Healthy Lifestyle Challenge: Dan Harry

1/26/10 Posted in 2010 Healthy Lifestyle Challenge Dan Harry  |  0 Comments

The 2010 Healthy Lifestyle Challenge will follow our three contestants over the course of the first six months of 2010 as they begin their journey to a healthy lifestyle. Each participant has been placed under the care of local personal trainers and dietitians who will help them reach their health and fitness goals.

Dan Harry: February 2010 Full Interview

Age: 38 Home: Lansing Occupation: Accountant
Weight: 370.2 pounds Ribs: 58 inches Waist: 62.25 inches Hips: 53.5 inches

Dan’s family is cheering him on every step of the way
From Left: Dan, with son, Aidan, and wife, Annie

What was your initial reaction when you found out that you were selected for the 2010 Challenge?

I was excited and anxious to get started. I’ve been given an opportunity to make a better life for myself and I need to make the best use of it. I have visions of 2010 being the beginning of the end of being unhealthy and overweight.

How did your friends and family react?

I have only told a few people about the challenge. My wife is happy for me and she knows I will feel better overall if I lose the weight. I didn’t tell many other people, in part, because I want to see if they notice the changes in me. The last time I lost weight, I didn’t really tell very many people. When people starting commenting that they thought I had lost weight, I knew not only was it working on the scale, but also noticeable in person. I’m looking forward to getting people’s unsolicited comments about my weight loss. However, some of my former co-workers discovered the January article naming the contestants. They are proud of me, encouraging me and have confidence that I can do it.

Why did you enter the Challenge?

There are a million reasons why I entered the challenge. Here are a few. I can’t stand being overweight any longer. It is such a burden in so many ways. There are so many things that are more difficult or impossible to do. This is not the person I was or want to be. I need to be healthy and fit. I entered the challenge for my son and wife. I want to be a role model for both of them and for us all to live healthier lives. I need to get more educated about nutrition to stop us from eating an unhealthy diet. I need someone with experience to guide me in the most useful exercises to accomplish my goals. I need to have more energy. I know with the help of a nutritionist and personal trainer I will be successful. I know the pressure of being in the public eye will keep me on track.

What are your goals for the first month?

My goal for the first month is to create a food menu plan that meets the guidelines I’ve been given and is something I can stick to. I plan to completely eliminate pop and ice cream from my diet and drastically reduce eating out. I plan to build up my stamina to do more intense workouts. I think losing at least 10 to 15 pounds is also an attainable goal for the first month.

What are your long-term goals?

My challenge goal is to lose at least 60 pounds. My extended goal is to get down to around 170 pounds. I want to be able to do all the things I’ve been too overweight to do. I want to be able to go into any store and purchase clothes off the rack and not have a limited selection or need to go to the “Big” section or store to shop. I want to be comfortable and confident with my appearance. I want to more actively participate in my son’s sports and activities. I plan to continue eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising for a lifetime.

What workout routine has your personal trainer suggested?

Debbie has started me on alternating routines between cardio and strength training. It includes swimming, weights, and elliptical training. I can see it’s only the beginning. As my stamina and results continue to improve, she will be alternating and intensifying the training. I’m excited she has an aggressive plan to guide me in this challenge. She has a lot of experience and has some great ideas for my training.

What kind of diet or types of food has your dietitian suggested?

Melanie has started me on a diabetic-like diet. Although I’m not diabetic, I have a family history of the disease and my wife also has a history of it. She saw it as an additional benefit to share the diet with my wife. She has me on an 1800 – 2000 daily calorie diet with three meals and three snacks a day. I believe it is a standard calorie diet for an average sized person, but because I am overweight, it is expected to cause me to lose weight. It’s kind of weird, but makes sense. The larger you are, the more calories it takes to maintain your weight, so by simply reducing my calorie intake to an average sized person’s diet, I should lose weight. I also think it will reduce the chances of constantly being hungry and my metabolism shutting down.

What will be the biggest hurdle you have to overcome during the Challenge?

What isn’t a hurdle? If this were easy, we’d have few overweight people in the world. I think one of my biggest hurdles is time. This isn’t The Biggest Loser, we aren’t living on a ranch away from our daily responsibilities and able to workout four to six hours a day. We still have all of our daily responsibilities of work, family and friends. I work 10-hour days and need to care for my 3 year-old son and still fit in a workout. It’s a lot quicker and easier to eat fast food on the go and relax after a long day, than preparing a healthy meal and exercising. The second hurdle for me is patience. In the past, I’ve expected to see big immediate results, and when I didn’t I got frustrated and gave up. Another hurdle will be to eat as many vegetables as have been recommended. Vegetables have never been a big staple in my diet. I have to learn to incorporate them into my daily diet. My last hurdle is going to sound odd, but it’s eating enough. In the past when I have dieted, I’ve tended to not eat enough calories. I would starve myself. I’ve learned if you do this, your metabolism will shut down and your weight loss will plateau.

What do you think you will be the best at during the Challenge?

I’m off to good start. I’ve been able to avoid temptations and have been sticking to a healthy diet and exercise program. I think I’ll be best at keeping myself motivated throughout the process, especially with the additional accountability of Debbie and Melanie to keep me in check. During work hours it will be easier to keep to the healthy eating, because I have set times for breaks and lunch, keeping me prompted to eat at the appropriate times. I really enjoy working out at the Westside Community YMCA and like getting back to a more active life. It’s a great facility with a variety of activities to keep me interested and motivated.

Trainer: Debby K. Passero, Westside Community YMCA, Lansing

Dan is disgusted with his habits and wishes he could just peel the skin and fat off his body. He was active growing up, participated in every high school sport and still loves hockey. One of his goals is to get out on the ice again. Last fall, Dan coached his 3-year-old son, Aidan’s, soccer team. He felt the eyes of the parents on him in disbelief as a role model for the children. Dan wants to be a better example Aidan and wants him to have the same positive experiences from sports that he had.

Time is our biggest challenge. Dan has many responsibilities between work and family. He will battle past negative self-talk and many challenges that try to keep him from his goal. We are going to use time to our advantage. We will do smaller, more intense training sessions similar to “Crossfit” training. Dan will focus on doing the most he can in the time he has during each exercise bout. He will use the pool, elliptical, and train in strength conditioning with time as the factor. For example, each time he works out he will improve his time. He’s going to keep his eyes focused on the goal and score one for the big guy, Aidan!

Dietitian: Melanie Shehan, MS, RD, Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital, Charlotte

What changes in nutrition or eating habits are you suggesting for your contestant?

Dan’s previous diet was based on convenience. He was regularly eating fast food and at restaurants and drinking more than 40 oz of regular soda per day. During our first visit, we discussed picking healthier choices, eating regular meals and snacks, lower fat food options, and increasing fruits, vegetables and fiber. We also discussed the importance of writing down everything he eats so that he is held accountable to his eating habits.

How can you help your contestant reach his or her health and weight loss goals?

Dan and I will be meeting every other week for the next few months so that he gets a good start with a lot of support. I will also be communication with him by email and phone to answer any questions or concerns he has between meetings.

What do you think is the biggest challenge your contestant will have to face?

The biggest challenge for Dan is going to be avoiding old habits. I think he will do a great job at picking better choices and following his meal plan, but its always a challenge to avoid falling back into bad habits and taking the easier way out.

Overall, how do you predict your contestant will do in the Challenge?

I think Dan is very motivated and ready to make some major lifestyle changes. I’m looking forward to working with him over the next several months.

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