Like most people wanting to lose weight, I tried just about every diet under the sun over the past 20 years. The ones that were successful left me with that feeling of being deprived. I still craved food — the wrong food! I was almost to the point of resolving to never be thin again and suffer the consequences of being obese. I peaked at 260 pounds. During this past year I had a few wake-up calls regarding my health. The first was an emergency appendectomy, followed by gall bladder removal. After recovering from these two back-to-back surgeries, I set a goal to get my health back. I didn't know how, but I knew I had to do something totally different.

I had never heard of The South Beach Diet™ until I was in a business meeting. One of our team members was complimented on how much weight she had lost since our last meeting a few months prior. She attributed her success to the South Beach Diet™. I immediately performed a search on the words South Beach when I came home that afternoon. Your Web site came up, and after a quick review, I said to myself, "I can do this." My educational background is in chemical engineering, and after reading Dr. Agatston's explanation of how the diet works, it made perfect sense. It's all about chemistry — good fats, good carbs.

I started the diet two weeks prior to Thanksgiving 2003. My first challenge was to gain trust in the eating plan itself — it was hard to believe that I could eat as much as I wanted. I honestly thought I'd have to cut back on quantities and feel starved in order to achieve success. Other diets had required me to write down what and how much I ate. I remember diets where I had to limit my total caloric intake; I often lived for the next meal before I even finished the current one! Within days of starting The South Beach Diet™, I honestly quit being hungry. I had to start setting a timer on my watch to remember to eat my snacks. I was simply amazed at how my cravings went away after being on the diet for 24 hours. After one week, I lost over five pounds. This added to my determination, especially with the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

A few days prior to Christmas, our family was hit with a sudden illness of my 7-year-old son, resulting in him being hospitalized. I attribute the necessary strength and stamina to survive this six-week ordeal to my faith in God as well as The South Beach Diet™. I never ran out of energy, and food never became my focus. In the past, junk food was my way of dealing with stress.

It has been a little over four months since I have been on The South Beach Diet™. I have lost over 45 pounds. I went from bulging out of a size 42 waist to a sleek size 34. I honestly can't remember when I have felt so good. The timing of finding out about The South Beach Diet™ and being able to make it work has been a blessing from God. As a father of four at age 42, a Cub Scout/Boy Scout leader, and a chemical plant manager, I need all the energy I can get. People routinely ask me what's my secret? I'm proud to be able to say, "South Beach." My desire is for them to be as successful as I have been. I truly believe, however, that it's not a diet — it's a lifestyle.

Favorite snack: Peanuts

Favorite exercise: Walking/hiking

Best compliment you've gotten: Anytime people ask, "How much weight have you lost now?" Also, I consider it a compliment when people come to me for weight-loss advice.

Most effective strategy when facing temptation: Think about how short-lived the gratification of cheating is. The best way to lose weight is to not put that junk in your mouth to begin with.

Best advice for other SB Dieters: Honestly follow the plan without cheating — it really works.