Would anyone be interested in a little dc.com Biggest Loser contest?

[bull]

Having lost 45 lbs over the past three months I've been somewhat inspired to help some of my online friends do the same. So I thought I'd try to put together a little weight loss contest here for you guys who know me well enough to trust me to collect money for a prize. I was thinking about a $10 entry fee and if we could get maybe 10-20 contestants or more I'd take the money and buy something like a gift certificate through a place like Year One or Paddock or BE&A and mail it via cerified mail to the winner. I know $100-$200 doesn't go that far at some of these places but the real win would be losing the fat and getting healthier. Maybe we can post diet and workout tips for each other and stories about what works and what doesn't work. I of course would not be participating due to the obvious conflict of interest and I'd lose anyway because I've almost reached my goal.

I'd appreciate input from you guys as to whether you think this is a good idea and if so how we could work it out so that people aren't starving themselves and passing out while walking down a flight of stairs or something. It would probably be required that everyone who participates first talk to their doctor about it and then we would have to figure out a way to avoid the temptation for some to cheat on the results. Maybe follow up visits to the doctor's office with photos of the scales, I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud here so that's why I need suggestions and some idea if there's any interest. I was thinking the contest would last about six months so the winner would be announced around mid December or so if we could get started in the next few weeks.

What do you think?

[Blown70]

Good Idea but I dont think I qualify......

[Todd Wilson]

I'd be interested in hearing about how you did it. How you ate before and what you changed to lose the weight. I really need to lose 30 lbs myself.


Todd

[moparstuart]

I'd be interested in hearing about how you did it. How you ate before and what you changed to lose the weight. I really need to lose 30 lbs myself.


Todd

I need to and qualify but dont know if i have the commitment .

[konigcharger]

is this retro active becaus ive lost 35lbs over the last 6 mos

[69_500]

If it was retroactive, I would vote for Allen's weight loss. Incredible if you ask me. I had seen a picture of him before, and met him last year at the Monster Mopar and had no idea who he was until he said his name.

[BB1]

I just canceled my gym membership; the reason was that I wanted to be fat and lazy. 

[THE COLONEL]

Congrats Bull.  I have lost 28 pounds myself now.  I still need to lose at least 40 more.  I was 272 when I started a couple months agao, and am now down to 244.  That is the least I have weighed since well before high school.....years ago!!  I have been watching my calorie & fat intake.  I started earting no more the 1,800 calories and 40 fat grams a day.  I've been keeping track in a little diary.  I have also been walking 150 minutes a week, or 30 minutes a day for 5 days.  It just keeps coming off and coming off.   Now that I'm below 250, I have been doing only 1,500 calories, and 33 grams of fat a day, and most days I don't even make 1,500 which is not bad.  It's all about portion size, and fat to me!

[bull]

I'd be interested in hearing about how you did it. How you ate before and what you changed to lose the weight. I really need to lose 30 lbs myself.


Todd

Well, after I got those blood clots in my leg and having people tell me that blood clots are a good way to get a stroke, heart attack and Pulmonary Embolism (fancy talk for blockage in the lung arteries) I asked the doctor about a diet and exercise plan. He's an MD so he didn't tell me squat, instead he referred me to a nutritionist at the hospital. She told me I should be sticking to 2500 calories or less per say and since my blood pressure was getting too high she told me to cut my sodium level to 2000 mg or less per day. So I counted calories and sodium for two weeks and started walking with my dog for 30-45 minutes a day, maybe 4 days a week, sometimes 5. After counting calories for two weeks I had a good idea how much I should be eating and by then I had started sprinting for short distances during my walks. I weighed 290 during my first visit to the doctor's office and two weeks later I weighed something like 278. I just kept at it because I didn't ever want to get to 300 lbs and I also was basically motivated by the desire to stay alive. It sounds morbid but I really could have died from one of those conditions I listed above.

So I discovered you can survive on 2500 calories or less a day. Before this I never exercised except maybe going for a walk 4-5 times a year with my wife. Also I would eat out a lot like $6 burgers at Carl's Jr. and often go to the all-you-can-eat places and definitely get my money's worth there. In the past three months I think I've eaten out four times.

Anyway, the short answer is that I watched my portions and started exercising. I think it helps a lot to have a one-on-one with a nutrition and/or exercise professional to help you get an idea of what you should do. In my case it was much more motivational to me to talk to someone in person than to look up a bunch of stuff on the internet. And of course the threat of death helps too.

[Brock Samson]

good for you Bull, did you stop smoking too?..
oh, while your at it are ya gonna get a magnum sedan?.. 

[Daytona R/T SE]

I hadn't been able to weigh myself at home for YEARS ... the scale just didn't go that high 

I wound up weighing myself on the freight scale at work...340lbs 

I know from the fit of my clothes that I had been heavier than 340, I'll bet I topped 350 at one time, but I have no proof of that so we'll stick with the 340 figure.

I weighed myself at home this morning....259 lbs 

I'm 6'4" 

I'm down 81 lbs + or -   

It's taken about four years to lose it, I've just started walking a few days a week, up to this point it's all been one thing...STOP EATING LIKE A FU^&ING PIG!

I used to stop at McDonald's every morning on the way to work and fill up on a couple of the McCrusty mystery egg sandwich of the day, Go to Hardee's (Carl's Jr. for you western guys) for lunch and pig out on at least two of those 1/2 pound hamburgers, sometimes just to mix it up I'd go to Dairy Queen for lunch and get four of their gooey cheeseburgers and a large cheese fry

I'd also maintain a constant supply of chips, cookies and whatever else within easy reach throughout my work day. And a constant flow of Mountain Dew.

For supper, on Mondays the local pizza dude would be summoned to my door to perform his duties, then at least three nights a week the Ol' Lady (She's 125 lbs soaking wet, wearing boots with the metabolism of a hyper-active humming bird  ) and me would hit the local Ponderosa Steak House all-you-can-stuff-down-your-neck buffet...Then there was the sunday morning breakfast buffet at Shoney's-EVERY Sunday-and we can't forget the huge bowl of ice cream almost every night right before bed...

In my case it took a huge commitment to become such a fat-ass. Once I realised this I was able to start backing off on the caloric intake, I drive past McDonald's and Hardee's every day like they're not even there. I'll hit the dairy queen for lunch about twice a month and I'll get two of the cheese burgers instead of four...but I still get the cheese fries

The local Ponderosa steak house buffet has since gone out of business, the building torn down and a Wal-Greens put up in it's place-Everybody tells me it's my fault since I stopped spending my paycheck there 

[bull]

good for you Bull, did you stop smoking too?..
oh, while your at it are ya gonna get a magnum sedan?.. 

I never said I was a smoker. And no. No Phagnum sedan.

[bull]

I hadn't been able to weigh myself at home for YEARS ... the scale just didn't go that high 

I wound up weighing myself on the freight scale at work...340lbs 

I know from the fit of my clothes that I had been heavier than 340, I'll bet I topped 350 at one time, but I have no proof of that so we'll stick with the 340 figure.

I weighed myself at home this morning....259 lbs 

I'm 6'4" 

I'm down 81 lbs + or -   

It's taken about four years to lose it, I've just started walking a few days a week, up to this point it's all been one thing...STOP EATING LIKE A FU^&ING PIG!

I used to stop at McDonald's every morning on the way to work and fill up on a couple of the McCrusty mystery egg sandwich of the day, Go to Hardee's (Carl's Jr. for you western guys) for lunch and pig out on at least two of those 1/2 pound hamburgers, sometimes just to mix it up I'd go to Dairy Queen for lunch and get four of their gooey cheeseburgers and a large cheese fry

I'd also maintain a constant supply of chips, cookies and whatever else within easy reach throughout my work day. And a constant flow of Mountain Dew.

For supper, on Mondays the local pizza dude would be summoned to my door to perform his duties, then at least three nights a week the Ol' Lady (She's 125 lbs soaking wet, wearing boots with the metabolism of a hyper-active humming bird  ) and me would hit the local Ponderosa Steak House all-you-can-stuff-down-your-neck buffet...Then there was the sunday morning breakfast buffet at Shoney's-EVERY Sunday-and we can't forget the huge bowl of ice cream almost every night right before bed...

In my case it took a huge commitment to become such a fat-ass. Once I realised this I was able to start backing off on the caloric intake, I drive past McDonald's and Hardee's every day like they're not even there. I'll hit the dairy queen for lunch about twice a month and I'll get two of the cheese burgers instead of four...but I still get the cheese fries

The local Ponderosa steak house buffet has since gone out of business, the building torn down and a Wal-Greens put up in it's place-Everybody tells me it's my fault since I stopped spending my paycheck there 

Good for you! Sounds like there aren't going to be too many eligible contestants. I hear you about stopping in at every greaseburger joint you can think of because I used to do that too. I got fat over the course of about 13 years and 3 lbs. at a time.

[moparstuart]

I hadn't been able to weigh myself at home for YEARS ... the scale just didn't go that high 

I wound up weighing myself on the freight scale at work...340lbs 

I know from the fit of my clothes that I had been heavier than 340, I'll bet I topped 350 at one time, but I have no proof of that so we'll stick with the 340 figure.

I weighed myself at home this morning....259 lbs 

I'm 6'4" 

I'm down 81 lbs + or -   

It's taken about four years to lose it, I've just started walking a few days a week, up to this point it's all been one thing...STOP EATING LIKE A FU^&ING PIG!

I used to stop at McDonald's every morning on the way to work and fill up on a couple of the McCrusty mystery egg sandwich of the day, Go to Hardee's (Carl's Jr. for you western guys) for lunch and pig out on at least two of those 1/2 pound hamburgers, sometimes just to mix it up I'd go to Dairy Queen for lunch and get four of their gooey cheeseburgers and a large cheese fry

I'd also maintain a constant supply of chips, cookies and whatever else within easy reach throughout my work day. And a constant flow of Mountain Dew.

For supper, on Mondays the local pizza dude would be summoned to my door to perform his duties, then at least three nights a week the Ol' Lady (She's 125 lbs soaking wet, wearing boots with the metabolism of a hyper-active humming bird  ) and me would hit the local Ponderosa Steak House all-you-can-stuff-down-your-neck buffet...Then there was the sunday morning breakfast buffet at Shoney's-EVERY Sunday-and we can't forget the huge bowl of ice cream almost every night right before bed...

In my case it took a huge commitment to become such a fat-ass. Once I realised this I was able to start backing off on the caloric intake, I drive past McDonald's and Hardee's every day like they're not even there. I'll hit the dairy queen for lunch about twice a month and I'll get two of the cheese burgers instead of four...but I still get the cheese fries

The local Ponderosa steak house buffet has since gone out of business, the building torn down and a Wal-Greens put up in it's place-Everybody tells me it's my fault since I stopped spending my paycheck there 

Thats awesome dude , great for you . Wish i had the will power !

[my73charger]

I am down from 268 to 235 over the last year.  I want to get back down to 200 lbs.  I feel much better.  I can actually breath.  Plus my car may even be faster at the track! 

[MOPARHOUND!]

Wish I had the will power.  Try to diet, then a holiday or birthday party or the like comes along and I blow it.  Working out makes me hungrier, crazy as it sounds.  6'3", 305 lbs, and can still run up and down a basketball court for an hour and a half.  Need to be around 255lbs.

[ramit]

I am down from 268 to 235 over the last year.  I want to get back down to 200 lbs.  I feel much better.  I can actually breath. Plus my car may even be faster at the track! 

Hey, I saw you a couple weeks ago at the Tires Plus and just driving by I thought you looked different.  I wasn't really sure if it was you or not but remember I was driving by at 40 mph.  I was 276 last year and am down to 235 now.  I keep trying to get down to 200 but I haven't been eating real healthy lately.

[ChgrSteve67]

I was 267 about 4 years ago, started drinking a lot of water and lost 60 pounds.  My arms and legs started hurting and my feet felt like they were always cold or numb. Went to the doctor and had some blood work done. A1C test was 13.6  Lab results had a big fat DIABETIC written across the front (BTW anything above 6.5 is bad - more than twice the legal limit).  At one point I was down to around 180 pounds (not good) and am now up to 226 (not good either).  Just bought a Wii Fit and have been doing Yoga and Strength training.  Need to get to around 200 and stay there.  I love food and it has become my worst enemy.

Good luck to everyone that is on the weight loss train, just remember to do it safely and consult your doctor about which ever diet you choose.  There is no replacement for exercise and healthy eating.

-Steve

[Steve P.]

My hat is off to you guys. I too have been dropping some weight. Though not as much as some of you, I have been kind of steadily losing it. The food part of it hasn't been my problem. The exercise is. I have tried walking the dog more often than I should. Though she is learning quite well, she still has that puppy power in her and wants to get to everything NOW.. That's too much on my back and I find it hard to do again in the next day or two.

I have found those SMART ONES to be pretty good. Like cheap beer, once you've pounded a few the rest go down easier.. At any rate I am down around 20 pounds over the last couple of months.. 40 or 50 more to go. 

Good luck to all of us working on a lighter life....   


Did I say I still like beer?? 

[chargerboy69]

Good for you! Sounds like there aren't going to be too many eligible contestants. I hear you about stopping in at every greaseburger joint you can think of because I used to do that too. I got fat over the course of about 13 years and 3 lbs. at a time.

Bull, I looked through the T-Shirt order list Troy had up, and I never saw so many XXL shirts ordered. There are plenty of heavy weights on the board. And yes, I am a fat ass who ordered a XXL shirt.

I quite smoking several years ago and gained a lot of weight. Last year I joined the Army and dropped 90 pounds. I then tore up my knee during drills and put back on 70 pounds because I am on a very restricted exercise program until my knee heals up. In the last month I have lost 30 pounds. I have myself on a 1200 calorie a day diet.

Good luck to you on your weight loss.

[Mike DC]

   

I went from about 200-180 lbs during 2006/07, and I don't really even know how the hell it happened. 

I think I just stressed it off.  Not eating consistently and no decent sleep. 

[THE COLONEL]

   

I went from about 200-180 lbs during 2006/07, and I don't really even know how the hell it happened. 

I think I just stressed it off.  Not eating consistently and no decent sleep. 

You overweight?  Not when I saw you at Dukesfest....in what 06 & 07?

[chargerman68]

I'd be interested in hearing about how you did it. How you ate before and what you changed to lose the weight. I really need to lose 30 lbs myself.


Todd

second that im needing about 25

[dkn1997]

does it count if one would get rid of about 150lbs by getting a divorce?

[my73charger]

I am down from 268 to 235 over the last year.  I want to get back down to 200 lbs.  I feel much better.  I can actually breath. Plus my car may even be faster at the track! 

Hey, I saw you a couple weeks ago at the Tires Plus and just driving by I thought you looked different.  I wasn't really sure if it was you or not but remember I was driving by at 40 mph.  I was 276 last year and am down to 235 now.  I keep trying to get down to 200 but I haven't been eating real healthy lately.

Hey Gino next time stop by for a couple minutes.