Christopher Hotujec lost 38 pounds


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Success Story

Christopher Hotujec, 53: From 196 pounds to 158 pounds

Former weight: 196 pounds

Current weight: 158 pounds

Pounds lost: 38 pounds

Height: 6 feet

Age: 53 years

How long he's kept it off: He started in May and reached his current weight in mid-June.

Personal life: "I have four grown children, all out of the house. I am a sales director for a software company and married to my wife, Zerlina." He and his wife live in Roswell.

Turning point: "I would say the turning point for me was that none of my clothes would fit me and I had generally a lack of energy. Zerlina was starting this thing, and in order to help her be successful, I needed also to lose some weight. … It would be very difficult for her to change her diet if I didn't change my behavior. I told her, 'If you're going to do this, I need to lose some weight, too, so let's go ahead and do it together.'" They saw Nancy Masoud, a metabolic specialist and weight-loss counselor (realhealthmedical.com).

Diet plan: "I stopped drinking alcohol; that was part of cutting the sugar. We cut all sugar, starches and oils. I was starting to eat clean: eating lean protein and vegetables, some fruit and nothing processed. … If I eat something sugary, I get ill now."

Exercise routine: He does weights and cardio for 30 minutes three to four times per week.

Biggest challenge: "The biggest challenge was not at the beginning, but a few weeks into it. It was the social aspect. We're empty-nesters; we learned a lot of our social interactions with friends are over dinner. … I missed the friends; it wasn't about the food." Now, they are expanding their foods and enjoying going out. "I am back to a glass of red wine."

How life has changed: "I definitely feel better; I sleep better. I'm able to buy new, smaller clothes. In general, it's a positive experience. I never looked at it as a punishment when you've achieved something you set out to do. … I have no desire to go back to the way I was eating. … Four or five weeks into this, we hit a wall. 'I can't do this anymore, I really want a margarita, chips and salsa.' It was more of a mental thing, we had been so good for so long. … We did go out and eat that meal, and we didn't feel very well — I didn't realize that was going to happen."