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.
Former weight: 271
Current weight: 195
Pounds lost: 76
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Age: 37
How long he's kept it off: He started in November 2011 and reached his current weight this month.
Personal life: "I live in Hapeville, Ga., with my wonderful wife, Carole-Anne, our adorable four-year-old son, Nathan, and our furry baby, Camper Kitty. I am also a private pilot and fly with the Yellow Jacket Flying Club at Georgia Tech," says Whitehurst. "I've worked in information technology at Georgia Tech since 1998 and am currently an IT manager in the Office of Information Technology."
Turning point: "Initially, just before our son was born in May, 2009, I started taking blood pressure medication and attempted to lose some weight …When I visited my doctor in November, 2011, he gave me an ultimatum to lose weight or face serious health consequences and possibly surgery," he says. "Initially, my doctor prescribed an appetite suppressant that, although it did work to curb my cravings, was not my preferred method. You can't stay on that medication forever and you have to be able to do it on your own at some point anyway. I adjusted my diet, but not radically, and began going to the gym …The real turning point came in the early Spring of 2013: My wife, Carole-Anne, sat down with me and we began a series of very candid conversations … Carole-Anne didn't pull any punches and our conversations [made me] realize that I had been alienating the two people I love most and decided it was time for some changes, and quickly."
Diet plan: Breakfast is a whole-grain organic waffle, fresh fruit, drizzle of maple syrup, and milk. Lunch is a salad or leftovers and dinner is salad, lean protein, fresh veggies, and fresh fruit for dessert.
Exercise routine: He walks with his wife, who also works at Georgia Tech, during lunch two to three days a week and exercises every evening for 15 to 20 minutes.
Biggest challenge: The biggest challenge for me was to find a combination of diet and exercise that I could sustain long-term and that I was happy doing," he says.
How life has changed: "We just recently replaced size 40 and 42 pants with size 36 pants that are comfortably loose, and size XX-large shirts with larges," he says. "I have a lot more energy and am truly happy now … I truly feel that Carole-Anne saved my life and I will forever owe her a debt of gratitude - [she] has been a true blessing in my life. The number one motivator for me was my family. I want to be there for our son for a long time, and he needs a healthy daddy that can do all of the things fathers and sons are supposed to do."
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