Artie
Current Weight: 218 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 112 pounds

Artie is a police sergeant in New York, and while working his usual midnight shifts, he says he found himself grabbing a lot of fast food on the go. Even though he hid his weight well on his 6'3" frame, he was up to 330 pounds and had a 50-inch waist.

Everything changed in January of 2007 when he saw Bob Greene on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The next day, Artie says he went out and bought Bob's book, The Best Life Diet. Artie put his treadmill in front of the television and began an exercise routine. Instead of watching sports while lounging on the couch, Artie now did it while exercising. "I started working out 30 to 40 minutes a day, and I've continued on since," he says.

Artie has also stopped eating two hours before he goes to bed, which he says has made all the difference in his weight loss journey. Now, instead of filling up on fast food and drinking 64-ounce sodas, Artie eats vegetables and fish and drinks plenty of water. At 218 pounds, he says he has more energy, is sleeping well for the first time, and the pain in his back and legs is now gone. "I've never felt better in my life," he says.

Right after starting the program, one of Artie's six siblings died from throat cancer. "I came to the conclusion that we're all going to die from something, but I didn't want it to be something I had control over," he says.

Artie dedicates all his progress to his brother. "I'd say, 'You have to stop smoking, bro.' And he'd say, 'You have to stop eating, bro,'" he says. "I've reached my goal, but I stay on the healthy plan because I don't want to lose the memory of my brother and let him down."

See how the Best Life Challengers turned their lives around
As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.