Participant: Debbie Spadafora, administrative manager, Woody’s and Voyeur Age: 48 Starting weight: 339 Height: 5-foot-5 Weight lost to date: 30 pounds
PGN: Why did you agree to participate in Weigh It Forward? DS: It was a fantastic opportunity — it’s a do-or-die kind of thing for me. I’m diabetic and my doctor told me that if I didn’t change my ways that I would have to go on insulin. So, it’s a total win-win: I lose, they gain.
PGN: What are you hoping to achieve? DS: I’m never going to be skinny, but I want to be healthy.
PGN: What’s been your biggest struggle with your weight? DS: Food. I know what to eat and what not to eat. It’s a matter of, I have to think about it 24/7. I have 48 years of bad habits. And I will walk by the pizza place, and stop and get a slice without thinking about it. With this opportunity, I have no choice but to think about it because it’s so public.
PGN: What’s been the hardest about this so far? DS: I guess the hardest is realizing that I still have limitations and I want to do so much more — realizing I still need to drop more weight before I can put stress on my knees.
PGN: The easiest? DS: Surprisingly, getting support from people. I go home from the gym and I post something on Facebook and within a day, I have 80-some people liking my status and supporting me, which is something I never thought I would have.
PGN: Has anything surprised you? DS: The support, and the fact that I like having a trainer. I never wanted a trainer, but he’s been great.
PGN: Tell me about your workout plan. DS: I’m in the gym five days. I do at least 45 minutes of cardio those days — walk at least two miles, or try to do the bike. I work out on the machines for strength training three days a week, two of those days with Noe. I’m starting to work out with friends. And I’m just starting to work on lower body; I’d been doing upper body. I’ve cut my hours back at work to part-time to focus on this — it’s that important to me, and I’m not going to waste a good opportunity.
PGN: And the food? DS: For my diet, I downloaded an app on my phone, myfitnesspal. It’s kind of like my bible. I log in everything. I cut out red meat and sodas — not that I drank a lot — [and] cut back on bread. I’m drinking more water, and one meal a day is a salad. I stay under my recommended calories, 1,560 per day. I don’t deprive myself of anything, but any time I lose a pound, it makes it easier to say no to that dessert.
PGN: Do you think this is something you can sustain? DS: I do, absolutely. My goal is to get to a point where I can do three days a week at the gym to maintain. That’s a long way down the road, but that is my goal.
PGN: What do you think will be the hardest part to sustain afterward? DS: Probably that it won’t be so public and I am going to have to rely on myself. I’ll still have support from friends, but I have to dedicate myself to it. I just came from the doctor, and he said my cholesterol and blood sugar are down: Two thumbs up from my doctor on all the numbers. I’m so grateful for this opportunity: My trainer is awesome, he’s exactly what I need him to be. And everyone is incredible. I feel more positive, and energetic. Life’s good and getting better. I feel great, like I’m beaming. I talk about it all the time to people.
Noe Espinosa, trainer, 12th Street Gym, 204 S. 12th St., www.12streetgym.com, certified personal trainer
PGN: What has your plan for Debbie been? NE: We started cardiovascular exercise, little steps. She’s been afraid to walk long distances, so we started on the treadmill. Every time I see her, I make her feel better about exercising and working out. We started at step 1, and then have to go to 10. Before, it had been too much for her to walk a mile.
PGN: Tell me more about the exercise. NE: After two weeks, we started to do body-weight workouts — push-ups and squats — to get some movement back to Debbie. She’s been doing the treadmill, 30-40 minutes of cardio, and one hour of weight training. We meet twice a week. On her own, she’s more secure and confident, and doing her own cardio on the treadmill. Right now, she can’t jog or run because of knee problems. I believe she’s doing cardio four times per week.
PGN: And for food? NE: I’m not a certified nutritionist, so I’ve advised her to eat well. She’s doing her own diet; she’s used it before. She’s eating salads, low sugar, low sodium and small meals.
PGN: What results are you looking for short-term? NE: She’s lost around 30 pounds, and we have until June 10 for the last weigh-in. I’m looking for her to lose another 30 pounds by June. It all depends on her: I’m here for support. But it depends on her eating habits and exercise.
PGN: And long-term? NE: For her to be happy in what she’s doing. And to create a habit of exercising and eating well. I’m encouraging Debbie to keep doing the good work that she’s doing. You won’t see it from one day to another, but exercise is a habit. After the last weigh-in, I will be checking on her. She’s become very energized and happy and I would like to see that for a while.