Daily Weigh-Ins Helped Andrew Perry Lose 45 Pounds


Size Change: 36 waist jeans to 29

Job: Data analyst for a financial company

Personal: 49 years old, married, and father of twin nine-year-old daughters.

Pounds Lost: 45

Time to do it: 9 years


Maintained Weight: Past two years

Healthy Habits Added: Running and track. He started out being able to run 100 feet. He's completed two New York City marathons and regularly runs 800 meters in track meets.

Trigger Foods: Chocolate cherry cordials. His kids gave him two boxes, which are now safely tucked out of reach on top of his refrigerator for occasional treats. "Otherwise I'd eat the whole box at once."

Secret Weapons: Weighing himself daily and monitoring body fat; reading food labels and watching portion control. He still measures out cereal, nuts and any other food with concentrated calories and a small portion size. He always has something slightly sweet, such as a cup of tea with a little honey, before leaving the office so that he's not ravenous when he gets home.

What He Can't Live Without: Physical activity, especially running. and... brownies.

Favorite Snacks: Trail mix.

Biggest Struggle: "Controlling myself, especially with stress eating." Also, "It's hard to stop thinking of yourself as a fat person. I am a formerly fat person."

Previous Weight Loss Attempts:"I've read practically every diet book available. And I've tried them all, with no long-term success. Any diet plan that's moderately organized just doesn't work for me."

What Worked This Time: Slowly changing his habits. "I decided not to eat anything from a box and nothing frozen. I lost 10 pounds, then plateaued there and had to take it up a notch. I tend to lose weight in clumps."

What Motivated Him to Succeed: A photo of him celebrating after the Yankees won the 1996 World Series. " I was huge!"

Rewards Along the "Weigh": New running shoes, a jacket and starting blocks for meeting running goals.

Benefits of Weight Loss: "I now eat more fruits and vegetables, and I've been able to stop taking my cholesterol lowering medications."

thewashingtonpost.com