For years, Jim Stone, 53, an engineer in Madison, Ala., believed he didn't have time to lose weight and get in shape."I was very busy with work and family and thought it would take too much time and effort to shed the weight and that it would yield meager results," he says.But then he noticed that older, heavyset friends and family members were starting to have medical problems related to their extra pounds.So about a year ago, Stone started following the USA TODAY Weight-Loss Challenge, our annual healthy eating and exercise
program. He also joined Weight Watchers and began walking or using an elliptical at least an hour a day and strength training 20 to 40 minutes a day.Now, almost a year later, he has lost 69 pounds. At 6-foot-1, he now weighs 213, down from 282.In hindsight, Stone realizes that lack of time wasn't a good excuse. He had the time but just didn't take it. "I considered other things more important. Now I consider taking time to exercise an important part of my day."One change he's made: He has built a lot of walking into his life."I always make sure I get an hour of walking in a day," he says. "What I've learned is that whenever I have to go somewhere at work, I take the stairs. I always walk a half an hour at lunch. I walk around the neighborhood at night with my wife. I try to go to the gym every day after work."Linda Pottinger lost 28 poundsLinda Pottinger, 54, a healthcare consultant in Oregon, Ill., also put aside her excuses and lost weight this past year with the Weight-Loss Challenge.She blamed her extra pounds on her "genes" and the fact that she travels a lot for her job and frequently eats at restaurants, but she wanted to become healthier so she could be around for her grandchildren.She decided that if other people could lose weight, she could too. But that meant "I had to do the work. It wasn't going to be handed to me on a silver platter."She started limiting her calories to about 1,200 a day and working out vigorously on the elliptical for at least 30 minutes a day. At 5-foot-3, Pottinger now weighs 150, down from 178 last fall.Paula Brown-Gray lost 34 poundsPaula Brown-Gray, an artist in Lamberville, Mich., had a laundry list of excuses for why she didn't lose weight and shape up.She loves chocolate and didn't want to give it up. She didn't think she could exercise for an hour a day. And she knew she was consuming far too many calories and didn't know how to cut back. Then she saw a photo of herself that she thought was "dreadful," so she started the Challenge.For a year, she has been tracking her calories and exercise. She rides a tandem bike with her husband or swims an hour a day, and she walks the dog 40 minutes a day. She eats chocolate about once a week. At 5-foot-4½, she now weighs 156, down from 190.Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference.
program. He also joined Weight Watchers and began walking or using an elliptical at least an hour a day and strength training 20 to 40 minutes a day.Now, almost a year later, he has lost 69 pounds. At 6-foot-1, he now weighs 213, down from 282.In hindsight, Stone realizes that lack of time wasn't a good excuse. He had the time but just didn't take it. "I considered other things more important. Now I consider taking time to exercise an important part of my day."One change he's made: He has built a lot of walking into his life."I always make sure I get an hour of walking in a day," he says. "What I've learned is that whenever I have to go somewhere at work, I take the stairs. I always walk a half an hour at lunch. I walk around the neighborhood at night with my wife. I try to go to the gym every day after work."Linda Pottinger lost 28 poundsLinda Pottinger, 54, a healthcare consultant in Oregon, Ill., also put aside her excuses and lost weight this past year with the Weight-Loss Challenge.She blamed her extra pounds on her "genes" and the fact that she travels a lot for her job and frequently eats at restaurants, but she wanted to become healthier so she could be around for her grandchildren.She decided that if other people could lose weight, she could too. But that meant "I had to do the work. It wasn't going to be handed to me on a silver platter."She started limiting her calories to about 1,200 a day and working out vigorously on the elliptical for at least 30 minutes a day. At 5-foot-3, Pottinger now weighs 150, down from 178 last fall.Paula Brown-Gray lost 34 poundsPaula Brown-Gray, an artist in Lamberville, Mich., had a laundry list of excuses for why she didn't lose weight and shape up.She loves chocolate and didn't want to give it up. She didn't think she could exercise for an hour a day. And she knew she was consuming far too many calories and didn't know how to cut back. Then she saw a photo of herself that she thought was "dreadful," so she started the Challenge.For a year, she has been tracking her calories and exercise. She rides a tandem bike with her husband or swims an hour a day, and she walks the dog 40 minutes a day. She eats chocolate about once a week. At 5-foot-4½, she now weighs 156, down from 190.Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference.
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