http://www.acefitness.org...pageID=532



Debbie at 380 lbs in 1994.


Debbie now.


I thought maybe we could talk about your experiences with fitness or weight loss. This seems to always be a hot topic so I thougth I'd share this article to get things started.

Good for her!


This man has been on one of our daytime shows talking about his weightloss recently:





http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=3951

I three times today....I wonder how much weight I lost!

I've lost 6kg since in 8 months from doing little else but eating less and exercising often enough.

Reincarnate said:

Damn.

Reincarnate said:

Yes!! That guy is such a role model he's been on 'This Morning' in the UK and his achievement is amazing he's lost over 24 stones and has been doing charity runs and stuff.

He has a great sense of humour also and comes across as a really lovely genuine bloke. All credit to him!!

Everyone in the US knows this guy:



That's Jaret Fogel, a guy who lost 245 pounds eating Subway sandwiches!

Here's his story, as copied and pasted from the Subway website:

Most of you know who I am already. I became recognizable as the guy who lost 245 pounds eating submarine sandwiches. In fact, one of the most used photographs of me is one where I am holding up an old pair of blue jeans that I used to wear when I was 435 pounds. The jeans have a 60-inch waist.

When I go to schools and talk to students – which I do often - I usually see some amazed faces and hear a lot of “wows” and gasps when I hold-up that pair of pants. I also see some concerned and even terrified faces. Those are mostly from the children who are overweight; the ones who are afraid that they may someday be special ordering their pants because they can’t fit into the pants on the clothing store racks.

Those are the children I am especially trying to reach while on the SUBWAY® F.R.E.S.H. Steps Campaign, which I kicked-off in Washington D.C. on July 14, 2004.

F.R.E.S.H. stands for Feel Responsible Energized Satisfied and Happy and was created by SUBWAY® restaurants to empower kids and adults to seek out healthy choices in their menus and in their overall lifestyle. With the F.R.E.S.H. Steps initiative, we are doing our part to fight the growth of childhood obesity – and to help encourage healthier habits today for kids and families so they can be assured of a healthier tomorrow.

I encourage everyone to sign The F.R.E.S.H. Steps Pledge and commit to living healthier lives. By signing the F.R.E.S.H. Steps Pledge, kids and adults promise to be more active, eat a variety of good foods and be proactive in creating a healthy lifestyle.

I can speak from experience that being overweight as a child is not fun or easy. I was in third grade when I started becoming overweight. By the time I reached 20, I was already 425 pounds.

I find it very disturbing that almost one in three children are overweight or at risk for being overweight. From my experience, I became obese as a child because of a lack of activity and bad eating habits.

I would spend hours on end inactive at the computer or playing video games. When I wasn’t inactive, I was looking to fulfill my cravings for junk food. I’ll admit, I took these steps to extremes. I started eating all the junk food; all the chips, all the ice cream, all the cheeseburgers, all the French fries; all the time.

When I went out to dinner with my parents, I would not order children’s portions, but would order regular adult-size meals.

My parents tried to talk to me, but I wouldn’t listen. By the time I was in junior high school, I was sneaking food from my parents – which is not a good sign.

I wouldn’t listen to my parents, I wouldn’t to my teachers, I was not making healthy choices and that’s how I started down the road to 425 pounds.

Poor eating choices as a child lead to even poorer eating and activity choices as a teenager. As I became a more independent teenager, I continued to eat horrible foods. For most teenagers, a driver’s license represented freedom. But to me, it meant having even more access to the junk food I loved.

I have to say, this was not a happy time for me. The other children were making fun of me because of my weight problem. I had trouble breathing. I couldn’t play sports, I couldn’t go to the movies because I couldn’t fit into the seats in the theater and I had trouble squeezing into the back seat of a car. I was at risk for Type II diabetes and started having symptoms of sleep apnea.

My self-esteem dwindled away as I grew.

After being on that road, it breaks my heart to see obese children; especially knowing so well the struggles they will face as they grow older. That is my main motivation for being involved in this initiative.

The thing is, sometimes you don’t even know how much you are eating or how inactive you are. That is why I would love to see families get together and help each other. Getting healthy is something that families can do together.

The decisions you make now in regards to eating right and staying active will affect you for the rest of your life. Make healthy choices!