SUCCESS STORY / Henry “Butch” Bailey, 36: From 320 pounds to 258 pounds

Height: 6 feet 2 inches

Age: 36 years

How long he’s kept it off: He started in January and reached his current weight last week.

Personal life: “I live in Smyrna with my wife and 2-year-old daughter. I am a lawyer — a land use and zoning lawyer.”

Turning point: “I just wanted to feel better, look better and be healthy. Then, once the quarantine started in early March, the gyms closed. I knew I was going to be coming out of the quarantine at 340 pounds or 240 pounds, so I ratcheted up a little more. I started my own workout at home. I started changing my diet. I started working out more strenuously. I did a really extreme keto diet. I saw immediate success and it kept me going. I have been working out at The Refinery for some time. They had a fat-burner challenge at the end of January. I decided I wanted to win that. COVID-19 kind of got in the way, but I was pretty close to being first place — that was a big motivating factor.”

Diet plan: “On keto, all I would do is eat high-fat meats and low-carb vegetables, no sugar, no carbs.” Following two cycles of keto, he switched to a low-carb plan.

Exercise routine: “I work out pretty much every day, except Sundays. ... I started doing segmented Tabata training; it’s high-intensity training. ... I play a lot of golf as well ... I have picked up road cycling. I do 20- to 30-mile rides.”

Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge has been not eating sugar ... I just went cold turkey and cut it all off. It was just a switch and I just flipped it and decided I wanted to do it. It worked for me. Now I really try to live a low-carb lifestyle — something I can maintain.”

How life has changed: “I feel better. I look better and I’m able to play with my daughter. ... My golf swing has gotten better too, less stomach in the way. ... Do what works best for you; otherwise you are going to be forcing something that won’t work and be harder to maintain over the long haul ... pick an attainable goal and just don’t stop until you get there. My life has changed in the sense that being healthier physically allows me to have more mental clarity — I don’t get groggy in the day because I haven’t eaten crap for lunch. Overall, I have better performance because I live a healthier lifestyle.”

Share Your Success: Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight loss journey. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific weight loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG) and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email reporter Michelle C. Brooks at: ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.