Former weight: 297 pounds
Current weight: 191 pounds
Pounds lost: 106
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Age: 37
How long he's kept it off: He started in January 2009 and met his goal in April.
Personal life: "I have been a full-time employee and a full-time student for a year," said Fox, who hopes to enter a teaching program this fall. "I also slice out enough time to be a father of a wonderful 3-year-old daughter, Raegan, and husband to a very supportive wife, Sabrina." Fox and his family live in Barnesville.
Turning point: "My wife and I became pregnant with our daughter -- and I say we did because I gained more weight in those nine months than she did," he said. "Shortly after her birth, I had the classic movie moment, where I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was having a heart attack. Luckily, it was only my first-ever experience with heartburn."
Diet plan: Breakfast is an English muffin egg sandwich with fruit. Lunch is a turkey burger, and dinner is grilled chicken or fish with steamed veggies.
Exercise routine: "When I started my journey, I could not run, so for 14 days straight, I went to Gold's Gym," he said. Now he runs four to five days per week.
Biggest challenge: "Being fat was the biggest challenge," he said. "I knew I needed to build exercise into a habit -- a habit like brushing your teeth every night. The other thing was my desire to be around for my daughter as long as possible. I can't control how people drive or a plethora of other bad things, but I can control my personal health."
How life has changed: "Everyone says, 'I have so much more energy.' Well, duh -- I ain't carrying an extra 100 pounds everywhere I go," he said. "My first half marathon I smiled the whole 13.1 miles -- it made me realize I can do amazing things. I am finally [going to] be in a career I always wanted to be in. My wife has become more and more involved with running also. Even if we don't get to run together that day, we get to talk about our runs. It just adds another layer to the awesome bond we share -- when you sweat together, you tend to take on life's challenges together better."
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 email ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
