• Former weight: 209 pounds

• Current weight: 161 pounds

Family photo (ENLARGE)

BEFORE: Wells weighed 209 pounds.

Family photo (ENLARGE)

AFTER: Wells, 37, weighs 161 pounds.

PHOTOS: See other before and after pictures sent by users like you! 1 | 2 Upload your own photos! Topic: Atlanta's weight loss resource 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 story with us. Briefly tell us your goal (weight loss, an athletic achievement, overcoming a health problem, etc.), how you achieved it and how long you've maintained it. Include a daytime phone number and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). Write: Success Stories, c/o Susan Puckett, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Eighth Floor, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303; or e-mail successstories@ajc.com. More success stories Bruce Nylund, 66, of Athens loses 77 pounds  Shana Dezelle drops 95 pounds eating raw food  Judy Brewer of Acworth sheds 33 pounds  Claire Monroe of Henry County sheds 32 pounds  Veolia Gibson, 54: From 400 pounds to 138 pounds  Michael Abu, 50: From 260 to 185 pounds  Marilu Barron, 38: From 146 pounds to 119 pounds  Jeff Grant loses 60 pounds  Clovis D. Clark drops 87 pounds  Joyce Paris loses 80 pounds

• Pounds lost: 48

• Height: 5 feet 9 inches

• How long he's kept it off: Started in May 2007 and met his goal in September 2007. He's kept it off ever since.

• Personal life: Wells works as an account executive for Nth Degree, a tradeshow management company. He lives in East Point.

• Turning point: "Last May 2007, I remember sitting in my chair and leaning over to tie my shoe. I had to come up and take a breath before going back down to finish tying the shoe. I was winded from leaning over," says Wells. "My back was giving me some pretty painful problems, and my doctor had me on blood pressure medicine." When a friend suggested Operation Boot Camp (www.operationbootcamp.com), Wells resisted at first, but after the first workout signed up for a month.

• Diet plan: Breakfast is typically Kashi cereal, a high-protein shake or an egg white omelet with chicken, vegetables and hot sauce. Lunch is a bison burger with spinach salad and vinaigrette dressing. Dinner is baked chicken and vegetables in marinade.

• Exercise routine: "When I started, I exercised five days a week; then I kicked it up to seven to eight times a week," he says. "I would do the Operation Boot Camp workout in the morning, go to the park after work and exercise for another 30 to 45 minutes on my way home."

• Biggest challenge: "My main challenge, besides not exercising, was large portions at every meal," he says. "The program with OBC teaches you how to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, what combinations to eat, etc. ... Then they hold you accountable for your decisions."

• How life has changed: "It's now been a year, and I'm still lean, happy, have more energy than before, and things in my life have changed in an amazing way," he says. "My career is skyrocketing, my relationships with my friends and family are deeper. ... I saw how [OBC] changed my life. I decided I wanted to help others do it also. I became an instructor. I went back to my doctor, who weaned me off my blood pressure medicine. My back pain went away during this time, and I realized that I was gaining more confidence than I'd had in years."