want to be completely inspired and astounded?

[bikerchick68]

This is a link to some pictures of my brother and his story... it's pretty amazing and I'm very, very proud of him... click on link and then scroll down to "bigkahunadad" post... he tells his story there... :D

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=97174

[SadieKate]

Wow! I struggle with my weight constantly (the zoftig thing) but I've never faced this kind of challenge. Good for him!!!

[Bike Goddess]

You should be proud! What an amazing story! Good for him! I'll bet he gets down below 220 at the rate he is going! Cycling is such a great way to get and keep weight off! :) :)

[caligurl]

bc.... you already know that i think your brother is AWESOME and has done wonders with his weight loss/cycling! i didn't realize that he had planned to have the surgery until i read this earlier today..... and i'm so glad he was able to do it with cycling and diet vice surgery!!!!

and ya know what's even better?!? he's a nice person! just like you!!!! :) :)

[CorsairMac]

You go give him a hug and a kiss from me! He deserves a huge congrats and reward for all his hard work!......I'm with everyone else - he'll reach his target weight and I hope you tell us when he does!!!!

Congrats!!

[Melody]

Wow! That's really awesome. :) I don't know his specific struggles, but at one point I was nearly 300 pounds, so I know how hard it is to lose weight. :)

Mel

[slinkedog]

Truly inspiring. I'm so glad to hear that he didn't have the surgery! What a great example to all of us to keep working hard for our goals!! Great story!

[joyrider]

You must be so proud of him!

[Jo-n-NY]

This was a wonderful story to read. In fact I was reading just as my daughter came upstairs (age 22). She really needs to loose weight and I have done the right thing and stopped harping on her. They have to really want to loose weight for themselves. She decided to joing Weight Watchers and I am paying the weekly fees but when she is not working she is on the couch on the phone. Might as well just connect to to her ear.

Well anyway, I had her look at the pics of your brother and told her in a couple of sentences about the story as I have been trying to get her into cycling. I got those lovely words "oh great". I guess one step at a time. At least this is a story I can refer back to when an open window appears.

Thank you for sharing ~ JoAnn

[KSH]

WOW! That is so great!

Losing weight is SO VERY HARD! It takes a LIFESTYLE change... and most can't do it.

He did it... and that rocks! Make sure he sees all the positive posts from us women too!

[Melody]

She decided to joing Weight Watchers and I am paying the weekly fees but when she is not working she is on the couch on the phone. Might as well just connect to to her ear.

You could try to get her to do what I do. I get my bike on the trainer (and me on the bike). I then call up my baby sister and while I spin, we talk. Since these conversations can last hours I can get a pretty good work out. ;)

Mel

[Jo-n-NY]

Thanks Melody for your advise. I did get her to try my trainer during the winter and told her she could have my other bike which is a Specialized Sirrus Sport as I felt riding with thinner tires than her present mountain bike would be easier. That lasted for about a week and she lost interest. Then we had a couple of milder winter days at one point so I got her to ride with me around the developement just one time which came out to be just shy of "a" mile. That went ok, she went on her own a few times then that also stopped.

Now that spring weather should be here, once it sets in I think she might actually give it another whirl as she sees the weight does not come off so easily just by watching what she is eating. Instead of losing her usual one pound this past week she gained one. Needless to say this might have been her wake up call.

Thank you again. I know it will click in with her one of these days. She has to want it bad enough.

[bikerchick68]

Joanne... I'm a lifetime WW myself! When I was 26 yrs old I joined... at my heaviest I was up to 230lbs... at 5'7"! One day as I climbed the steps to my apt I was wheezing... yep, wheezing and I suddenly thought Oh my God! What am I DOING??? It was my personal rock bottom... I was wearing a womens size 24 and had convinced myself I really wasn't THAT big... everyone had suggested I needed to lose weight... which I only heard as criticism... when they'd say I need to do it I'd HEAR "you're not good enough the way you are" and I'd eat MORE. I could never hear the love and concern for my health behind the words being said... my own insecurities and issues.

You're right... when she does it for herself she'll be successful... but you are right that you cannot push her to do it no matter your true and loving reasons for wanting it for her...

Once I did it for myself, because I wanted it, I never regained the weight... I am 160 now and 37 yrs old... just celebrated my 10 yr anniversary of keeping the weight off... with the help of WW I realized I do not have to be a size 4 to be fit and attractive... not realistic for me! I wear a size 10 now and am thrilled with it! Yes, there are and will always be women who are slimmer... but a whole bunch of them have never ridden a century! LOL... see... I do feel good about me! :D

I wish her the best and hope that maybe sometime she'll llok back on my brothers story and see herself with the same amazing results... whether it's thru diet, or walking, or swimming....or whatever finally catches her interest! :)

[Jo-n-NY]

Thanks Bikerchick68 for your post. Actually she most likely takes after my sister who now in her 40's it finally clicked in (40lb's lost so far). My mother could have brained her 28 years ago as she walked to a WW to loose weight for my wedding and stopped at Duncan Donuts on the way when my mother was cooking special dinners for her. We laugh about it now, but when my mother found out at the time, it wasn't very funny. Debbie had the longest plataeu as they call.

Laughing aside, when the subject comes up about loosing weight I make sure I make health the importance and not looks or what size etc. This should be true to everyone. I see by your post you feel the same. I hope more and more people start to think like that as there is and has been too much hipe on "skinny & thinness".

I am happy it clicked for your brother. He looks great!

~JoAnn