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Dennis (Dennisbishop) : Success Story
 
Although he hadn't been formerly diagnosed with any medical problems, Dennis had a lot of issues that he knew were caused by his extra weight—low energy, poor muscle strength, difficulty sleeping, and more. His job required that he visit construction sites, where the stairs, uneven ground levels, and scaffolding all presented problems for him. Dennis struggled to play with his grandkids, and his weight was even affecting his personal relationships. He decided it was time to do something about it.
Dennis started by following SparkPeople's calorie and nutrient recommendations. He quickly discovered that his poor eating habits were strongly related to his weight gain. For example, Dennis would stop for a double cheeseburger "snack" while running errands, even though he'd had lunch just an hour before. He also took chocolate covered peanuts to bed with him every night and would snack on them as he fell asleep.
So he set up a plan to break those habits by budgeting his calories into three meals and three snacks each day. Snacks were primarily fruit, and he added more whole grains to his diet. Dennis also started reading the nutritional information on food labels and in restaurants so that he could make informed choices.
Before SparkPeople, the only exercise Dennis got was walking to and from his golf cart. He thought exercise was boring, but says he never really gave it a chance. So he started walking, and as his endurance and strength improved, he even began to enjoy it. Recently he completed a six-mile walk in the heat and humidity of Florida. Although he was thirsty at the end, he says he wasn't tired for the rest of the day like he would have been before, and he actually felt great!
"My overriding strategy was that this was the final solution for me. There was no turning back because I believed that the SparkPeople program was the answer," says Dennis.
Dennis still takes full advantage of all of the resources on the site. He tracks his fitness and nutrition daily, does all of his daily SparkPoints activities, reads every email newsletter and article (sometimes twice!), and posts on the Message Boards. He finds the threads about motivation and weight loss tips to be the most helpful. Dennis is a member of the Community Team and says he loves to help people help themselves overcome obstacles.
Dennis has more energy and no longer feels drowsy after lunch. It's very easy for him to wake up in the morning and not feel the need to stay in bed for a few more minutes. He can sit in a restaurant booth comfortably without his belly hitting the table. He has received numerous compliments from fellow workers and his supervisors. Dennis says he's a better golfer with more endurance at the end of a round. He also smiles more than he ever used to. Dennis plans to continue using SparkPeople as he works toward his final weight loss goal.
Dennis' advice is to start slowly because too many people are looking for a quick fix. "I would prefer that they look for a final fix, no matter how long it takes," says Dennis.
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| Weight Before: |
245 lbs. |
| Weight After: |
209 lbs. |
Are you interested in being featured for your success? Tell your story on your SparkPage and other members can vote for you to become a " SparkPeople Motivator!"
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SparkPeople's 500-Calorie Thanksgiving Feast
