Height: 5 feet 7 inches

• Personal life: Payne owns his own business, John Payne & Associates, LLC, a freelance court-reporting firm. He and his wife of 19 years, Angela, share their home with Misty and Winston, two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Family (ENLARGE)

BEFORE: Payne at 185 pounds.

Family (ENLARGE)

AFTER: Payne at 148 pounds.

READ THEIR STORIES: Longtime losers share winning tips, favorite recipes  Sissy Lusk, 42, Canton: From 345 to 130 pounds  Shelby Katz, 41, Peachtree Corners: From 208 to 125 pounds  Dacia Gilkey, 30, College Park: From 256 to 150 pounds  John Payne, 41, Acworth: From 185 to 148 pounds  Keith McKenney, 47, Atlanta: From 275 to 198 pounds  Karen Smicik, 36, Atlanta: From 198 to 158 pounds  Charles Aloisio, 72, Atlanta: From 250 to 150 pounds  Bob Shelton, 64, Atlanta: From 260 to 210 pounds  Benjamin 'Robby' Sneed, 28, Dallas: From 230 to 160 pounds

• How long he's kept it off: Three years. Started in March 2004; met his goal in 2005.

• How he does it: He eats small portions throughout the day to keep his metabolism going. He does not eat meat or have sweets. He walks and does yoga daily and does light resistance training every other day.

• Why he's a successful loser: "I got to the point I stopped craving the normal problem foods such as sweets. This made it easier to avoid weight swings," he says. "I think the biggest challenge has been not to become discouraged if I do put on 3 or 5 pounds during the wintertime. If that happens, I try to step up my activity level and just stick to my program, and it eventually evens out and comes back down."

• Biggest challenge since last profiled: "The winter ... Like most everyone, I'm naturally not as active, though I am able to continue my workouts because of the treadmill, and the resistance and stretching is done indoors at home. I think I just worked so hard to get my weight down to where it is that I really don't entertain (nor do I crave) foods that generally pack on the pounds."

• Secrets to continued success: "Find a diet or group of foods and eating patterns that work for you — one that you can live with in the long term and follow most of the time. I wouldn't be so severe as to say never have a dessert — it's just my choice not to," he says.

Baked Salmon and Steamed Veggies With Ginger Soy Sauce
4 servings

Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

We added the lime slices and Ginger Soy Sauce to John Payne's simple supper to dress it up a bit, but it's delicious naked, too.

1 teaspoon olive oil (or olive oil spray)
1 pound fresh wild salmon, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
1 fresh lime, optional
Salt and pepper or fish seasoning
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, to taste
4 carrots, sliced
8 broccoli crowns

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with a large piece of aluminum foil and coat with about half the olive oil. Place the salmon on foil and drizzle with the remaining oil. Top the salmon with a few thin slices of lime, if using, and sprinkle with salt and pepper or fish seasoning. Seal the foil tightly around the salmon.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until fish turns opaque and flakes with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a ramekin or cup, combine the soy sauce, honey and ginger to taste, and set aside. Steam the carrots and broccoli in the microwave or in a steam basket until crisp-tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

Divide the fish and vegetables on four plates. Drizzle with the Ginger Soy Sauce.

Per serving: 193 calories (percent of calories from fat, 24), 24 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 621 milligrams sodium.