'Today, I know I am not alone'

Arik Bishop, 38, Wesley Chapel

Height: 5-foot-5

Starting weight: 375 pounds

Current weight: 175 pounds

Why I lost it: Six years ago, I was a 375-pound alcoholic and crack-cocaine addict who, believe it or not, was also addicted to food. I could see that I was killing myself in so many different ways that I had to choose to live or die. Fortunately, my choice was to live and recover from all three.

I had seen people in my family die as a direct result of being obese most of their lives, and I didn't want to fall into the same trap. The dilemma was: How could I do it?

How I lost it: I got sober and clean about four and a half years before I learned to control my eating. The dieting started just before I got sober, but the food issues kept coming back to me. I have the same issues with food that I had with drugs and alcohol.

At first, I tried the usual fad diets, eating lots of protein and fats while reducing my carbohydrates. While this helped me drop 85 pounds from my starting weight, I grew very sick of eating that way.

Next, I turned to a healthier method of weight loss by eating five small meals a day and following a fairly rigorous workout routine. This dropped me down to 240 pounds. For the next two and a half years, I struggled with a 30 pound yo-yo effect.

I found help with my food issues through a recovery support group made up of community members. I was able to stick to my meal plan and use exercise in a healthy way. I was then able to get down to my present weight of 175 pounds.

Hurdles: My biggest hurdle has been the boredom that can come from following fad diets. I always wanted the easier, softer way when it came to losing weight. It was no easy task convincing myself that there was no quick fix when it came to weight loss.

One more big hurdle was asking for help in an area that I was sure I knew all about. I thought I knew all there was about eating. I was wrong. This led me into recovery for my food addiction. Today, I know I am not alone.

Going the distance: My new relationship with food is about eating to live, not living to eat. My answer to all my problems in life cannot be fixed with food. Imagine that. Today I follow a food plan, not a diet. It fills all of my nutritional needs. Sticking to this plan has been made possible with the help of others and my relationship with my Higher Power.

Resistance and aerobic exercise have also been made a part of my everyday life. I am both physically stronger and more aerobically conditioned than I have ever been. This has helped me find my true passion in life, which is helping others do the same. After finishing a six-month program to become a personal trainer, I am now getting ready to test for my certification. What a blessing.

Best advice: Fad diets and pills do not work. There is no quick fix for long-term weight loss. I've heard that only 5 percent of people who once were obese can keep it off. Those are not great odds. The answer is a total change in your way of living.

Exercise is very important in any weight loss program, but you cannot out-train a bad diet. It is all about energy in - food -- and energy out -- food burned. Sometimes it is not an easy pill to swallow, but it is better than buying the pills that won't solve the problem.