Former weight: 230 pounds
Current weight: 160 pounds
Pounds lost: 70
Height: 5 feet 10 ½ inches
Age: 56
How long he's kept it off: Two months. He started Jan. 1, 2010, as a New Years' resolution and met his goal by September.
Personal life: "I've been working in the information technology field for 35 years and currently live in Coweta County with my wife, Brenda, and daughter, Traci. I also have a son in Atlanta. All of my family members have been very supportive of my decision to get healthy," says South.
Turning point: "After getting to the heaviest weight of my life in late 2009, I knew I needed to do something to reverse the direction I was headed."
Diet plan: He eats five to six small meals per day, "to avoid energy fluctuations and hunger," he says. Breakfast is oatmeal and low-sodium V8 juice. Mid-morning he has an apple and protein bar. Lunch is leftovers from the night before followed by fruit for a snack. And dinner is a sandwich or something more savory such as roasted chicken.
Exercise routine: "I've been attending Operation Boot Camp in Peachtree City for six months. It was exactly the kind of program I needed to kick-start my quest to get healthy. Getting up each day to make it to a 5:15 a.m. workout can be a challenge, but by the end of the workout I feel like I've really accomplished something. I've also started running on Saturdays with a group of friends I met through boot camp. Recently I ran my first half-marathon."
Biggest challenge: "The biggest challenge for me is the nutrition piece of staying healthy. I have exercised at different points in my life but have never purposely considered eating right."
How life has changed: "Before starting, I was taking four different medications for health reasons. Since that time, my doctor has reduced the meds to the point that I'm now only taking one of these, and the dosage for it has been reduced significantly. One of my short-term goals is to be off of all meds within the next few months."
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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