Sales representative for a greenhouse and plant nursery supply company

47, married, one son

Two years

From a tight 36 waist to a 33

Moderation. "You don't want to binge on anything," he says. His wife, a nurse who works in wellness programs, created a personalized food plan for him that includes salmon, nuts, vegetables and fruits in small portions throughout the day. He's learned to track calories and servings. Also, he stays well hydrated by drinking water throughout the day. On the physical activity side, he increased intensity of his workouts adding an hour of cardio daily plus some weight training. The combination produced good results: "The pounds just fell off me," he says and his stamina increased. "…I was eating more food than I had prior, [but now] I was eating the right food."

Ice cream, sweets, potato chips, pizza, whole-fat chocolate milk, and "I swear off sodas; I haven't touched a soda in two years."

Avoiding restaurant food. He prepares his meals mostly at home because in a restaurant, as he puts it, "even though you think you're eating something healthy, they slather butter and calories all over it." Also, he lifts two, 20-pound dumbbells regularly as a reminder of how much weight he has shed. "Those motivate me every time … because that's what I used to be."

Berries and oranges

Learning to like veggies. Although "I've never been much of a vegetable eater, like I don't eat salads, I can't get into that," he enjoys other hearty veggies, like broccoli, asparagus and green beans.

: He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror before a swim party for his son's birthday and told his wife, "I'm becoming Jabba the Hut, this is not who I am, I don't recognize this person in the mirror." He made weight loss a new priority, realizing that otherwise the extra pounds could undermine his health in the future. "You live for your family," he says. "You want to be there a good long time for them."

Less joint pain, especially in his knees, allows him to play basketball, ski and run pain-free and with better endurance. An added bonus is being able to treat himself to a high-tech watch with a heart rate monitor. "I see myself as the athlete I've always been."

More confidence, a positive self image and "the sense of accomplishment" that sticks with you from losing weight and keeping it off.

Articles about the "science of nutrition that reinforces things I've been doing," and he enjoys the fruit smoothie recipes from the newsletter.