The Road to Weight Loss

Vitals: Andrew Staton, 34, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Occupation: Real-estate agent

Weight before: 317

Height: 5'9"

Time required to reach goal: 5 years

Weight after: 173

Lesson learned: Diet isn't a short-term regimen, it's a lifestyle.

Inspired tip: Win your personal battles, and your professional ones become easier.


The Gain
Staton never knew what it was like to be athletic. "I was a fat kid, a fat teenager, and a fat adult," he says. He passed the 300-pound mark after college, as his career took off and his activity level plummeted. That's when Staton realized his weight was holding him down professionally, too.

The Change
Staton remembers the day he took control of his weight: April 1, 2000. "I just woke up and thought, I'm going to get ahold of my life," he says. Staton halved his calorie intake, hit the elliptical trainer for an hour a day, 6 days a week, and watched the first 60 pounds melt away. He soon moved his workouts from the gym to the road, and just 7 months later, ran his first 10-K. In October 2001, Staton completed the Marine Corps Marathon. "When people notice your weight loss, it gives you a high that drives you forward," he says.
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