Paul Miller, 55, of Alpharetta lost 80 pounds

Pounds lost: 80 pounds

Height: 6 feet 3 inches

Age: 55 years

How long he's kept it off: "I got serious about living healthy in September 2018 and reached that goal in a year," Miller said.

Personal life: "I'm your typical Alpharetta middle-ager. Our two kids grew up, we started to eat out more, and five years ago I started working at home," Miller said. "Teleworking has been great, but it makes it very easy to work far too many hours and use food for stress relief."

Turning point: "My mother showed her love through food, so I learned early to eat a lot. She was chronically obese and had very little mobility most of her life. That was just Mom. She passed away last fall at 94 from Alzheimer's (disease). The last five years of her life were wonderful primarily for the companionship of a special friend named Russ who's still with us at 102. His life habits represented a sharp contrast — moderate eating and lots of activity. He remains a blessing to everyone he encounters as he walks, with his walker, a mile each day," Miller said. "I realized that my actions now represent the choice of the kind of life I want for my later years."

Diet plan: He follows a low-carb plan without pasta or bread.

Exercise routine: "I read while riding a recumbent exercise bike each morning for 30 minutes. Since I did that even when I was giant, I knew that wasn't enough. I've always preferred picking up a pizza to a barbell, so I knew I needed to find a personal trainer," Miller said. "I started working with Scott Dilworth (@scottdilworthalot). … He's done an amazing job of holding me accountable with monthly weigh-ins and engaging me in a highly personalized exercise experience."

Biggest challenge: "I'd lost weight doing low-carb at least three or four times before, so I knew it worked. My biggest challenge was to not give up when my weight loss stalled for a month at 225 pounds," Miller said. "Scott encouraged me, telling me that if I kept doing my part, he'd change up my routine a bit, and together we'd unlock things and the weight loss would continue. I didn't believe it, but he was spot on."

How life has changed: "I no longer suffer lower back pain or cringe when I see pictures of myself. Most importantly, I have a renewed sense of optimism about the quality of my life as I age," Miller said. "I'm not going to be that poor old fat guy who is unable to do certain things because of limited mobility. I joked for years with my kids after I did something especially nice for them that one day they would return the favor by pushing my wheelchair up a hill. Kids, I won't need that anymore."

Share Your Success: Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight loss journey. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific weight loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.