"He lost 153 pounds, won his first triathlon"

(CNN) -- The presents had been opened; the wrapping paper was stuffed in the trash bin. Watching his 2-year-old daughter Cadence playing with her brand new Christmas toys, Kerry Hoffman was suddenly struck by a thought:
"I need to be here to walk her down the aisle."
Startled by the idea, he turned and caught his reflection in the window, noticing his substantial arms, belly and neck. It was a sight he had grown accustomed to as the years passed, but on this particular day, a new resolve animated him.
"I can control this," he thought. "And I've never really tried before."