A Miami man who lost more than 100 pounds says you too can trim down, by taking it one day and one step at a time.

Eli Sapharti, 42, is in the best shape of his life. He weighs 180 pounds and has a 32-inch waist. It's a far cry from what he looked like four years ago -- tipping the scales at 300 pounds. That's when he had a chance meeting.

“The girl at the counter where I was buying the water said to me, 'You're really good looking for a big guy.' And all I heard was, 'You're fat,'” said Sapharti.

He knew it was time to make changes.

”My first week, I decided to walk for 15 minutes,” said Sapharti.

He lost two pounds.

”The following week, I increased my exercise from 15 minutes. I did 20 minutes,” said Sapharti.

Sapharti was down another two pounds, and two more the following week. He then added weight training and jogging to his routine. This year, he ran two half marathons.

Sapharti’s story started attracting attention, first in fitness magazines, then in People magazine, and recently on Good Morning America in front of a national audience -- shirtless.

”Everybody said I looked good so I'm OK with that,” said Sapharti.

He's using his success to encourage others in their weight loss battles.

”I want to teach people what worked for me, what's worked for many of the people I've worked with in the last year or so, to reach their potential,” he said.

Sapharti has his own website full of fitness tips. To check it out, click here.