John Edward “John Ed” Johnson struggled to maintain his weight for much of his life.
But now the Hephzibah man said a combination of portion control and workouts have him down 200 pounds from his heaviest, and he has a $25,000 prize to prove it.
“Health complications run in the family, and actually took both of my parents from me some years back,” Johnson said. “Truth be told, I had given up on losing weight. I was so discouraged.”
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Johnson said he was raised in the country and while his family had plenty to eat, they didn’t do much exercise.
Later on after seeing an endocrinologist, Johnson learned he had a pituitary gland adenoma that affects his body’s ability to maintain his weight, as well as keeps him looking younger than his 42 years.
The discovery motivated him to rediscover his own health goals and after after a trainer he met at work led him to a west Augusta health food market, Johnson said he discovered what healthy eating and fitness were all about.
Johnson was named on April 16 the grand prize winner of the 2024 WeChangeLives Challenge, hosted by health food franchise Clean Eatz, located in the Sprouts shopping center. The franchise sells pre-portioned, healthy meals.
“I didn’t even have to think about what I was eating. It made it pretty much no work at all. As long as you showed up, your body performed,” he said.
The six-foot, three-inch man found his workout niche at Juggernaut Fitness, a nearby family-owned Martinez fitness club with an inspiring story of its own and a heavy focus on personal attention, he said.
For the contest, Johnson documented and shared his personal health journey with Clean Eatz over 12 weeks, never dreaming he’d take him the grand prize.
