Turning point: "My Mom’s passing on August 31, 2006 and my Dad’s commitment to her to lose his weight was my turning point," he says. "I was a participant on the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. I worked out five hours a day, six days a week and changed my diet to eating properly.”

Diet plan: “A typical day for me would be five meals – one every three hours,” he says. Breakfast is five egg whites with spinach and oatmeal. He snacks on Greek yogurt and fruit. Lunch is a chicken breast with brown rice, marinara sauce and green beans. His afternoon snack is a protein shake and an orange. And dinner is a ground chicken burger on double-fiber toast with green beans.

Exercise routine: “During my journey, I exercised five hours a day,” he says. “One hour of weight training and four hours of cardio. Now, I do about an hour of cardio, running intervals and an hour of weight training three days a week.”

Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge was mental,” he says. “At the beginning, I had been going for about two weeks and something hit me that said I couldn’t do it…I spoke to my trainer, Chris Powell… I was much better after that and got right back into my groove.”

How life has changed: “I have adopted a new food lifestyle -- no more fast food, no more sugary drinks,” he says. “I am in a new relationship with an absolutely wonderful girl, Courtney Crozier, who appeared on season 11 of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. I want to help people change their lives like Chris helped me. Don’t just say you want to change and do nothing about it…go outside right now and take a walk!”

Be an inspiration: If you've made positive changes in your diet and/or fitness routine and are happy with the results, please share your success with us. Include your email address, a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, c/o Holly Steel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.