At Pride 2012, four community members took the stage for their final weigh-in of Weigh It Forward, a fundraising weight-loss journey. The scales proved their hard work — the four lost a total of 237 pounds in five months, and also raised more than $20,000 in pledged funding for three LGBT groups. Some pledges are still outstanding so, if you made a pledge, make sure to follow through.
PGN caught up with the four participants one year after their last weigh-in to talk about how the post-Weigh It Forward experience has been. While all four have seen some ups and downs, the consensus is that the weight loss has been a tremendous gain for each of them.
Dan Calhoun, PGN advertising and marketing director Starting weight: 268 Pride 2012 weight: 230 Current weight: “A lady doesn’t tell her weight.”
Since completing the Weigh It Forward challenge, Calhoun stayed on his exercise regimen but back problems have kept him from the gym in the past few months.
“It is really frustrating because I really want to get back in the gym but I can’t lift anything,” he said.
But his blood pressure has improved dramatically, he said, and he’s found new success in the City of Brotherly Love Softball League.
“I hit several home runs last season and, before the program, I hadn’t hit a home run in my life,” he said. “I had a lot of support from the players in the CBLSL encouraging me. There are so many people that volunteer to organize the group and it offers a great opportunity to be active.”
Towards the end of the Weigh It Forward program, Calhoun said he was going to the gym twice a day and was on a very strict diet. After the challenge, he said, he veered off course from his routine for a breather but then struggled to get back on track.
“A gay man with no carbs is a bad combination! It burned me out a little, and I took a break right after the final weigh-in,” he said. “After final weight-in at Pride, I went straight to Krispy Kreme. It was darn good. It is hard to get back on track when you take a short break; I should have scaled back rather than take a break.”
Staying focused on your goals, and doing so with others, is key, Calhoun said.
“Be reasonable about your expectations. If you are going to a trainer, make sure that he/she is knowledgable about nutrition. My trainer Jared really knew his stuff,” he said. “Go through the process with a friend, even if you do not work out with them. Our group met regularly for a healthy lunch and it really helped me stay on track when I had to report to them how I was doing and see how well they were doing.”
Micah Mahjoubian, Soapbox Solutions CEO Starting weight: 267 Pride 2012 weight: 212 Current weight: 200
Mahjoubian initially set out to lose 50 pounds and then maintain that loss, a goal he exceeded.
He works with a personal trainer and has continued his membership at Unite Fitness, attending four group sessions each week, where he spends 25 minutes on cardio, 30 minutes on strength training and 20 minutes on yoga.
His new-found strength motivated him to sign up for a number of competitive exercise events.
In October, he participated in the United Fitness Decathlon, a 10K with 10 fitness challenges. He went on to complete the Broad Street Run last month and now has his sights set on the Philadelphia Half Marathon.
“I’ve become addicted to working out. I just really, really like it,” he said. “I’ve layered it into other things. I joined Team Philly to train and get my running endurance up. I’m very much into running now.”
He recently moved into a third-story walk-up and said the stairs have not daunted him like they would have previously.
Eating right has been a challenge, Mahjoubian said. He has learned to cut out processed food and maintain a certain caloric intake, although in the past few months he said he has been veering off course a bit with some fast-food choices.
“I try to make the healthiest substitutions I can, but I know I shouldn’t be eating McDonald’s. I got lulled into a sense of, ‘It’s OK because I wasn’t gaining weight.’ But in the last six months I gained about 10 pounds so I’ve begun refocusing my efforts to get back to healthier eating habits.”
Having a strong support system was key to the journey, Mahjoubian noted.
“Before, I didn’t want to go to the gym because I was self-conscious but this time I had people with me,” he said. “And the group sessions at Unite Fitness were helpful too because I became friends with the group members and we all encourage each other. The social aspect was something I didn’t initially think I would like but it turned out to be instrumental in my success.”
Mahjoubian aims to lose about 35 more pounds.
Franny Price, Philly Pride Presents executive director Starting weight: 264 Pride 2012 weight: 201 Current weight: 226
Price said that, one year ago, she was in the best shape of the past two decades, and she’s looking to get back to that point.
After being diagnosed with vertigo, Price had to avoid the gym for several months, and just began being able to go more than once a week.
Her diet is not as strict as it was while she was participating in the weight-loss challenge, but she said she did retain a wealth of important dietary lessons.
“I don’t put sugar in my coffee anymore. And if I have red meat, I feel guilty,” she said. “I don’t eat any cheese and I’m very particular about my bread; it can’t be greasy or anything.”
While her medical condition was an impediment in recent months, Price said she’s eager to refocus her efforts on losing more.
“I got off track and need to get back on track again because that was the best I’d felt in the last 20 years,” she said. “I’m not as heavy as I was so people who haven’t seen me in a few years see a big difference. But I know I’ve been in better shape than I am now, and I want to get back to that.”
Losing with others, Price said, is a great motivator.
“The support was everything. We would meet every week and told war stories and that was really important,” she said. “It was very encouraging having the support of the other Weigh It Forward group, doctors, trainers and having the whole community watching me. If you get too sure of yourself, the next thing you know you’ve put 10 pounds back on and then 20 pounds on, so it’s important to have people there encouraging you.”
Debbie Spadafora, Woody’s and Voyeur administrative manager Starting weight: 339 Pride 2012 weight: 258 Current weight: 195
At last summer’s final weigh-in, Spadafora hoped to ultimately get her weight to under 200 pounds, which she accomplished by the start of 2013.
“I live in the gym,” she said about her success.
She goes to the gym five days a week, spending an hour on cardio and an hour on strength-training each day. Since completing Weigh It Forward, Spadafora earned a certification in spin and in March began teaching two spin classes at 12th Street Gym and a beginner’s step class. She’s also working on her personal-trainer certification and a nutrition certification.
While Spadafora said she hasn’t been as diligent with her diet as she was in the beginning, she knows her limits.
“I changed the way of eating so I don’t deprive myself,” she said. “The exceptions are more frequent than they were before but I feel like I eat well on such a regular basis that I sometimes can afford the luxury of dessert if I go out to dinner.”
In the past, Spadafora said she only got to 215 pounds, so the under-200 mark has boosted her confidence.
“I feel empowered that everything’s possible. I don’t mean to sound like a cliché but that’s how I feel these days. My trainer keeps me inspired and working at the gym, the atmosphere and the people keep me really positive,” she said, noting that each person’s weight-loss journey is unique. “Do whatever you can. It’s not about comparing yourself to others because we’re all at different fitness levels, and any activity is good. And don’t go on a diet; change your way of eating and gradually cut out things that are bad for you. Whatever you do, it’s more than what you were doing before. You have to start somewhere.”
Spadafora hopes to lose 40-50 more pounds.