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 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or e-mail Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
Success story
Elliott Rodriguez, 22: From 268 pounds to 175 pounds
Former weight: 268 pounds
Current weight: 175 pounds
Pounds lost: 93 pounds
Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
Age: 22 years
How long he's kept it off: He started dropping weight when he was 15, in 2009. Rodriguez has maintained his current weight since April 2012. At one point, he dropped down to 162 pounds.
Personal life: "I'm a manager and co-owner of Anytime Fitness in Alpharetta. I live in Athens, where I go to the University of North Georgia. I'm an economics major and I want to minor in physical therapy. … I have amazing parents — I love them both, they are cool people. I have two sisters that are 9 and 8."
Turning point: While playing football in high school, his meniscus was torn in half. "So, the doctor said no more running, no more anything. … For eight weeks, I believed him, and got heavy. … I was always a bigger kid and I loved playing sports: baseball, football. … When I lost [that, I couldn't] hang out with my friends anymore." He walked into Anytime Fitness with an idea: "I asked [the owner] if I could mow the lawn and empty the trash in exchange for a membership. He agreed." Today, Rodriguez is a manager and partial owner.
Diet plan: Rodriguez does intermittent fasting. After coffee in the morning, he eats at noon. Lunch and dinner are usually a protein, a fat and a vegetable.
Exercise routine: He works out seven days a week. "I'm very much into Olympic-style weightlifting." He plays semi-professional paintball on weekends.
Biggest challenge: "I think my biggest challenge was honestly myself — believing that I could do it. … I had very, very poor self-confidence. When I was younger, I didn't know how to handle my inner dialogue. … I went on YouTube and typed in motivational speaking. I would learn from Anthony Robbins [and others]. … There are days you're working on it and the world is collapsing around you — you have to reach down, dig deep, and push through."
How life has changed: "People are listening to what I'm saying, I'm becoming a leader. I have a lot of responsibility at my age. … My goal is to really enrich the community around me. … I was a wimpy, push-over kid. If I can lose over 100 pounds, become a leader, and change the people around me, anybody can do it."
