Michael Emanuelo, 50, of Kennesaw lost 100 pounds

Pounds lost: 100 pounds

Height: 5 feet 10 inches

Age: 50 years

How long he's kept it off: "I started with Nancy Masoud, a weight-loss and metabolism specialist (lockitinweightloss.com), a year and a half ago," Emanuelo said. "When I started, I was 250 pounds. I sat around 250ish for about five years, and then when I came to see Nancy, I broke the 200 pounds and went down to 195 pounds."

Personal life: "I live in Kennesaw. I have three kids and have been married for 25 years to my college sweetheart. I own a telecommunications business. … Our kids are all in college, so we're empty-nesters. We enjoy traveling. You hit your glory years and you want to enjoy what you saved up your whole life to do."

Turning point: "I always struggled with my weight," Emanuelo said. "I always fluctuated with my weight. … It was always: weight loss, gain weight, weight loss, gain weight. I tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, Nutrasystem. … Understanding how the body works and what foods are good for me and what foods aren't — that is when it started to work. … I lost my father when he was 50 years old; I was only 25 years old. He retired from the New York Police Department and wanted to enjoy his life. He was retired for five years, and then at 50 years old, he passed after all his kids got married and started having grandchildren. … He spent his whole life working. … He didn't (even get to) enjoy his grandkids. That inspired me to get healthy. It is not a diet, it is a lifestyle plan."

Diet plan: "It is not dieting — it is understanding how eating affects your body," Emanuelo said. Breakfast is usually three eggs or turkey patties. Lunch is a turkey roll-up with peppers. Dinner is vegetables with smoked chicken from his Big Green Egg. "I do competition BBQ once in a while."

Exercise routine: "Right now I really don't exercise that much; we just walk," Emanuelo said. "I try to do (that) three or four times per week."

Biggest challenge: "Bread — I love pasta and bread and knowing I have to eliminate that is bad. … Me and my wife did it together," he said. "We did it as a partnership, which helps a lot."

How life has changed: "I feel better about myself. … I feel healthier. I feel accomplished — that is the biggest thing. … I used to have a 46-inch waist, when you go to sit on a plane your butt doesn't fit in the seat. … Now, I can sit in a middle aisle and not feel as uncomfortable," Emanuelo said. "I evangelize a lot more: I try to tell people what I did and let them know there is hope out there. The biggest thing is, it is not about losing weight — it is about changing your lifestyle."

Share Your Success: 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, a daytime 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.