Watch my YouTube video here: S.C. Man loses 270 pounds on his own: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxb5IkLeW5k

On 6/20/2010, I was hospitalized for 6 days for a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in my lungs) and I very nearly lost my life. I weighed 577 pounds.

Enough was enough. I was ready to take my life back.  Doctor after Doctor pushed weight-loss surgery, but I refused. I knew after being in the hospital for 6 days that I didn't want to go back.  I knew what I had to do and I knew the only way to do it right was the hard way.

For the last 18 months, I have embraced a total lifestyle change through diet and exercise. No gimmicks, no pills, no special foods.  Just good old-fashioned common sense.  It turns out it really is true: if you use more energy than you take in, you will lose weight.

I started out pushing a grocery cart around the store, since I wasn't able to walk on my own.  After a time, I graduated to walking back and forth to the mailbox at the end of my driveway.  Soon I was going on long distance walks several miles long.

I joined the gym at my job and with the help of a personal trainer, work out 3 times a week. I measure my portions. I eat about 5 or 6 meals a day totalling 2,500 calories. I write everything down.  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat dairy and lean meats.  And all I drink is water. Lots and lots of water.

And here I am, 270 pounds later. I still have more to lose, but I am sharing my story to give other people hope.  You might choose to, but you don't really need to have life-threatening surgery to lose large amounts of weight.

I maintain a blog about my weight loss experiences at http://www.ganey.com.