The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Success story
Bruce Williams, 72, of Atlanta lost 53 pounds
Former weight: 215 pounds
Current weight: 162 pounds
Pounds lost: 53 pounds Height: 6 feet
Age: 72 years How long he’s kept it off: He started in April 2017 and reached his current weight in June.
Personal life: “I live in Atlanta in the Buckhead area. I am single and retired,” Williams said. “I am retired from several careers, first as an economist. I left corporate America and had a canoeing and kayaking school where I taught for 18 years before retiring again.”
Turningpoint: “I sold my business about five years ago, andmy lifestyle changed. I became rather sedentary, and since I was no longer outside most of the time during the summer, I put on a lot of weight. But it was a combination of several things: I didn’t look or feel good, but also there were some health issues. I had high cholesterol, and my doctor advised me to lose weight and get exercise. I guess that was one of the things that started me on this diet. I didn’t have a lot of energy, so I really wanted to get back into shape.”
Diet plan: “I follow a modified Mediterranean diet,” he said. Breakfast is cereal with fruit. Lunch is a salad. Dinner is lean meat or fish. “I eat a lot more fish than I did before,” Williams said.
Exercise routine: “I do a spin class a couple of times a week at LA Fitness and a bicycle ride a couple of times a week. I am trying to get back into some strength training to complement that,” he said. “My goal is to do something every day.”
Biggest challenge: “My biggest challenge is doing something every day. In otherwords, when I amnot doing spin class, just getting out and doing some walking and staying moving during the day is a big challenge,” he said. “I love to read, so I tend to spend more time on the couch than I would really like to. The diet itself has not been a huge challenge. I do count calories, and that is where My FitnessPal comes in. Besides the fact that I am stubborn, it is kind of a game — it has actually been fun in that sense.”
How life has changed: “I’m more active,” Williams said. “I really no longer canoe and kayak, but I am starting to really get into bicycling. I used to do a lot of bicycling 35 years ago, and now I have started doing that again. I live near Lenox Park. …(Recently,) I got on my bicycle and rode 10 miles in the park. The thing about doing white water kayaking is, I have to find people to go with. I have to put the kayak on the car and drive to North Georgia. Bicycling you can do by yourself and it doesn’t require a lot of planning. I have a lot more energy, and I have a different outlook on life. I hope someone will be inspired — it has been a good experience for me.”