Belly Off: All Star Weight Loss Success Stories  

It's a word that comes tough to most men: "failure." But for those whose lives are weighed down by extra pounds, it's a word they get used to pretty quickly. The statistics aren't encouraging: For every five men who start a diet, four will fail and remain fat, or—more disheartening—lose the weight and gain it right back.

Unless those men are members of the Men's Health Belly Off! Club. When we started profiling weight-loss success stories back in January 2001, it was simply a way to encourage readers by example. "Hey, look," each article seemed to say, "if this guy did it, so can you." But when we checked in with some of the men we'd profiled, we realized that the club is much more than a friendly pat on the back; it's the ultimate Rolodex of real-world weight-loss experts—men who possess the blueprint to beating fat for good.

Every club member we called has not only kept the weight off, but also used the change as a springboard to improve everything about his life. What's even more admirable is that these men did it on their own. No cameras. No celebrity trainers. No personal chefs. Each man simply woke up one morning, decided This time, I'm gonna lose weight, and, regardless of previous failures, went ahead and did it. And then kept it off. Here's how they did it. And for al the tools you need to be a Bell-Off All-Star, check out Belly-Off Pro on Men's Health Personal Trainer. There you’ll find the complete Belly-Off Workout Plan, and have access to our customizable nutrition program—which will help you create the best Belly-Off Diet for your goals, lifestyle, and preferences.

ALL-STAR #1: MARK DAVIS

Before: 368

After: 200

Now: 190

"I lost eight-tenths of a pound each week for 4 years."

How he lost it: Bay Area resident Mark Davis shrank from 235 pounds to 175 in just 12 weeks using a crash diet, then rebounded all the way up to 368 pounds. After an embarrassing episode on a theme-park ride (the restraining bar wouldn't fit over him), he vowed to lose the weight for good. He started with an exercise bike, working up from 2 minutes a day at the lowest intensity to 30 minutes at the highest. Then he took up weight training. Four years later, he was down to 200 pounds. "I lost the weight slowly," Davis says. "That's the biggest mistake people make--they think it's a race. I lost eight-tenths of a pound each week for 4 years."

His new life: Shortly after downsizing his body, Davis was downsized out of a job. "I saw that as a sign," he says. "I was never happy as a CPA, so I went back to school." Today, he's an ACSM-certified trainer with the San Francisco Bay Club, a part-time triathlon coach, and a full-time father of two girls. And did we mention the Ironman competitions? Davis has completed three so far.

How he keeps it off: Thinking. "I'm more conscious of what I eat now," Davis says. Learning to cook helped educate him about food. "Now I understand what goes into a lot of dishes, so if I'm in a restaurant, I know what I'm getting," he says. Davis applies the same mental focus to exercise. "When I work out, I'm mindfully working out."

Weight-loss wisdom: "We are all human beings. Sometimes your weight may fluctuate, but you have to keep that commitment to a healthy lifestyle."

Mark's mantras:

It's never too late. "I didn't do my first triathlon until I was 41. For the Escape from Alcatraz, I learned to swim just 2 months before the event. I did it, and I did fine."

Kill your television. "All these so-called reality shows--rather than watch them, go out and make some reality of your own."

Do it for the kids. "At this point, I want to lead by example. One time, my daughter Sterling sat in my lap, looked up, and said, ‘Daddy, I want to be an Ironman.' "

ALL-STAR #2: MARTY EDWARDS

Before: 325

After: 145

Now: 165

"It's cruel but true--when you're heavy, you just don't get that respect. People respect me now."

How he lost it: It was all a dream. Really. "I remember the day--April 24, 1998," says Edwards, an independent information-technology contractor from Hardyville, Kentucky. "I dreamed I was back in college, and when my old classmates saw me, they were so disappointed. I woke up and told my wife, ‘I'm gonna lose weight.' " And he did. The first things to go: soft drinks and restaurants. Edwards replaced them with foods that took a long time to eat, such as yogurt frozen solid. ("It froze so hard, it took 2 hours to eat," he recalls.) He started walking 4 miles a day on a treadmill, then began a free-weight regimen. By February 1999, he was under 200 pounds for the first time since college.

His new life: "It's cruel but true--when you're heavy, you just don't get that respect. People respect me now."

How he keeps it off: By doing the exact same things. "I haven't had a soft drink since '98. I still drink a gallon of water every day, and I work out 5 days a week." He's also taken up karate. Edwards relies on micromeals--sometimes as many as 12 a day--to keep his hunger in check. Crackers and cheese, a cup of yogurt, whatever. "I'll eat anything, because calories are calories," he says. But instead of obsessing, he goes with the day's ebb and flow. For example, if he knows he'll be eating dinner at a restaurant, Edwards might "borrow" from available calories earlier in the day to "purchase" the meal.

The bump in the road: "You get in such a mental state that you're afraid of any morsel you put in your mouth," he admits. When Edwards dropped to 128 pounds, he realized he'd gone too far. "I tried to work back up to stay in the 160s. People say I look so much better since I filled back out."

Weight-loss wisdom: "Success does come in ‘cans'--you can do it. You have to push yourself to places you've never been. I never thought I could walk 6 miles on a treadmill without getting winded."

Marty's motivators:

Do it for her. "One time, I overheard someone say, ‘Who's that with Marty's wife?' They thought she had another man. She did—he just came out of the old one. I'm proud to have an attractive wife, and she deserves to have an attractive husband."

Build a support team. "Surround yourself with people who'll encourage you. I was able to have supportive people around me. If you can't get support at home, get it at a gym."

Just add water--to every meal. "It made all the difference to me. You drink a quart of water before you go eat, and you don't have much room left."

 

ALL-STAR #3: STEPHEN FURST

Before: 320

After: 180

Now: 180

"It took me 40 years to get here. I'm scared to go back."

How he lost it: Look closely. Yep, it's Flounder from Animal House (one of the funniest movies of all time in a MensHealth.com poll). In real life, though, Los Angeles–based actor Stephen Furst didn't have much to laugh about. By 1995, he found himself in the hospital with diabetes. "I thought, 'Either I can dance at my children's weddings, or a year from now I could be in a wheelchair, blind, and on dialysis,' " he says. Furst chose option A, working with a hospital nutritionist to clear out the sugar and refined carbohydrates. Then he traded a fast-food-centric diet for salads—lots of salads. "I make my own. It's very satisfying." Next, he bought a dog. "That really helped me. He loves to take walks, so I take him." In a year, he lost 140 pounds.

His new life: Losing weight hurt Furst's acting career--the funny fat guy isn't as funny when he's not fat. But, as it turns out, what he really wanted to do was direct, anyway. "I still love acting," he says, "but it's not anywhere near as rewarding as directing." Furst has directed several Sci Fi Channel movies and is working on a National Lampoon movie.

How he keeps it off: "It took me 40 years to get here," Furst says. "I'm scared to go back." So when he noticed that his weight had crept up after a shoot in Europe last summer, Furst reverted to his salad days. "Just like Jared found a Subway, I found Souplantation," Furst says. The chain of salad-bar restaurants makes healthy eating easy.

Weight-loss wisdom: "The most common comment I hear is, ‘I have so much weight to lose—it's going to take years!' Well, time doesn't stand still. Two years is going to come around whether you lose weight or not."

Stephen's stimuli:

Don't hide the evidence. "I keep a 'before' picture of myself on the refrigerator. When I go to open the fridge, there's a picture of me at 320 pounds."

Keep eating. "The key for me is, I don't let myself get hungry. If I get hungry, I'll cheat."

Find your own tricks. "You have to do what works for you."

 

ALL-STAR #4: DARREN GEFFRE

Before: 287

After: 195

Now: 190

"I want to help other people, and I want people to know that I've been there."

How he lost it: Singer Darren Geffre, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was in a doctor's office for a routine physical. "The doctor told me I was borderline diabetic," he says. The diagnosis struck close to home. "Diabetes is rampant in Native Americans," says Geffre, a member of the Blackfeet tribe. "My mother is diabetic. So are my grandma and my nephew." The next day, Geffre tossed the junk food and started pedaling an exercise bike. One year later, he was down 92 pounds.

His new life: "Losing weight has really furthered my career." Now he's not the fat singer; he's the good one who can move around onstage without becoming winded.

How he keeps it off: "Coming out of losing the weight, I heard a lot of stories from people saying there was no way I was going to keep it off," Geffre says. He showed them. With help from a personal trainer, he made the transition into maintenance mode. "Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I do some kind of cardio. Tuesday I weight-train my arms, Thursday legs, and I take the weekend off." To fuel the workouts, he eats more often. "I have five small meals a day." Egg substitutes, poached chicken breasts, salads, and stir-fries are now on his menu. And the threat of diabetes? History. Geffre's in such great shape now that he's about to become a personal trainer; he'll wrap up his course work this summer. "I want to help other people, and I want people to know that I've been there," he says. "I can understand having an obstacle to overcome."

Weight-loss wisdom: "Listen to your inner voice. If you want to keep the weight off, it has to be a commitment that comes from yourself."

Darren's directives:

Be reasonable. "I really focused on moderation, not eating all the time. That's been my saving grace as far as keeping the weight off."

Be prepared. "I try to keep healthy stuff around—bananas or carrot sticks--for times when I feel snacky."

Be open to advice. "Seeking the advice of a trainer really helped guide me. He knew how to keep my body always at a burn."

 

ALL-STAR #5: DAVID VANDELINDE

Before: 350

After: 175

Now: 195

"I cardio'd all my weight off, but you need lean muscle to burn calories throughout the day."

How he lost it: David VandeLinde, a national sales manager for Lexus, had always been a big man. But seeing his daughters headed in the same direction made him realize that a detour was in order. VandeLinde and his wife, Susan, signed up for Weight Watchers and enrolled the entire family. "When Susan and I went on the plan, the whole house joined us," he says. He credits the accountability factor for his success. "Going up there every week in front of God and everybody gave me a watermark to judge myself by." With his diet under control, VandeLinde started taking nightly 2-mile walks, going longer and harder as he became accustomed to the exercise. In 16 months, he dropped 175 pounds, and Susan lost 75.

His new life: He no longer has to ask for aisle seats (i.e., "spillover room") when flying. At team-building go-kart races, he's not hunched on top of the kart "looking like a circus bear on a bicycle." At company picnics, he can play tag football. "Nothing holds me back now," he says.

How he keeps it off: "Once I got down to 175 and held, I realized that there's more to health than just weight," VandeLinde says. "I was as lean as I wanted to be, but not as strong or athletic." He ditched the vegetarian diet he'd maintained for a year and began eating lean meats, along with low-fat dairy foods. With more and better fuel, he began packing muscle onto his new frame and started focusing on lifting three times a week. "I cardio'd all my weight off, but just doing cardio is a dangerous trap," he says. "You need more lean muscle mass to help burn more calories naturally throughout the day." Moving from Chicago to Orange County, California, helped, too. "It's all about what you look like out here."

The bump in the road: David and Susan had a common couples' problem: He dropped pounds consistently, but for her, it was more of a struggle. "I think women are so afraid to put on muscle because of the societal image of what they need to be, so they rely on cardio and eating less--and that's very unhealthy," VandeLinde says. "Only recently have I convinced her to do more weight training."

Weight-loss wisdom: "Setting little goals helps you reach the ultimate goal."

David's drivers:

Keep tabs. "You have to keep track of what you eat. I can tell you what I ate every day for the past 4 years."

Change focus. "I grew up in a midwestern family where food is love. It's the weekend, you eat. Somebody dies, you eat. But everything does not have to revolve around a meal."

Inspire others. "People can look at me and say, 'If that guy lost 150 pounds, I can do it, too.' " Ready to make your own transformation? Sign up for Belly-Off Pro Today!

 

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