380-pound man gets to about 200 to skydive

Two-thirds of the American population is overweight, meaning hundreds of millions of Americans are faced with the challenge of losing weight.

But that number is one fewer with the amazing weight loss of Gary Holm.

On "The Early Show" Wednesday, Jeff Glor shared the inspiring story of Gary's year-long weight-loss journey.

Visit Gary's blog: The Flying Fat Guy

"A year ago, (Gary) weighed 380 pounds," Glor reported, "until he discovered that he could lose weight by (striving to achieve) a lifelong dream of jumping out of an airplane."

However, for as long as anyone could remember, 33-year-old Gary was severely overweight - to the point where friends worried about his future.

Matt Godecker, Gary's best friend, said, "He was going to be dead by 40 from a heart attack or something, honestly."

But it wasn't just Gary's health that was in jeopardy - so was his lifelong dream of skydiving. For safety reasons, the extreme sport comes with a weight limit, which Gary far exceeded. So a year ago, he took on an extreme challenge.

"A year from this moment," he promised, "I really hope to be jumping out of a plane."

That meant losing 145 pounds in 12 months.

He said on his blog, "If that's what it takes to lose weight, then damn it, I'll jump out of a plane."

To keep himself in check, Gary started a blog, enabling friends and family to follow his journey.

When Glor asked Morgan Harris, Gary's friend, "You wanted him to be healthy?"

She said, "Absolutely, because we wanted him around. He's a great guy."

By making better eating choices every single day and by exercising three to four times a week, Gary shed pounds quickly.

In one year, his new lifestyle yielded remarkable results. Gary dropped more than 180 pounds.

Upon seeing Gary's transformation, Morgan said, "Oh my God, look at you! Where is the rest of you?"

As promised, on his 33rd birthday Gary traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate with his friends and prepared to jump out of an airplane.

When Glor asked about how he feels about the weight he lost, Gary said, "It's insane to me, but my body was just done. 'Let's get rid of this fat, because we don't need this."'

Now well below the weight limit, Gary was finally ready to skydive. Glor joined him on the adventure.

When the instructor asked Gary, "Are you ready for this?" Gary replied, "I am so ready."

At the jump altitude of 15,000 feet, there was no time for second thoughts. Before they knew it, Gary and Glor were plunging from a plane at a hundred miles an hour.

In less than a minute, the freefall was over and their parachutes deployed.

Gary said upon landing, "That was amazing. You feel like you can't breathe, but you can and you're just falling out of an airplane."

Glor concluded, "Gary's year of healthy living had finally paid off. By leaving out all the bad stuff, he was able to fit in something far more important - his long-term health - and on his birthday, a lifelong dream."

For more information on skydiving, visit Vegas Extreme Skydiving.