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 / Nicholas Johnson, 33: From 378 pounds to 245 pounds
Former weight: 378 pounds
Current weight: 245 pounds
Pounds lost: 133 pounds
Height: 6 feet
Age: 33 years
How long he's kept it off: He reached 235 pounds in 2013 and he's maintained a 10-pound range since.
Personal life: "I went to Morehouse for undergrad and grad school at Georgia State to study math and science education. I am a sixth-grade math teacher. I am captain of the Atlanta chapter of Black Men Run Team (www.blkmenrun.com)." He lives in Atlanta.
Turning point: "After an unnecessary breakfast buffet one day, I wanted to go for a walk," he said. While walking, he saw guys playing softball. "I used to play baseball in high school and I was pretty good. I came out and played the next week and I was absolutely horrible … I fell into such a sedentary lifestyle … I was an adult and stressed … building my career and distracted by money struggles … That's when I started to work out and started to lose weight … I just changed my whole lifestyle."
Diet plan: "I will make around 10 to 14 salads for the week. I will also prep all my meals for lunch and dinner that week. I will pick a vegetable for the week, like Brussels sprouts and quinoa or pasta, for proteins: salmon, tilapia, turkey sausage."
Exercise routine: "People as heavy as I was cannot go directly into running marathons; I was morbidly obese — I had to get into a range where I could handle more," he said. He started at the gym, today he runs three to four days for three to five miles. On weekends he runs 10 to 15 miles. In one year and five months, he has run 14 half-marathons and 1 full marathon.
Biggest challenge: "Knowing when to stop celebrating," he said. "I ran my first Chicago marathon in October. It was 18 weeks of discipline. I knew it was time to relax for a while. Two weeks became three and that can be difficult."
How life has changed: I'm much happier. I'm much healthier. I get a lot of positive feedback and I don't realize how much I impact other people — it brings me a lot of joy," he said. "The biggest number one is to find an activity that you really do enjoy and devote your time to it." For Johnson, it was running. "The Atlanta running community is amazing and it's so much fun." Black Men Run is open to all skill levels. "We'll work with you — we'll make sure you're all right. At Blkmenrun.com, people can find their local chapter, whatever state they are in."
