Jeff Wysong, 35, of Atlanta, Ga. lost 57 pounds

Current weight: 193 pounds

Pounds lost: 57 pounds

Height: 6 feet 3 inches

Age: 35 years

How long he's kept it off: "July 2012 is when I started," said Wysong. "October 2014 is when I reached my goal of getting below 200 pounds."

Personal life: "I live in Druid Hills with my lovely lady, Robin, and her daughter, Brianna. I am the chapter advisor of the Phi Kappa Psi chapter at Georgia Tech from where I graduated. As a personal hobby, I sing in a community choir named Collegium Vocale where I first met Robin. I am a senior software engineer for a company named Stormpath, based in San Mateo, California." He lives in Atlanta.

Turning point: "I did not like the way I looked in pictures and knew I needed a change if I was going to live a long, healthy life."

Diet plan: "I followed no particular diet in general. I started small by limiting fried food … instead of French fries, I would get sliced apples or steamed broccoli. I also eventually gave up sweet tea and opted for water instead." Breakfast is cereal with whole milk. Mid-morning he has almonds and a banana. Lunch is usually grilled chicken and fruit or a small salad with half-a-sandwich. He has an afternoon snack of turkey with another banana. Dinner is a casserole with meat and vegetables such as chicken pot pie or shepherd's pie.

Exercise routine: "Boot camp is my only exercise, which is 18 workouts spread out over four weeks. It is interval training, a combination of cardio and strength exercises," he said. "The awesome people at Operation Bootcamp (www.operationbootcamp.com) were really encouraging and that motivated me to continue to show up and work hard."

Biggest challenge: "Since boot camp starts at 5:45 a.m. the toughest challenge was adjusting to getting up that early for workouts. Also, it was a challenge to make good food choices when I would visit my parents, so I had to adjust and have smaller pieces of my mom's homemade apple pie."

How life has changed: "First of all, it's nice to fit into smaller clothes. My confidence and energy levels are higher so I feel better throughout the day," he said. "Before I started boot camp, I hated running, but I ran two 10Ks in the last year and plan to do more in the future … Life is about choices; occasionally [I will] sub out French fries for fruit or vegetables — my body always feels better when I do."