Introductions

RudyBarich

I think it would be nice for us to introduce ourselves, I'll start it off...

I retired in 2008 from the US Air Force after 26 yrs of service as an E-7. I'm currently a contractor for CACI Intl., and work as a systems integrator supporting C4ISR systems on US Army ships (yes the Army has boats lol). Divorced since 2006 and have my 20 yr old daughter living with me while she gets her college done. I'm an avid, ok pretty hard core, Steelers fan as well as holding a private pilot's license. I have aspirations of one day combining my passion for flying with my love of teaching by becoming an instructor, but that is a ways off in the future. For now, nothing beats the freedom of flight.

I often travel for my job, sometimes a couple months at a time, so it's hard to keep up the diet on the road, but I don't expect too much an issue with the exercise as long as take my DVDs with me or can get online.

I ballooned to 292 lbs last Fall. After seeing the doctor for something trivial, he recommended I get some blood tests done. I then learned that I was borderline diabetic and needed to change my life drastically or be married to the insulin needle. I immediately focused on getting the high glycemic items out of my diet and started getting off the couch and walking. I managed to drop about 18 lbs by the holidays. I gained a few back on the Xmas break and again focused on the cutting of sugar and carbs. I managed to get back down a few lbs but it wasn't good enough, nor fast enough for me. I needed a kick in the pants, so I tried the Biggest Loser Bootcamp. My starting weight was 274 lbs. It was exactly the kick I needed. I've lost almost 30 lbs and feel great. My blood tests a few weeks ago showed great improvement and I'm free of the danger of Diabetes and my BP and cholesterol are also in check.

My long term goal is get my BMI under 25 and feel better at 51 than I did at 40. A few of my joints may have something to say about that, but I'm determined. I'm spreading positive vibes to all of you and hope we all can lean on each other and "get 'er done!"

Btw, my profile pic is me working on an Army boat in Japan. I was healthier then and am almost back down to that weight. I use it as motivation and it reminds me I am blessed to have a job.

Rudy

debbieinca

Good job Rudy!!
Ok I will introduce myself. I work in resource at the high school and will retire in the next 3 years. I lost my husband 13 years ago to a brain tumor, he was only 47. I have a 30 year old son who was in the Navy just finished college and has a job with the air district.
I forgot about caring for myself and got a wake up call from the doctor that I too am border line diabetic. I saw the ad for the bootcamp and decided to try it also and love it. In June when I am off from school I have some test, so will see if it is helping.
I read alot and love gardening. I worry though how it will be this summer not being as stuctured like when at work. I tend to go out more with friends, so will have to learn to choose better when eating. I hope being On demand will help.

Debbie5

spuf66

Excellent idea Rudy!

I turned 49 a couple weeks ago and work as an engineer in the telecommunication field. I'm extremely blessed to work from home so I am able to live close to Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I'm married with 2 boys... one is turning 17 tomorrow and the other is 13. Both are active in Boy Scouts, so I get to go camping and get out in the outdoors with them from time to time, which I love to do.

I was born in Colorado, and grew up in New Mexico (where Hysteria lives) so I am a rabid Denver Broncos fan. I lived in the Dallas area for about 10 years so I'm huge Dallas Mavericks (go Dirk go) as well. I also have lived in San Diego and San Jose, so I'm a Padres and Giants fan in baseball, although I'm not really into that sport. I will sometimes root for the Chargers and 49er's but that depends on who they are playing. But I've always hated the Cowboys which was difficult while living in Dallas!

I tend to hibernate in the fall/winter, typically corresponding to the NFL season so I usually gain during this time. This past year I got above 240 for the first time in my life and I decided I should stop just watching the Biggest Loser (usually while eating ice cream or something desserty) and join the Bootcamp they were promoting. Actually I procrastinated and missed the first one of the year but I'm glad I joined the one we were in. I really like the new trainers and thought it would be pretty cool to work out with them. That was the first time I worked out doing bodyweight exercise and using weights and resistance bands. Before, I would use running, hiking, and playing basketball to lose weight and keep in shape but that is harder to do as I get older. Just a couple summers ago, I got down to 209 from a high of 230 but I've slowly worked my way back up since then, unfortunately beyond from where I started.

My short term goal is to get under 210 by Father's Day because I'm going on an epic backpack trip for 4 days in Yosemite with my best friend from high school starting that day. My long term goal is to get to 195 (BMI = 24) just so I can be under 200 with a bit of a cushion so I use 200 as my line in the sand. I can't remember the last time I was actually under 200, but it was probably sometime in my 20's.

My current photo is from my "Birthday Hike" in Yosemite. That was a tough one (a little over 8 miles and 3200 feet of elevation gain). I did it the day after our Week #8 Last Chance Workout and I amazed myself on how strong I felt on that hike. The next day, I had to really take it easy and relax!

I'm so glad to join up with this band of survivors from that awesome BLBC and I'm looking forward to 'gitting 'er done' with all you!

-Scott

kristinels

This *is* a good idea! I forgot to check this group over the last few days - I'll have to see if there's some way to get a notification when there are new posts. If not, I'll just have to get in the mode of checking in more often!

As my username implies, my name is Kristine. I'm 44 years old, also married with 2 kids. I have a son who just turned 21 (WHAT??! I wonder how that happened so fast?) and an 18 year old daughter. BOTH are in college. Ugh. So all my money comes in, all my money goes out and only the names are changed to protect the innocent! Lol! I have lived in beautiful Western PA my entire life - but have traveled to a few of the locations you all have mentioned so far. My hubby and I are really looking forward to a trip out West to Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana this summer. This will be my first trip to those states/areas (Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Red Lodge, etc..) and the first time I've ever taken a whole 2 weeks in a row of vacation. That trip, and how daunting I was anticipating the hiking and outdoor activities would be - seeing as how I'd gained 10 lbs in the past year on my already-overweight frame and was nowhere near 'fit' - were the impetus for my signing up for the BLBC.

I was at the heaviest I'd ever been, tired all the time, and just ready to do something about it. I'd lost 40 lbs before - back in my early 30's - by just doing Weight Watchers and a little walking. I actually got down to my highschool weight! But I was starving! I slowly gained it all back and have tried the same weight loss method several times since, and it just doesn't cut it anymore. So I knew I needed something with real exercise. But if I was going to stick with it, I also knew I needed something that didn't include spending hours everyday heading to and from a gym. I'm so glad I found the Biggest Loser Bootcamp! I've only dropped 10 lbs in the 10 weeks, but it was the kick start I needed too. It was funny to read Scott's comment on watching Biggest Loser - usually while eating icecream on the couch - Lol! That was me to a 'T'! If I manage to get to my goal of 135lbs, I'll be at about a 21 BMI and have plenty of cushion. I'm actually rethinking that goal in the event that I actually *do* build muscle over the next year - I might be okay with 140 or so. I've never worked out before, so this has been quite a wake-up call for my body!

I am also a life-long member of the Steeler Nation. I love my boys in Black-N-Gold! I watch every game until the exhilerating last minute win or until the bitter end - because it's almost always one of those two scenarios - haha! I also enjoy hockey - Go Pens! - and have only recently (in the last 2 seasons) started enjoying baseball - yep, you guessed it, The Buccos .

I am an IT Manager at a manufacturing company about 30 miles out of Pittsburgh, so as you can imagine, my job does not lend itself to physical activity during the course of the day. That's why the bootcamp videos were so appealing! I thought it was very cool, Rudy, that you know what you wanna be when you grow up. I'm still working on it. When my daughter graduates in 3 years, I will likely move out of my IT career - whether to something completely different (I want to be more creative, I think) or just into a different area of IT, I'm not sure. My husband and I went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University program back in 2009, and applying what we learned helpd us pay off over $100k in non-mortgage debt, put the kids through college debt-free, and is what has put me in a position to make a change once the kids graduate. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a program/plan to help you eliminate debt and build savings. Although - I must warn you that I blame FPU for my weight gain! Lol! I kept saying I couldn't be disciplined with both my money AND my food - that was asking too much! hehe...

So that's me I hope I wasn't too long winded! It was nice to read about all of you.

spuf66

Are you Steeler fans close to Johnstown, PA? I ordered a new Osprey backpack from REI and evidently, it's stuck in Johnstown. Maybe the Osprey factory is there? Or maybe a big UPS hub?

Kristine, that's a great recommendation about FPU and I love the associated warning that comes with it! I may need to check into something like that, especially when my boys graduate and go off to college since it looks like it worked wonders for your situation!

I've actually been to Pennsylvania once, when my sister-in-law lived in Phoenixville, which is near Philadelphia. That's a cool area, or at least what I saw. There's so much history there that I had always heard about but was so far removed growing up in the west. And yes, I had an authentic cheesesteak, although I don't remember where it was from.

kristinels

My husband and I both actually grew up in Johnstown There is a UPS hub there. My hubby used to work for them when we were first married as a 'pre-loader'. Now we live only about about 25-30 minutes from there in Ligonier, PA. There is definitely a lot of history in the state. It's funny though, how we sometimes fail to appreciate what's right in our 'back yard' so to speak. Even though I grew up in Johnstown, I've never been to the Johnstown Flood Museum and hadn't ridden the Johnstown Incline Plane (the steepest in the country, I think) until I was in my 30's! I've also never been to Philadelphia oddly enough. My town, Ligonier, is steeped in history as well. It was founded pre-American Revolution. General George Washington visited there at Fort Ligonier in his day. They still do battle reenactments every year in the Fall during 'Fort Ligonier Days' - and even though I've lived here for 21 years, I have yet to visit the Fort! I've been to The Alamo, The Grand Ole Opry, all the Washington DC sites, The Coronado Hotel, Gettysburg, and many others - but haven't made it to the more 'local' attractions.

RudyBarich

I am about 4.5 hrs away over here in central MD. I like exploring heritage sites when I have the time. Lately, there hasn't been much time to "smell the roses." Work, working out and sleep seem to have a monopoly on my time lately.

I've only been to the city of Pittsburgh a few times. I rode the riverboat as both a tour and as a fan on the way to the game. Two very different experiences I must say! Also did the inclines, ate at Jerome Bettis's restaurant and checked out the shopping district. I try to make either one home or away game every year. Not sure which game I'm headed to, I'd like to try and make the first Baltimore game, but I don't want to see it if Le'veon isn't back from suspension lol.

I subscribed to the Suzie Orman experience. One year some time ago I was channel surfing and stopped on a fundraiser for PBS and they were featuring her and offering her software free for a donation, so I decided to give it a whirl. Some very enlightening stuff. I climbed out of the debt dungeon myself and all by myself. Not quite as bad as Kristine's amount though. I went from having to live in a friends basement for 3 months after the divorce to living in a crappy apartment that I could afford through the last few years of my AF career to make it back in the green. I'm blessed to have been given the opportunity I did with my current job at that time. Now I'm putting my daughter through college and enjoying the hobby I want to. One day I'll own my own lakeside property with a floatplane and life will be grand. Until then, I keep on grinding it out. I just hope I live long enough to enjoy retirement lol.

spuf66

I think it's a common thing to not see the local attractions. I always felt that I could go see them anytime and as a result, I never did because something else always comes up. It's like finding time for working out or anything that's out of the normal routine. I used to live in San Jose and would only go to San Francisco when I had visitors and they wanted to go. I have yet to be north of a few miles from the Golden Gate Bridge which other people find a little puzzling. Every now and then, I have to remember that I moved to be closer to the mountains and Yosemite National Park in particular and make it a point to go make a trip and do something there.

My General George connection is I got to visit Valley Forge since it's real close to where we visited. I didn't get to see the Liberty Bell because the exhibit was closed but I did visit Benjamin Franklin's grave, the church most of the founders attended, Betty Ross' house, and quite a few other cool places in Phily. So go sometime!

That's awesome about getting back on your feet Rudy... I've listened to Suze from time to time and she's great and makes a lot of sense. Having a nice lakeside place for your floatplane would be cool... and since you are doing so great shedding your weight, you'll have a much better chance of living enough to enjoy that retirement!

debbieinca

Spuf55 I am from Sonora and now live in Turlock. Are you in Groveland or around there?

spuf66

Wow Debbie! Yup... I live in Groveland. I go to Sonora every couple weeks for groceries and stuff like that. How long did you live in Sonora?

debbieinca

My sister and brother are still there. They have a great yarn shop so I go up once a while to see my sister, go to the yarn shop and have lunch. We also love the shoe store. lol

spuf66

What shoe store is that? What's your go to lunch place? I recently at the new Thai place across the street from Safeway and really liked it. I also like to hit Peppery and order their tri-tip salad. Every now and then, I really wish there is an In N Out there, but then again, maybe it's good that they don't!

debbieinca

The shoe store is on the corner by the court house. We go to Diamondback or to the one out in Standard, the owner used to own Diamondback.