Former weight: 217 pounds
Current weight: 168 pounds
Pounds lost: 49 pounds
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Age: 59 years
How long he's kept it off: "I started running in January 2002, reached my goal in 2004 and have kept it off since," says Craddock.
Personal life: "I am maintenance director at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church," he says. "[My wife] invited me to tag along with her and her roommate to watch a Christmas play. On the way home, we began holding hands. We're not sure how we got from holding hands to marriage but before we parted that night, I asked her to marry me and she accepted. Seven days later we were married. On December 20, we will celebrate our thirty-seventh wedding anniversary. We have two children, Stephanie and Shaun and five grandchildren."
Turning point: "I was disabled for over seven years due to two knee replacements. After I had my first knee replacement, I developed a staph infection," he says. "One day my wife took a picture of me playing in the floor with my granddaughter. It was then [that] I knew I had to do something."
Diet plan: "I did not adhere to any particular program." he says. He starts his day with three cups of coffee and after exercising has a bagel with peanut butter or cereal. Lunch is a salad or small sandwich. Dinner is a salad, protein and baked potato or a vegetable.
Exercise routine: Sundays he runs four to seven miles. Mondays he bikes up to fifteen miles and swims. Tuesdays he runs and swims. Wednesday he lifts weights and Thursday he runs up to fourteen miles. Fridays he bikes forty to sixty miles and Saturdays he swims and lifts weights.
Biggest challenge: "Some mornings are still a challenge. I have days I still hurt, but nothing I cannot live with. This 59-year-old body sometimes says no, but my mind says you have to."
How life has changed: "Now I can look in the mirror and see the reflection of my hard work paying off, and that's a feel good moment," he says. "I can't say I always enjoy exercising every day, but it has now taken on a life of its own…On Sunday, May 20, 2012, I [finished] my first half Ironman in Orlando, Florida."
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 Holly Steel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
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