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 / Brian Wingate, 41: From 308 pounds to 218 pounds
Former weight: 308 pounds
Current weight: 218 pounds
Pounds lost: 90 pounds
Height: 5 feet, 10 inches
Age: 41 years
How long he's kept it off: He started in April and reached his current weight in September.
Personal life: "I am single, never married, and 41 years young. I work in the risk management and credit department of the Weather Company here in Atlanta," says Wingate, an Atlanta resident.
Turning point: "I was raised with the motto of: Clean your plate, there are starving children all over the world, so don't waste food. This, of course, led to the habit of overeating … The true turning point came when I went to the doctor at the end of April 2015 for my yearly checkup, and was told that I was 80 to 100 pounds overweight and my lab results showed I was now Type 2 diabetic … I knew something wasn't right because I had a lack of energy and my feet were starting to get a numbing sensation … Both my parents are Type 2 diabetics so I knew that I was headed down the same path unless I did something about it. I completely changed my eating lifestyle and exercise habits."
Diet plan: "Well, more like lifestyle eating plan … This meant, cutting out all processed and natural sugars as much as possible and no breads or pastas … lean meats. I incorporated foods that were [lower] in carbohydrates like green vegetables and stayed away from simple starches like rice, pasta and white potatoes."
Exercise routine: "I went from no exercise at all to straight cardio for [up to] one hour per day, five to six days per week. At first, it was just walking around the local park or track, but then I joined LA Fitness and started using the treadmills and elliptical machines."
Biggest challenge: "The bigger challenge has been adjusting to the attention. I'm a pretty private person and people want to talk to me now … I'm adjusting — I've come out of my shell a little more."
How life has changed: "It's a complete transformation. I couldn't have done it alone. I had the help and support of all my friends and family," he says. "I became the new person I needed to be and I did it for me. My most recent doctor's visit and checkup was amazing. Not only did I reduce all the bad numbers, but now I am coming off all the medications I was put on in April 2015. As of November 2015, I am no longer considered Type 2 diabetic. It just shows, it can be done."
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