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 Patty Murphy, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
SUCCESS STORY / Adam Greenwald, 24: From 260 pounds to 180 pounds
Former weight: 260 pounds
Current weight: 180 pounds
Pounds lost: 80 pounds
Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Age: 24 years
How long he's kept it off: Started January 2013 and reached his current weight six months ago.
Personal life: "Since graduating from the University of Georgia in May 2013, I began working as a social media coordinator/project manager at Sandbox Digital," said Greenwald who lives in Midtown.
Turning point: "[In] January 2013, my roommate, at the time, came back from his winter break and asked if I had any New Year's resolutions," said Greenwald, who did not. When his roommate downloaded an app to help with his resolutions, Greenwald downloaded the Lose it app too (www.loseit.com).
Diet plan: "As I began to better understand nutrition, while using the app, my diet as a whole started to take shape," he said. "There were no magic pills, no diet books or crazy shakes — it was sound nutrition … when I had tried to lose weight [before], it consisted of a run/jog here and a salad there, in the hope that the number on the scale would magically drop in a week or two … The app made things … very black and white."
Exercise routine: "Once I started, I understood that in order to drop weight, cardio was a great workout. Because I absolutely hated running, I decided to begin swimming laps," he said. "Starting off, I would easily become winded after doing one to two laps. Before I knew it, I was swimming 30 minutes, then 45 minutes and sometimes 60 minutes without stopping, typically four to five times a week." He also lifts weights.
Biggest challenge: "For years, my biggest challenge was motivation, motivation just to begin and motivation to set a realistic goal. At 250 or 260 pounds, the thought of being fit or in shape is like telling a child to go out and capture every lightning bug: impossible. Instead of random weeks of healthy eating and sporadic gym trips, I started something with a goal and system."
How life has changed: "I can run two to three miles and not feel like my body is going to shut down. When I was at my heaviest, I couldn't jog a half mile without wanting to take a nap. I used to buy size 38 or 40 jeans; my waist is now a 32 slim fit. [Do] not begin a journey like this alone. Set up a support system, be it a workout partner or simply a friend who will hold you accountable for your daily choices."
