Aaron Butler, 42, of Marietta, Ga., lost 153 pounds
Former weight: 388 pounds
Current weight: 235 pounds
Pounds lost: 153 pounds
Height: 6 feet 1 inch
Age: 42 years
How long he's kept it off: "I started June of 2010, and hit my initial goal in May of 2011," says Butler.
Personal life: "I live with my wife, Cheryl, and five-year-old son, Nathanael, in Marietta," he says. "We relocated to Atlanta from Texas in 2007 to work in the information systems department of Piedmont Healthcare."
Turning point: "Three things made me finally decide to make a change," he says. "First, my son was turning four, and I had always dreamed of coaching my son's Little League Baseball team…Second, my employee physical showed that I was diabetic and hypertensive, even though I was not being treated for either issue. Lastly, I had lost my sister to lung cancer in 2009...[she] had her health stolen by disease. In my case, all of my health problems were just caused by me being overweight and sedentary."
Diet plan: "I laid off the seconds, and thirds and fourths, and avoided white potatoes, white rice, white bread," he says. "Instead of a half-pound cheeseburger, large fries, and a large Dr Pepper, I now will get the junior burger, small fries, and a diet drink."
Exercise routine: "I usually run Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday," he says. "We try to go hiking as a family every weekend that we can."
Biggest challenge: "Trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be changing my entire lifestyle and that it needed to be a permanent change was the hardest thing," he says.
How life has changed: "I, like most overweight people, had started and failed on numerous diet and exercise programs...I kept coming back to the idea that anybody can do a diet for one day. Anyone can exercise one time...I just approach life one meal at a time, one workout at a time. I'm no longer diabetic or hypertensive. I've run multiple 5Ks…and the Peachtree Road Race 10K…I'm the healthiest I've ever been, and now I love to go and do." Butler blogs about his weightloss at www.1meal1workout.com. On Nov. 5, Butler is hosting the Sweetwater Creek State Park 5K and family fun run to benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information: http://www.active.com/running/lithia-springs-ga/sweetwater-creek-5k-and-family-fun-run-running-4-my-life-2011
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 Holly Steel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
