Georgia man learns mother knows best

Clean your room. Be nice to your brother. Tuck in your shirt.

Everyone knows Mom's common commands all too well. And you'd better obey the first time she asks, because she will tell you again ... and again ... and again ...

Take James Peterson's mom. That's what she did when she thought he should join L A Weight Loss.

James had maintained an athletic lifestyle throughout high school, but started to gain weight once he entered college. His post-grad job as an IT manager kept him too busy for healthy eating or exercise, so the pounds piled on.

In addition, James often indulged in late-night snacking. His diet consisted of fast foods, fried foods, and lots of sweets. He had little awareness of nutritional value, and considered a fried chicken sandwich with bacon and ranch dressing a healthy meal.

Worse, James kept making excuses for himself, even though he was unhappy with the extra weight. When he couldn't fit into clothes at the mall, he comforted himself with a cinnamon bun. And without any medical conditions affecting him, James told himself he had no real reason to worry about being heavy.

Then his mother joined L A Weight Loss. Thrilled with her own progress, she suggested James try the program, too. Actually, she called him every day until he agreed to visit his local L A Weight Loss center in Cumberland, Ga., in September 2006.

After only one week on the program, James lost 10 pounds, which motivated him to stick with it and keep losing.

Working closely with his one-on-one counselors, James learned an important lesson in nutrition. Never a big cook before, he took a stab at culinary art in his kitchen. Soon, he was cooking dinners with steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, and grilled lean meats and fish.

James also added exercise to his routine, working out three to four times a week at his local gym. The healthy habits did the trick: He lost a total of 110 pounds on the plan!

Now, nothing can hold him back. James loves being outdoors, running, walking, and bike riding. And when he goes shopping at the mall, he walks right past the cinnamon buns, and heads for new, smaller-sized clothes at the nearest store.

In fact, James kept the outfit he wore at his first L A Weight Loss weigh-in, and dons it every time he steps on the scale, to remind himself how far he's come. Plus, his weight loss journey inspired his wife to get fit too, and now they work out and eat right together.

Needless to say, James's mom is very proud of him, and brags about his weight loss, proving that mother really does know best. Great work, James!!

Here's the 315-pound James before he joined L A Weight Loss:



And here he is now, 110 pounds lighter, looking like a whole new man! Awesome job, James!



FAST FACTS

Name: James Peterson
Hometown: Smyrna, Ga.
Age: 35
Height: 6'1"

Starting weight: 325 pounds
Goal weight: 223 pounds
Current weight: 215 pounds
Program start date: September 2006

Favorite food: Grilled chicken.

Biggest temptation: Sweets.

Biggest motivator: Getting healthy.

Biggest obstacle: Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of weight he wanted to lose.

Old eating philosophy: Eating fried food for lunch and dinner, and enjoying anything else he wanted in between.

New eating philosophy: Thinking about what he wants to eat, and planning his meals with healthy choices.

Best thing about losing weight: Getting a lot of attention and support for achieving his goals.

Best weight loss secret learned: Stay active!