Austin Lee of Atlanta loses 45 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the AJC

Former weight: 223 pounds

Current weight: 178 pounds

Pounds lost: 45 pounds

Height: 5 feet 10 inches

Age: 29 years

How long he’s kept it off: Three months. Began in March and met his goal in September.

Personal life: “I am a social media marketer for eyespeak LLC (www.eyespeak.com). I am married to Courtney Lee, and we live in Brookhaven with our two dogs,” Lee said.

Turning point: “I turn 30 this year and decided that it was time to get serious about my health,” he said.

Lee met a personal trainer, Day Adeogba, who turned the quest for better health into a game called character fitness (www.characterfitnessblog.com); eyespeak LLC created the character fitness blog to help Adeogba tell people how it works.

Diet plan: With the help of his trainer, Lee began focusing on eating foods that would move him toward his goals instead of defining food as good or bad. A typical day starts with turkey bacon and eggs, lemon pepper chicken and brown rice for lunch, and turkey and black bean chili for dinner.

Exercise routine: “[My trainer] broke down all of the facets of health and fitness into a point system tailored just for me,” he said. For example, each activity during the week earns Lee points.

“I run two miles three days a week and participate in exercises using my body weight ... five days a week. I also get points for going to the gym two days a week for around an hour. The more focused I am on playing the game, the less I realize that I am changing my habits.”

Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge was just working out, period. ... Adding a daily workout, even if it was only 30 minutes, was a challenge for me,” he said.

How life has changed: “I have more energy than I did before; I feel better physically and mentally,” he said. “Once I realized that it was more about changing my habits than anything else, it really unlocked my success. Don't view food as good or bad, that only creates a mental attachment to food. Instead, focus on whether or not that particular item will move you toward or away from your goal -- it really makes it easy to choose wisely.”

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 e-mail 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.