Being named Benefits Selling's 2013 Broker of the Year had more of an impact on Aaron Davis than he thought.

After seeing himself on the cover of the magazine, the president of NextLogical Benefit Strategies in Westminster, Md.—who then weighed just shy of 250 pounds—realized he needed to change his lifestyle and focus on his fitness.

“It was so bad that a few days before my photo shoot for the finalist edition, I had to go out and buy a new, larger suit,” he says. “When I saw my photos in the magazine, I honestly felt sick. I looked terrible.”

So last fall—which marked his 50th birthday—Davis finally made the decision to focus on his health. Davis has since lost 40 pounds—and he has his eye set on another 15. And he says he's feeling better than he has in years.

We caught up with the former Broker of the Year to find out about his health lessons learned this year.

Practice what you preach.

“It was the height of hypocrisy for me to be out there selling wellness solutions when I was overweight myself. We all need to be ambassadors of healthy living—leading the way in making these critical lifestyle changes. I want to be an example to our clients and their employees that it's never too late to change.”

Be honest with yourself.

“I took consolation in the fact that I was going to the gym some, playing soccer every week, taking my vitamins, getting my annual physical and not on any medications. But I was kidding myself about being healthy. My diet was the biggest problem: I ate too much. I ate the wrong things. I snacked late at night. And I drank too much beer. My wife encouraged me for years, but the message really didn't hit home until the end of last year.”

Set up a routine.

“I changed some key habits. I started going to the gym nearly every day and playing competitive indoor soccer two nights a week. On non-gym days, I usually walk three miles. My wife, who is a health coach and fitness fanatic, helped me change my diet to whole foods while severely cutting my intake of gluten, dairy and sugar and adding some key supplements.”

Instant Insights /

Davis: What I&rsquo;ve learned

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Davis: What I’ve learned