Jared Brodie, 27, of Stone Mountain lost 126 pounds

Current weight: 180 pounds

Pounds lost: 126 pounds

Height: 5 foot 9 inches

Age: 27 years

How long he's kept it off: Started in January 2008 and reached his current weight in October.

Personal life: "I'm an actor, www.Jlbrodie06.wix.com/jaylewbrodie," says Brodie. "I work at the Center For Puppetry Arts. I also work at the Georgia Aquarium." He lives in Stone Mountain.

Turning point: "At DSW shoes, I saw myself in the mirror and I wasn't happy with what I saw. I thought, 'I really have to take this seriously' … I was always thinking I was 240 pounds or 250 pounds. 'I know I'll lose weight eventually,' I thought but I didn't think I was in a danger area. It wasn't until I stepped on the scale; I didn't realize I was 306 pounds — I guess I was in denial." His mother suggested that they participate in a weight-loss challenge at a local gym. "[We] thought it was a win-win situation because whether we won the prize or not, we'd lose a bunch of weight … The reason why my story is something that needs to be shared, the seven years I was working on my body, there's times that my weight has gone up and dow,n up and down … life happens."

Diet plan: Breakfast is a juice smoothie. Lunch is a light salad or a chicken sandwich. Dinner is a lighter meal and he doesn't eat after 9:30 p.m.

Exercise routine: "I exercise five days a week," he says. "When I get to the gym, I usually alternate. I'll run one day then the next day an aerobic walk, 30 minutes of cardio and then … a 10- to 15-minute stretch. Then I go into the 8-minute ab workout."

Biggest challenge: "I would say maintaining. Getting started, you find yourself having a lot of support so you're motivated. It's something new so you're pumped about it."

How life has changed: "I do have a newfound confidence, I don't think it's because of the weight loss but because of the fact I was able to accomplish something I didn't expect — I never thought I could lose so much weight like this. Sometimes you have to sit back and give yourself props for whatever accomplishment you overcame … Be fully aware of your mental health as much as your physical health — they both go hand in hand … At the end of the day, no matter how much weight I've lost, I am a fat boy at heart. I know I'm supposed to be on a diet, but this burger is calling my name. I struggle with it constantly."