Weight Loss Success Stories... please share!

[meredithh]

Greetings from Morrisville, VT!

The Concept2 team is looking to update our weight loss success stories which are shared with other C2 fans. Do you have a story to share? Please let us know!

Whether you've lost 20 lbs. or 100 lbs... we want to hear how you did it, why you did it, and how C2 helped. Your story may be featured (with your permission) to help motivate others!

Regards,
Meredith Haff
Marketing
Concept2
meredithh@concept.com

[zen cohen]

I went from an obese 220 to a pretty fit 160 in about a year, doing a combination of weight training and cardio, which consisted of cycling, versaclimber, elliptical and C2. The C2 was a signficant factor in my getting back in shape and I ended up buying a Model D for my home.

As to diet I cut back on calories some but not that much. I ate much healthier food, though. The exercise was what really made the difference in dropping the weight. And because of the weight training and willingness to take it slowly (about 1lb/week) I think I was able to put on some muscle mass during this period despite the drop in body weight.

My before/after (I've dropped about 10 more lbs since this pic was taken):
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/26 ... 7538zWDejQ

[maximoburrito]

I've gone from 330 to (right now) 247, the last 35-40 of that came in the last year with a trainer who introduced me to the c2 rower. Sometimes we use the rower for as a warm up/down exercise. Other times, it's incorporated into the full workout crossfit style, always short quick rows between other exercises.

I still have about 70 pounds to to reach my target, so I ordered a model D to give me another option for at home workouts. I've only had it 2 weeks, so I can't really say how much it is contributing to my at home workouts. At the very least, it's been fun. I did my first 10km yesterday, putting me just shy of hitting my first 50km.

[SkipChurch]

I went from 237 in mid-January to 209 now (mid-April). Since April 1 I lost 11 pounds so its coming off pretty fast now. I rowed for years and years, had a little cardiac incident, and got pretty scared of exercise: see yourself dead on the rower. But my weight ballooned, and now I've gotten back on the rower and hope to have my weight at about 180 by (let's say) Labor Day.

My diet mainstays are: iceberg lettuce, Ken's Steakhouse Lite Caesar dressing, London broil,spinach, V-8, unsweetened grapefruit juice, bananas, and a protein drink I make.

[Boxing Diva]

I have been struggling with my weight for quite some time now. There are a few factors that have made it more difficult, but regardless, I won't give up. I am fifty years old and in perimenopause. I am approximately 18 pounds away from being the weight where I am most comfortable. I eat well, very healthy, and I am doing weight watchers. I lose one pound at a time. As frustrating as this is because of my diligence and commitment to my exercise routine and diet, I accept this and think positive. I was hoping that rowing would put me over the top and get me to my weight goal faster, but it hasn't. WHat it has done is help me to feel better physically and lighter in my clothes, although the scale does not reflect my accomplishment. It is difficult to work so hard and see no results on the scale. I try not to think about it. Maybe one day it will come together. In the medantime, my rowing skills are getting better, my intervals more intense and I can row for much longer periods of time without fatigueing.

I started Weight Watchers a week ago and lost 1.5 my first week. I will note that i am also eating more food than before ( I have the tendency to "not" eat). I feel good. I will keep going - one pound at a time. I hope to write to this post at least once a week so that others like me can know that they are not alone and that we can do it. I have faith that I can. Please know that i also do a boxer's training at least twice a week (jump rope, heay bag, shadow boxing,etc...).
16.5 lbs. to go.

[badocter]

Great work all. Very impressive before and after shot Zen!

For my part, I started erging and eating right in July to get back in shape. I dropped 53 pounds in 8 monthes: 235-->182. I cut candy, cokes, and crisps out of the diet and that alone may have been enough to bring the weight down eventually. Erging helped chisel the fat off faster, and at the same time has built up my endurance and lean muscle that dieting alone could not do. I took part in the Southern Indoor Rowing Championships this February, and while I finished last in my division, my time was still a PB at a pace I regarded as unreachable in July. The experience was very motivational and it was great meeting like minded people who had made similar gains. I have more energy than I have had in years -- a few flights of stairs no longer leave me breathless and I can easily outrun my kids.

This is what I typically eat in a day now:

• breakfast: muesli with skim milk, orange, water
• mid morning: plum, water
• lunch: turkey, cheddar and spinach on rye bread, apple, handful of almonds, water
• mid afternoon: banana, water
• dinner: salmon (broiled or grilled--not fried and not breaded), green beans, cauliflower, carrots, dozen grapes, handful of cashews, water
• after workout snack: skim milk, handful of nuts and piece of fruit, water

[Ben Rea]

Yay for an unhealthy weight loss story!


I had to be lightweight this season for spring (155lbs) and i was 165 during the winter. i dont exactly have a lot of fat on me being 6' 3" and 18 years old. it really sucked. States is tomorrow though and after weigh in i get to stuff myself untill im fat as cow. i cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!

im currently 153lbs (yuck!)

[patrickmulvey]

I am 58 years old and an ex-runner with arthritic knees. I went to my physician this past March for an exam and he told me that my total cholesterol was 240 and suggested statin drugs to lower the TCL to an acceptable level. After two days I stopped taking the drugs and changed my diet and exercise. As of last week (9 weeks later) I have lost 25 lbs (233 down to 208) and my total cholesterol is 180 while I raised my HDL 10 points during the same time. I am not done yet and expect to lose about another 13-18 lbs. My formula is as follows:

1. Row Concept 2 five times per week burning a minimum of 400 calories per session......usually for me a beginning rower, about 40 minutes per session, 5x per week.
2. Low saturated fat diet
3. Eliminate carbohydrates as much as possible...bread, pasta, etc.
4. 4-5 alcohol drinks per week.
5. No desserts

Typical daily food intake:

Breakfast - one packet of oatmeal, 2 cups of coffee and one glass of high fiber drink

Mid Morning - apple

Lunch - Healthy Choice soup, iced tea

mid Afternoon - South Beach Power Bar

Dinner - Grilled Salmon or chicken with salad (oil and vinegar dressing) or fresh steamed vegetables

Warning: The first week I thought about 100 x about giving up but I focused on rowing and potential health benefits.

Having the rower at home helps immensely since it removes one more obstacle....eg. driving to a gym....

I'll post in a couple of months with my progress....

[Vann]

I am 61 y/o and 5ft 6 in tall. I had topped out weightwise at 273 lbs. On 4/18/07 I started a diet. it was the one year anniversary of my wife's stroke (she's 95% back to normal) and I thought I should clean up my act abit. In August of 07, I bought a Model E and a Total Gym. We used to go to the gym but it wasn't possible anymore as my wife needs her sleep in the morning.

I started using the Rower and got hooked on it. I also use the total gym, but the rower is my main machine. I now weigh 210lbs and feel great, and my ultimate goal is to weigh 165lbs. I have plateaued at 210 but know I will break thru soon. My neck size has gone from 19in to 17in. My waist has gone from 49in to 38in.

I row watching TV and never have a problem with boredom. I love it. I'm not too fast as I keep my heart rate within a range of 118-136 with an occassional anaerobic workout to confuse the muscles.

I row about 50,000 meters per week and take Mondays and Fridays off.

I went over 1 million meters in late april and hope to do around 2.5 million for the current rowing season. my best time for 10000 meters is 45:57 so I have a lot of room for improvement. I have also done a half marathon and plan to do a full marathon on Soltice day in June.

Any advice would be well received. This site is great and so motivational.
I love it and feel like I have found a routine to keep fit for the rest of my life.

[SkipChurch]

Up above (in mid-April) I was at 209. Now at 197. So 40 pounds altogether since mid-Jan. Rowing about 13000 a day now, trying to stay on page two of the cumulative rankings. Blood test was EXCELLENT: 140 total chloresterol, LDL 83, HDL 40, Triglycerides 86.

No angina thus far. So, good. I'm keeping track of the nutrition on The Daily Plate, which is free, and has been a help.

Target weight is 172.

[Mary53]

My Phunny, Forever-Ongoing Weight-Loss Journey!

In March 2006 I darkened the door of a fitness facility for the first time in my life. At 52, I waddled into my local YMCA and huffed and puffed up the stairs to the Fitness Floor. At 5'5" and 217 pounds, I was the heaviest, most out of shape, most disgusted and discouraged I'd ever been in my whole life. Knowing zero about cardio equipment, I watched a little, then got on an elliptical trainer thinking it didn't look too hard. It was less than a minute later that I threw up. Since I was new, I didn't know where the bathroom was, and being the industrious, resourceful soul I am, all I could do was use my hoodie , which I then wadded up, hoping no one saw me, and sneaked down the stairs. Next day I tried a treadmill since that looked easy, but after a few minutes of walking, I was sweating and stopped to wipe my face off. I didn't realize that if I stopped, the treadmill didn't, so of course had the rude awakening of finding myself behind the treadmill on the floor.
Such were my beginnings in the world of exercise...
Well, 10 months and 75 pounds later, I finished a Sprint Triathlon in less than 90 minutes and lived to tell the story. Phun!
Eleven months ago brought a major transition into my life and a career detour for at least a while, so I hired on at my Y, which says a lot for their courage and spirit of adventure to hire such a history, huh? Now I'm a certified personal trainer, certified weight management consultant, PiYo instructor, and spend most of my time setting up other very unfit newbies on Personal Fitness Programs, which I really love doing. I tried the erg a few times when I came to the Y, but actually started rowing regularly in January (of this year, '08), WHEN I can get an empty erg at my very busy Y!
Even though I've lost a lot of weight and am technically "pretty fit", I have gained back 8 pounds, and want to lose a total of about 16. So, I thought I'd both write my phunny little story and also throw in my lot with others in hopes of both giving and gaining support!
I'm also looking to fit a rower into a slot in the spare everything-room in my condo for the all-too-frequent times I can't get on a rower at my Y. I've trained too many people to row, so have shot myself in the foot!
Though I still do other kinds of cardio, erging is far-and-away my favorite and most frequent. I call it "Meditation in Motion," and find the rhythm and synergy of erging strangely soothing even while, at times, I'm wondering if I'll survive the workout with any life left in me.
Well it's great to meet all of you, and I'm looking forward to learning from and progressing with you!

[patrickmulvey]

In my post above I stated that I had lost 25 lbs. I have kept on the same regime even though my traveling for business has increased somewhat. I came back this weekend from a 9 day trip to London and got on the scale........193lbs.......a 40 lb. weight loss since March. I am still on my Concept 2 5x a week for 40 minutes when I am at home and substitute power walking for rowing when traveling. I have maintained my eating regimen. Of course people have noticed my weight difference but also a more athletic look that I am projecting. They ask me what diet I am on and I reply that it was not a diet but a lifestyle change. Without the Concept 2 it would have been much more difficult. I visit the doctor again on Halloween and will give another update shortly thereafter.

[curiosis2003]

I am 43 years old male and was exactly 114.7 kg (~255 pounds) prior to my "ergometer assisted weight lost program" and after roughly 2 months of time, I'm now sub 100 kg (99.2 kg / 220 pounds) and very confident about reaching my goal of 80 kg (177 pounds) by the end of this year.
My program is to erg 45 minutes / 26 - 29 spm @ 130 - 150 Watts and thus burning 520 - 600 kCals per session every noon (I'm lucky that we have a C2 model D at workplace gym)

After this workout, I take a quick shower and go to lunch: 1 slice of bread (not white), one small cup of plain yogurt, 1 cold dish of vegetable prepared with olive-oil and 1 to 2 small cups of salad (again I add olive oil & vinegar) of carrots / cucumber / .. Whatever is served that day.
I also switched to eating fruits at the breakfast (2- 3 peaches only or 1/2 kg grapes, 2 apples, again I change freely in order not to get bored from it's taste)

During the day, I sometimes (3, 4 times a week) eat cranberries (10 grams at a time) as a replacement for chocolate or cookies addiction and non-roasted white peeled almonds (50 grams max at a time) and I restrict any other sandwich with white cheese (Greek cheese and tomatoes/ cucumber) a few times a week.

I eat dinner no later than 07:00 pm and I eat a very big bowl of salad (lemon juice + olive oil + garlic (lots of it) + different vegetables and 1 moderate dish of hot meal. I only eat 1 hot meal a day usually fish or vegetable with minced meat.

As I rough estimate I think I'm consuming 2000 to 3000 kCals a day typically.

During these 2 months of time, I fasted three times (water only) and in fact this changed my attitude towards food. I realized that I was overeating and I can be comfortable without food at least for three days. I chose Friday / Saturday / Sunday for fasting not to interfere with my work schedule. I slightly increase my physical activities during these times. Surprisingly, fasting has no negative effect on C2 performance!

Some Details:

I don't drink coffee / cold beverages / alcohol / etc. I sometimes during green tea (without sugar of any kind)

I have a model C @ home and if I can't find time at work for my regular exercise due to meetings or other inevitable obstacles, when I arrive home, I erg again 45 minutes. I thin this very important.

During my 3 day fasting, if I feel very hungry / dizzy / weak, I drink a big glass of grapefruit juice. This usually happens on the second day.

Perfect bowel movement has ultimate importance. Prior to fast and through the week I practice enema (not regularly) and I saw that this has ultimate importance.

And as last but not least, I gave up using the following items in order to restrict absorption of unnecessary chemicals: toothpaste, shampoo / cleaners (only basic olive oil soap), all kinds of pharmacy products, all food containing preservatives (if I suspect I don't eat it).

[Stephen Hyduke]

s...

[Bill_Y]

I started on a plan to get fit before I hit 41 in January of this year.
I started out at 253 lbs and am 230 by Aug 01. (There's muscles under there!)

I've noticed the rower sitting idle at the Y I go and thought I'd try it; it was a great workout.

I plan to incoroprate it into my workout plan either as warm up for my weights routine or as my cario routine.

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Goal weight is 175