Thanks to Dedication, He’s a Faithful Dancer
I dieted and exercised, yes. The exercising wasn’t easy, but with God’s help, I lost weight--78 pounds. And now I have the impetus to lose an additional 50 pounds by June.
I’d lost weight on diets since 1974, but the pounds always came back. My 303 pounds made sitting in airplane seats, restaurant booths and church pews difficult. I was lethargic and couldn’t walk much or dance (I missed doing the jitterbug). I was irritable, and I didn’t understand how my wife could live with me.
But in 14 months, I went from 303 pounds to 225 pounds, my waistline went from 56 inches to 42, jacket and suit size went from 54 to 48, and shirt size from XXX-large to large. Although I had food cravings during that time, I also had hope, stamina and prayer.
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On July 14, 1998, I visited my doctor, and he found my blood pressure so high that he sent me to the hospital. I was in intensive care and later in the operating room. My arteries were clear; however, a pacemaker was installed because my heart was not pumping blood properly.
This condition was caused by my high weight and chronic obstructive lung disease. After I was released, I was weak, mopey and dopey. It was an effort just to talk, and I tired easily.
So I started an exercise program at my hospital, which included the treadmill and the bicycle three days a week, and monitoring of my vital signs. I went to a daily diet of 1,500 calories (though sometimes I gave in to excess), and I also stopped drinking alcohol. I now eat very little sweets, candy and bread, but plenty of fruits and vegetables.
And I now do a lot of dancing, the jitterbug and polkas. I find solace in the way I live, and I am so happy that this change of lifestyle is working. My family, friends and God have kept me on this path. It’s a new beginning, a new life, and I will stay the course. I will hit 175 pounds by June.
Vital Statistics
Name: Samuel E. Menniti
Occupation: Retired
Age: 72
Old weight: 303 pounds
New weight: 225 pounds
Height: 5 feet, 10 inches
Time to get there: 14
months
How Did You Do It?
Do you have a story about how you lost weight and kept the pounds off? Or a story about how you learned to mountain climb or in-line skate, trained for a half-marathon or discovered a unique way of keeping fit, dealing with a nagging ailment or persevering with a fitness regimen despite some obstacles?
If so, we’d like to hear from you. Tell us your story in a 500-word essay listing what worked in terms of diet, exercise and encouragement, as well as any emotional and physical changes.
For weight-loss stories, send us full-body color photos of yourself, before and after. For other types of stories, send a color photo of yourself doing the activity you’re writing about.
Send essay and photos to How I Did It, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. Include daytime and evening phone numbers. Submissions cannot be returned. And, please, no phone calls.
In addition to publication, winners will receive a Los Angeles Times Health section gym bag, a Sparkletts hot-cold travel mug, T-shirt and coupons for free water products, courtesy of McKesson Water Products Co.