For 12 months, we’ve shared the incredible journey of David Makki’s quest to lose 100 pounds. We’ve watched and read as he pushed himself to his physical and emotional limits.

Finally, on Dec. 31, David faced his final weigh-in. In a couple minutes, you’ll find out just how much he lost.

The first month started with a massive wakeup call. On Jan. 1, 2008, David weighed in at a morbidly obese 299 pounds. But he was very determined to change his life forever.

“I want to be around for my kids,” he said last February.

David soon discovered there are no short cuts on his Fit for Life quest. No quick fixes, no cosmetic surgery, no nips, no tucks; just good nutrition (six-smaller meals to increase his metabolism) and lots of hard physical training. And nobody trained him harder than the personal trainers at A.M. Total Being Fitness in Dearborn.

Anthony Moses and Kristopher Donald worked him harder than he ever could have imagined. David faced punishing challenges, including exhausting strength and endurance training and heart pounding three-mile runs in the heat of the summer. Here’s the payoff: In the first few months, David dropped 41 pounds.

But his life changing journey had only just begun. The journey included dealing with the stresses of real life. He wasn’t participating in some reality show, where contestants live away form their families and temptations on a ranch. David had children to pick up from school, bosses to please, and, during month 4, his wife, Nicole, gave birth to their second child.

Remarkably, though, a crying baby did not throw David off track. Instead, the new life inspired him to shed another 18 pounds in April, May, and June.

“This program is an analogy for what he needs to do in life: push past everything that will seem like it will weigh him down,” Donaldson said in April.

As the exercise got more strenuous and the pounds kept coming off, Moses and his team of trainers began to unlock David’s personality. In July, he decided to shave his head near bald.

“The biggest change is his confidence,” Nicole said in July.

Week after week, there were big losses. July and August saw David lose 14 pounds. Throughout his journey, he discovered that he was changing more than just his weight.

“I’m feeling better at work and home, and I have more energy and confidence,” David said in August. “A lot of times last year when we took the kids to the beach, I would always have my shirt on. But I didn’t mind taking it off this summer, even though I don’t have a body builder’s body. I know how hard I work. So, that’s a vote of self-confidence for myself.”

David dropped 55 total pounds through August, and needed to shed another 45 over the next four months to achieve his 100-pound weight loss goal. But his weight loss slowed down dramatically over the next three months for several reasons, including a busier lifestyle through the fall months. He made it through the holidays without gaining weight, but the weight loss was a disappointment, only having lost 11 pounds over three months. Which meant David would have to lose 34 in December to drop a hundred for the year.

The end of year weigh-in results showed big numbers for David, who dropped another 11 pounds. But he came up 23 pounds short of his goal to lose 100 pounds. Still, David finished with a 77-pound loss and shed half his body fat.

He is now fitting into clothes that he has not been able to get into in years, including pants that are nearly 8 sizes smaller!

In addition to all the pounds and inches David lost in 2008, he has also seen some other amazing changes. His blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped drastically, among other things. David spoke about his year-long experience and his plans for continuing to lose the pounds.

“I feel like I’ve changed, from what I put in my mouth, to what I drink, to working out,” David said. “I’m more conscious of my body and mind, and my energy is good. I’ve learned more about the physical aspect of my well-being than I did in the prior 30 years of my life.”

Moses, owner of A.M. Total being Fitness, said David lost his weight the right way.

“At the ‘Biggest Loser,’” Moses said, “they’re isolated, so they don’t have to deal with anything social. Automatically, they’re 10 or 15 pounds ahead just doing that. David has a lot more challenges and he’s building a lot more character by dealing with all aspects of life. As a result, he’s going to be able to keep his weight off.”

David admits he’s a little disappointed he didn’t lose 100 pounds, but vows to get there, and beyond.

“I could say, ‘Darn, I should’ve lost another 20 pounds,’” he said. “But that would mean it’s over, that I quit. But it’s not over. It doesn’t stop here. I’m going to keep on going.*