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Bruce (brucew) : Success Story
 
When a group of employees at his workplace decided to have their own Biggest Loser competition last year, Bruce decided this was a good opportunity to try to lose some weight. At that point, he was 50 pounds overweight and his diabetes (which he's had for over 20 years) was out of control. He wasn't able to keep up with his 8-year-old son's activity level, and couldn't walk far before getting winded. Bruce knew that if he was to avoid more serious problems, he had to change his lifestyle.
Bruce's first concern was his diet. "I ate horrible at night, and late at night," he says. "I would usually have ice cream and cookies. I drank anywhere from 1 to 1.5 liters of soda a day, and never drank water. I also ate tons of movie popcorn and fast foods. When I cooked I usually fried everything in butter." He used the information and the nutrition tracker at SparkPeople to identify these problems and change his eating habits. He replaced the soda with water, used the meal tracker to establish regular eating times, and planned balanced meals that made it much easier to keep his nighttime cravings under control.
Bruce also knew he needed to increase his physical activity. He started by walking on a treadmill and riding a stationary bike at least 3 times per week. As his fitness improved, he increased his time and intensity, so that his bike rides were between 10 and 17 miles, and he was walking 2 to 3.5 miles on the treadmill. His average cardio exercise time went up to 90 minutes per day.
On days when he found it tough to stick to his plan, Bruce relied on the Message Boards and the Success Stories to help him stay on track.
The meal plans and nutrition information he found at SparkPeople enabled Bruce to make changes in his diet that not only resulted in weight loss, but have helped him gain better control over his diabetes. He learned how to avoid empty calories, balance meals, and choose foods that provided everything he needed to stay healthy and avoid excess hunger and cravings. Having a plan and recipe guides made it easier to stick to his goals on the tough days, when he would normally have turned to fast foods. He learned how to pace his exercise efforts and allow time for recovery so that he didn't burn out, and the tracker allowed him to see his progress over time and recognize the improvements he was making. Bruce joined a SparkTeam where he got a lot of support from others and was able to use the feeling of being part of a community to keep himself going.
At the age of 41, Bruce has gotten his weight under 200 pounds for the first time since he was 13. For the first time in his life, he has been able to jog/run for 2 miles without stopping. Most importantly, his diabetes is under control, and he no longer needs oral medications or insulin shots at each meal. He still gets one insulin injection at night, but his doctor says he may be able to get off the medication completely if he maintains his new healthy lifestyle.
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| Weight Before: |
244 lbs. |
| Weight After: |
194 lbs. |
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SparkPeople's 500-Calorie Thanksgiving Feast
