David Gillanders

Losing weight was an easy decision for David, but the going wasn't so easy. Suffering some stalls along the way hasn't dampened his resolve. With the Weight Watchers Flex Points program, the support of family and friends, and his love of sports, he is well on his way to reaching his weight loss goal.

Country: Orange, California, USA
Age: 30
Weight before diet: Unknown. Estimated around 360 lbs.; 335 lbs. when starting WW
Weight now: 267 lbs.
Target weight: 230 lbs.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
I had no idea how big I'd gotten. I think a lot of people fail to see how large they really are until they're either on a scale or forced to look at full body photos in regular clothing. Anyway, my fiancee at the time wanted to lose a whopping 15 pounds to fit into a smaller wedding dress, I had started to play hockey again after about a 6-year layoff and my game had suffered with my weight gain, and I wanted to shed some pounds for the wedding as well.

When I saw my true weight, it was an easy decision. I'd already lost some weight to that point by eating more carefully and playing hockey and riding my bike more, but even then I needed something more drastic and more structured.

-What type of weight loss program are you following?
Weight Watchers Flex Points

-Why did you choose this weight loss program?
My wife actually introduced me to it; she and her mother started it a few days before I did. My dad had also lost 100 pounds on it at age 49 and become a marathon runner. It seemed simple enough, so I gave it a shot.

-How long have you been on your weight loss program?
I started on WW on April 1st 2005. I lost around 55 pounds in the first three months, after that, I suffered a long stall. By September (the most recent photo shown) I had lost another 5-10, and since then, I'd been stuck until recently, fluctuating 3-5 pounds in either direction, at one point gaining as much as 10. Now I'm consistently losing again.

-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to help you lose weight and stay fit?
Ice hockey, and I've really discovered the joys of running.

-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
Self satisfaction. When I was 18 years old, I was playing hockey four hours a day, either roller or ice, skateboarding a couple hours a day, etc. I was 220 lbs with about 8% body fat. I was extremely fit: 34-36" waist, in great shape, etc. One of my goals when I started this was to get down under 40" with my waist size (I started around a 46"). I managed to get to a 38" waist when I got down to 275. I had so many people telling me how great I looked, etc., that it was very hard to keep my eyes on the prize, thus my year-long stall. All along I should have been thinking about those days as an 18 year old and not settling for anything short of that.

-How do you keep yourself motivated?
Lately it's been pretty simple; I'm trying to become Nietzsche's "l'homme superieur," the Superior Man. I also want to become a Weight Watchers leader at some point. I want to help people improve their lives.

-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
Be the best possible human being you can in all aspects of your life. Work to become that person you admire or have always wanted to be. This is all inclusive; physical, psychological, socially, etc. To me, if you strive to be a better human being, the part about Weight Loss takes care of itself. If you smoke, stop now. Never pick up another cigarette again. Oh, and don't drink diet soda of any sort. The stuff's poison.

-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
No. It will never happen again. To be perfectly frank, being that obese is disgusting. I value my life far too much to return to that state.

I prevent it from happening through PMA - Positive Mental Attitude. A little bit of ego never hurt, either. In fact, to have lasting success, I think it's necessary.

-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helps or inspires you to lose weight?
I have my own blog, LivingMinimal, and my wife's blog is Living to Feel Good. If you read any of the links from either of our sites, you'll stumble on to fellow weight loss crusaders mired in the struggle. Fat Bitch is definitely one of my favorites. She rips.