John Payne goes from 185 pounds to 145 pounds

• Former weight: 185 pounds

• Current weight: 145 pounds

• Pounds lost: 40 pounds

• Height: 5 feet 7 inches

• How long he’s kept it off: Since August 2004

• Personal life: Works as a freelance court reporter and lives in Acworth with his wife and their two Pembroke Welsh corgis

• Turning point: Payne noticed that he was gaining about five pounds every couple of years. “I realized the strain that my ankles, hips and knees were beginning to experience,” he says. “I knew at 185 pounds, I had to lose some weight in order to stay active.”

• Diet plan: “I began by cutting out all fast foods, heavily fried foods and sweets,” he says. Payne began to eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day to keep his metabolism consistent. For breakfast, Payne reaches for a meal replacement bar. Snacks are usually fruit, fresh vegetables or whole-grain cereal. Lunch and dinner consist largely of fish, with either a vegetable, potato or a salad. “I am fortunate in that I have never liked salad dressings or butter, but I know this is rare.”

• Exercise routine: Payne walks four miles most days of the week. He also uses a Bowflex home gym for strength training and does some daily yoga stretches.

• Biggest challenge: “Eating smaller portions. I had always cleaned my plate,” he says. “When eating out, now I almost always get a to-go box. Also, with my varied work schedule, sometimes I have to make an extra effort to fit in the exercise.”

• Munchie antidote: “Pringles’ fat-free potato chips are really good. The trick is not to get carried away and eat too many at once,” he says. Or he snacks on whole-grain cereals right out of the box.

• Secret to success: “Constantly envisioning how I wanted to look and feel at my target weight-loss goal,” he says. “As I met the small goals, I was encouraged to continue.”

• How life has changed: “My cholesterol and lipid values improved, and the state of my overall health has been heightened,” he says. And when he looks back at his before picture taken in 2003, he realizes that although he was exercising regularly, the problem was dietary. “I was eating too much at one sitting, eating at the wrong times of day, and eating a lot of the foods which did nothing but put weight on me,” he says. “I am now challenged to maintain the weight loss over time, which I am making every effort to accomplish. I just feel better in every way.”

• Dieting tip: “I try to take in the majority of my complex carbohydrates earlier in the day instead of in the evening,” he says. “This fuels me when I need the energy and affords the chance to burn some of the calories off while active during the day instead of consuming the carbs before bedtime, which could lead to weight gain.”

— Michelle C. Brooks, for the Journal-Constitution
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/livi...ss/090105.html