Jim Brown, 39, of Cartersville loses 55 pounds

By Michelle C. Brooks

For the Journal-Constitution

Former weight: 220 pounds

Current weight: 165 pounds

Pounds lost: 55 pounds

Height: 5 foot 10 inches

How long he’s kept it off: 3 months. “[My] initial goal was 185 and I reached that weight back in December 2008. I thought I could go a little more and I'm now at 165,” says Brown.

Personal life: “I am a network engineer and work in the Midtown area,”says Brown. He and his wife live in Cartersville and are expecting their first child, a daughter.

Turning point: “My wife didn't feel like I was serious about having a child so I made a little statement or wager: if I reached 185 [pounds], we would start trying to have children,” he says. “Since I'm going to be an older father, I want to make sure I'm around as long as possible. My father always told me children and dogs make the world go around -- it took awhile for me to see the wisdom of his words.”

Diet plan: “Every morning, I'll start the day with a smoothie and throughout the day, I'll snack on either yogurt or piece of fruit. Lunch has generally been a salad and [at] night I'll eat Thai food so I get a lot of rice.”

Exercise routine: Three days a week he lifts weights; on other days he does aerobic exercise. “Right now, I'm swimming, cycling and running to prepare for triathlons.”

Biggest challenge: “Everything was going fine. My weight loss was 18 pounds and boom — I was stuck at 202 for about 4 to 6 weeks. This is when I started researching and decided to use [an] online calorie counter and www.fitday.com. This little tool outlined the error of my ways.”

How life has changed: “My back and feet don't hurt anymore. It's not so cumbersome to go up a flight of stairs,” he says. “Of course, the one thing that has changed with the weight loss is a baby is on the way which was the ultimate goal. My secret [to success] was to meet my daughter; she was the one person I've been waiting to see.”

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 Suzanne Van Atten, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sixth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.