Got a success story of your own? Send it to us at success.stories@huffingtonpost.com and you could be featured on the site!
Name: Truitt O'NealAge: 38Height: 6'3"Before Weight: 399 pounds
How I Gained It: I was a huge emotional eater at a young age. I ate a lot of junk food. I was a huge fan of Little Debbie Zebra Cakes, Hostess Orange Cupcakes and Ho Hos. As the years went on, I continued to pack on the weight. In high school, I was 6'1" and weighed around 300 pounds. By the end of high school I was 6'3" and weighed over 350 pounds. Throughout college at North Carolina Central University I yo-yoed up and down between 320 and 380. After graduating, I continued to pack on the weight.
Breaking Point: My journey started after a visit to the doctor's office in 2010. He said that I needed to make some changes in my life. During that visit he also mentioned that I had high blood pressure and prescribed pills to help regulate it. I hated any type of medication, but I realized that high blood pressure could lead to other health issues.
How I Lost It: After my doctor’s visit in 2010, I began to change my diet and increase the amount of exercise I was doing. The subtle changes worked. From 2010 to June of 2012 I lost 52 pounds dropping from 399 to 347.
In June 2012, I was asked to join MediFast Weight Control Centers. The arrangement was made through my job at Radio One Raleigh and The Light 103.9FM. The deal was that I would work the program and talk about it on the air during The Yolanda Adams Morning Show.
When I started with Medifast I weighed in at 347. About two weeks after joining MediFast, I started working out at the local YMCA. From that point on, the weight loss really began to show. Later on that year I was asked to speak about the organization on the radio.
Over the next seven months I began to see an amazing transformation. My clothes began to get looser. I had more energy and could do more for longer periods of time. My co-workers and friends started to comment about the changes that they were seeing. I couldn’t believe that it has actually happening.
I've done a total 360. I can breathe -- for years I suffered from asthma. I always seemed to be winded. Now I feel great! I'm extremely happy with the results. Since starting this journey in 2010 I have lost over 150 pounds. I started off with a 54-inch waist and now I'm able to wear a 40. My shirt size went from 4XL to XL.
I've met all of my initial goals. I wanted to weigh 250 pounds or less. DONE. I wanted to feel and look good in nice clothes. DONE. And I wanted to be able to move, run and jump without restriction. DONE! I'm in a better place than I've ever been.
It still feels like I'm looking at someone else's reflection on a daily basis. I'm reminded everyday that past issues always play a role in future results. Getting your mind right prior to starting a weight-loss program help with making your results attainable and maintainable. If not, you're just wasting your time.
These days, I'm still working out four to six days a week at the YMCA. I love taking advantage of the kickboxing and Zumba classes. I've also completed two 5K races and spent a lot of time riding my bike around Durham. A lot of folks stop me now and ask me how I did it. I let them know that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
Current Weight: 245 pounds. My new goal is to reach 235 pounds by December.
The Huffington Post publishes photographs as they are submitted to us by our readers.
Check out more of our inspiring weight loss stories below:
Weight Loss Success Stories
For more on weight loss, click here.