SUCCESS STORY / Pete Manley, 84: From 243 pounds to 180 pounds
Former weight: 243 pounds
Current weight: 180 pounds
Pounds lost: 63 pounds
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Age: 84 years
How long he's kept it off: "I began my journey on Jan. 14, 2019, at 243 pounds," Manley said. "I reached my 180-pound goal on Dec. 10." He has maintained his weight at 180 pounds for over a month.
Personal life: "I retired from the Internal Revenue Service as an internal auditor in 1993. Then, (I) worked for a nonprofit at the Environmental Protection Agency helping close contracts for about 10 years, and (I) had various part-time jobs until (fully) retiring in the summer of 2016," Manley said. "I'm married, with two sons and two grandkids." Manley lives with his family in Dunwoody.
Turning point: "I decided to lose weight in January 2019," he said. At that time, Manley weighed the highest weight of his life and began to make a lasting lifestyle change. "Coincidentally, my insurance company offered a free pedometer and coach. The coach set a goal of (losing weight down to) 225 pounds and walking 3,300 steps daily. The company ended the program in February or early March," Manley said. "I kept going on my own and consistently take 10,000 steps daily."
Diet plan: "My wife, Nellie, deserves much credit," Manley said. "She bought a food scale." Weighing his food precisely made a difference for Manley in terms of managing portion control. "I never eat over 3 ounces of meat," he said. "My typical breakfast is scrambled eggs, toast and jelly, and coffee. Lunch is usually 10 ounces of deli meat, a celery stalk with cheese, and a tablespoon of hummus. I do have fruit at each meal." His dinner selections vary.
Exercise routine: "I treat my walking like a part-time job, doing 6,000 steps after breakfast and normally over 9,000 steps by noon. I estimate I'm spending two hours daily on walking and arm exercises and modified situps."
Biggest challenge: "My biggest challenge was the mental discipline to persist," Manley said. "For example, I gained 5 pounds in five days on a beach trip. It would have been easy to regain (more) weight. My other challenge is a very sedentary retired life. I probably walk 2,000 steps or less normally and work at walking the other 8,000. I also like all desserts."
How life has changed: "I had a five-way coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 1990 and a pinpoint stroke in 1996," Manley said. CABG, more commonly known as a heart bypass, improves blood flow to the heart when arteries are narrowed or blocked. "Weight loss has allowed a reduction in the medications I take," he said. "I used to have lower back pain when walking, but not 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.
