With the Beijing Olympics right around the corner, there is the usual hype, controversy and politics that have become synonymous with the games. And while there will be some compelling stories, showdowns and drama - there will be a select few athletes for whom the road to Beijing was that much more challenging. Hopefully these stories will inspire you....

Manuel Uribe, of Mexico, was the heaviest man in the world. He weighed an astonishing 1232 pounds. He just celebrated his 43rd birthday - with a 400 pound weight loss....

British raw food author Angela Stokes lost around 160lbs through adopting a raw food lifestyle, reversing morbid obesity. Now a svelte 138lbs, at her biggest, the 29 year old was nearly 300lbs and her health was extremely compromised. She was constantly ill and underneath a false mask of contentment, she was also deeply unhappy and insecure. Here is her story....

A quarter ton… Think about that for a second. That is what Grand Rapids, MI native Nancy Makin lost over the course of 3 years. In 2001, Makin weighed over 700 pounds - largely the result of emotional eating brought on by divorce and loneliness. She spent 12 years in seclusion - only leaving her house about 10 times...

A long time ago, there was a young girl with a gap between her front teeth. This girl absolutely, positively, did not like this gap. Because she did not like the gap between her teeth, she decided to try not to smile. This attempt ended almost immediately, because she was a fairly happy girl. The notion, though, never left...

Most writing about models and diet tends to be negative - focusing on skinnyness, starvation diets, and eating disorders. I must also confess that the image-obsession and vanity that goes with celebrity culture leaves me cold - so I'm reluctant to devote too much space to how "celebrity-x got rid of her cellulite". However - in the interests of fairness...

Outside all the dramatic weight loss programs and hyped up testimonials - there are people who quietly go about changing themselves. This story is very encouraging. I was excited to discover that Diet Blog played a role (again - reader comments on this blog directly impact and help people). Eric's Story At age 22, Eric weighed around 230 lbs...

From time to time on Diet Blog, we will feature a "success story". It's refreshing to know that there are people out there who (despite considerable hardship) still turn their life around. Positive encouragement can inspire someone to make a change. The opposite approach is bludgeoning someone with fear and guilt - an approach that often backfires. I was thrilled...

As sources of inspiration, these guys and gals are hard to beat. They've definitely turned their life around through a mix of careful eating and a healthy dose of exercise. Now it's time to add your name to the list....

You may remember a few months back the story of Jacob. Jacob weighed over 400lbs and had pledged to run the Boston marathon (to the disgust and dismay of many long-distance runners). He is now over 80 pounds lighter... and has just completed the marathon. He came last....