Way back in June, I jumped on the scale and it rocketed over to 224 pounds. My resting pulse rate was way too high, about 95 to 100, blood pressure 130/75, cholesterol was nasty, triglicerides were even worse and most of my clothese were XLs and still fit too snug. Figuring that I wanted to live to the ripe old age of 108 and then be shot in the back of the head by a jealous husband, I decided to do something to help acheive that noteworthy goal. My spouse and I both opted to go on the South Beach Diet, and just 7 weeks ago, DNJ's entire family followed suit. Here are some before and after photos of me, 43 pounds lighter. DNJ is rapidly approaching the 40-pound weight loss milestone and I hope to have a photo of him to post in the near future.


Before...


After...

Six more pounds down and I'll be the same weight I was when I got married 42 years ago.

Gary

Lookin' Good my friend!!

------------------
...L

... with a smile on your face!

Waydago, Gary!

Congratulations Gary! You've definitely polished your 'diamond in the rough'!

Here's many years of good health to you. I look forward to seeing pics of the 'new' Donny Pesce as well. I've seen (many time over) how the South Beach Diet has turned around so many of my friend's & family members lives, so I'm thrilled to see how its changed yours as well. The next challenge after the weight lost is maintaining (for life) your newly discovered lifestyle of eating & living.

As for myself, I had joined 'Weight Watchers' over three years ago, and have successfully kept off the nearly 30 lb weight lost (more or less) since that time with their diet lifestyle maintenance (points) program. I've found Weight Watchers works best for me, and less restrictive (for my lifestyle) than the SB diet.

Diets don't necessarily mean missing out completely on all the foods we enjoy, but making a few dietary & lifestyle (regular excercise regime, food portion control) adjustments.

Gary. Enjoy life, good health & making music,

Scott

Gracious, that's amazing. Cheers. I guess I oughta check into that diet! I need to drop 20 or so.

Looking Good Gary! I started my diet the day after Labor Day. So far I am down 20 pounds. I try to stay around 1000 to 1500 calories a day and I've been jogging about 3.5 miles every other day. On the days that I don't jog I try to get in at least a 30 minute walk.

Can you tell me a little about the South Beach diet?

Tom

Tom,

The South Beach Diet is not a low-carb or low-fat diet. Essentially, it teaches you to rely on the righ crabs and the right fats--all the good ones. It enables you to live without the bad carbs and fats, and as a result, you get slimmer and healthy. You eat normal size portions of meat, chicken, turkey, fish and shellfish, plus you'll eat lots of vegetables and other foods you enjoy. However, it does eliminate lots of sugars, starches and transfats, which is something we all should eliminate from our diets.

Becoming overweight is easy for an entertainer. Most of the private parties we play, restuarants we entertain in and other venues often have enormous quantities of fattening food available. And, of course, lots of beverages, including the ULTIMATE CARB--beer. During the past four months, I have not consumed anything at any venue that was not in the diet--and believe it or not, it was easy.

The best suggestion for anyone that wants to get back in shape is to buy the South Beach Diet book, read it thoroughly, and follow the program--step by step. As you can readily see, it really works and it works well.

Gary

My congratulations to you. You look great; I hope you feel great about your self too (it sounds like you do). I've not been so lucky with my weight. It's my fault, I know and I hope there is always tomorrow. Maybe you will inspire me.

HOLY CRAP!!!! Gary!!!

Congratulations..you look sensational.

You are my new idol...I'm going to look into that diet.

Al

Wow, the picture says it all.

Way to go, Gary! That's a mighty fine accomplishment. Keep it up.

Looking forward to seeing the new and improved Donny too.

-mike

Congratulations Gary and DN'J.....what a coincidence, but I have started the Atkins and switch to the South Beach Diet also.....I am entering my 5th week and also lost weight and several sizes.......I feel a lot better!!.

------------------
mdorantes

GARY, Forgeddaboutitt....LOOKIN Goooood MON!
I'm 40lbs lighter as we speak...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Here are some basic concepts concerning permanent weight loss that you need to keep in mind if you truly expect this to work LONG TERM. Although they are written with the South Beach Diet in mind, the basic premise here is applicable whatever your approach to losing weight.

1. This is NOT a "miracle" lose weight fast plan! It is a Heart-healthy dietary plan that happens to have the wonderful side effect of weight loss; which is directly attributable to changing your eating habits to a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.

2. STOP weighing yourself everyday! Weigh yourself ONCE a week, write it down, and then MOVE ON WITH LIVING! You neglected your weight long enough to be in this shape. Obsessing with it now will not make the weight go away any faster, but WILL impede redirecting your eating habits, because you are fixated on "instant" results, rather than getting yourself back into a more balanced state of existance.

3. STOP trying to "cheat" the diet. You either WANT THIS, or you don't. Are you tired of being big and bulbous? Are you sick of clothes that don't fit, or that are shapeless Hefty bags? Well, ARE YOU? Then commit yourself to 2 weeks. 14 days. An HONEST, HEARTFELT commitment to YOURSELF to take care of you for YOU, and no one else. You can do it! And, no one else can make you want this, not through guilt, not through anger (although that CAN help sometimes!), not through encouragement (although that REALLY helps sometimes to get over "bumps in the road"). COMMIT to giving 100% effort for YOUR SAKE. If ONLY to make an honest attempt to see a project through to the end. Finish what you started, for no other reason than to "just do it." If you FOLLOW the SBD honestly and faithfully, you will learn to eat better. If you learn to eat better, your body will eventually HAVE to use up the fat reserves you're storing for the next Ice Age. It's plain physics. The key phrase here is HONESTLY.

NO, you can't substitute anything! SUFFER A LITTLE! Life is not as easy as we want it to be. EVERYTHING has its price. Your price for eating what you wanted, when you wanted, how much you wanted is that now you are a lumpy dumpling. The price to turn your life around and find the slim, healthy person under all those fat folds is that YOU have to make the decision to STOP playing games, and follow the instructions as written! Yes, you are allowed to "flex" a little, if you are SO weak willed that you just can't live without a diet soda, or a little milk in your coffee, or even coffee, for that matter. But, that weakness will be at your elbow forever.

If you are spending your time trying to make excuses for not doing this the best you can for the first two weeks, you will never, EVER be slim and healthy. You'll lose weight, and find it again, over and over and over. I know. I've played this game for 30 years now. I've gained and lost 3 entire people's worth of poundage, and here I am back at 200 lbs. again.

In the past, I only wanted to lose the weight. For fashion, for men, for every reason except to be healthy for ME.
I've now reached the age where I'm getting too old to abuse myself this way any longer. I have resigned myself to NOT being able to eat as I choose, because I have no common sense, and end up having to lose another 50-60 pounds every few years...

I WANT THIS! I want to be thin again, but NOT through starvation and obsessive exercising. I want to be able to eat without feeling like a concentration camp prisoner to my diet. First, I have to accept that my eating habits suck. Then I have to WORK HARD to drink enough water to get my poor kidneys through this readjustment, and eat as many vegetables as I can (a MINIMUM of 4 1/2 cups a day), because this is going to be hard on my body. If this means having to go "Cold Turkey" for 2 weeks, well it will be hard, but I WANT THIS!

Oh yes, I want all these ugly pounds to go away. BUT, I know it is going to take awhile. I also know that there is no "easy, gentle" way to do this. If losing weight was easy, I wouldn't be here, now would I???

This means MAKING yourself measure out and eat those vegetables. This means MAKING yourself drink 8 glasses of water (GLASSES, not CUPS, ie. about 100 oz. of water EVERY DAY!!!). This means NOT gorging on proteins because they are unlimited. You should keep the balance of 2 cups vegetables to every 4 oz. of meat protein, and Stop Eating when you feel "Kind of Full". Don't eat until you are fully sated. SUFFER A LITTLE, it won't kill you, but may help you. If you are not sure, write down how much you are eating and what for the two weeks. It will help show you where you need to direct your attention as regards eating habits.

Two Weeks. A SINCERE effort to complete 2 weeks. A honest effort to MODERATE yourself for 2 weeks. People perservere through some of the hardest situations, involving loss, deprivation, imprisonment and pain. Certainly you can survive for two weeks drinking a LOT of water, eating a LOT of vegetables, and RESISTING all the "bad" foods that made you a walking marshmallow. Stop worrying, questioning and scheming to somehow "slide by" here. No one cares if you succeed or fail if YOU don't care enough to do it. You just have to make the commitment and stick to it for 14 days...THEN, re-evaluate how bad it is.

You can do this, but YOU GOTTA WANT IT!"



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-28-2004).]

Hi Gary.

CONGRATULATIONS......You looking good!!!

You will inspire me to loss some pounds.

Cheers.
Armando

Gary, I am really happy for you and hope that Donny will follow suit.

Congratulations Gary, you definitely look like a different person.
Starkeeper

MY GOD GARY I THINK THE SUMERWIND JUST WENT TROUGH YOU ,DONT LOOSE IT NOW WHAT YOU GOT , IT CAN BE EASYLY DONE,YOU LOOK GREAT, BEST REGARDS , BENNO

Congratulations Gary., must have been in the year though as so many people doing a diet at the moment.

I started september one this year (since I saw the holliday photo's of myself )

I lost 24 pounds already without doing much!

Just stopped sugar
Less bread, Less potatoes, less rice, Less pasta..
To compensate I eat more fish, more meat, more cheese, more vegetables, more eggs.

That's all.

I still take a couple of beers and all the other delicious food as long as there is no sugar in!

You cannot say this is a real diet, but works great. (it all has to do with less koolhydrates) so basicly a bit Atkins but then only phase three, instead of phase one or two. (buy the book if you wanna know how it works)

If you love fish(like I do) it is very easy.

Fred

Thanks for the complements everyone. I can honestly say that this program has provided me with a bit more energy, which I guess goes along with better health.

Thanks again,

Gary

Ula la !!!!!

Chico

congratulations gary,just think before carrying around all that extra weight (the weight of a keyboard)now you must have a spring in your step,you certainly look better ,don,t let the weight slowly creep back on,mike

I lost 40 lbs on Southbeach and kept it off a year now. Prior to the SBDiet when my friends asked "What's up"?, I would reply "My weight, my blood pressure, my cholesotral. After the South Beach diet I can now say what is suppose to be down, is down. What should be up is up.


Jerry

I like thge sound of those CRABS !!! Yummmmmmmmmmmm.

Whoops! Typooooooooooo! Sometimes the fingers do funny things, even when playing music. Personally, I'll take a large plate of Maryland style steamed crabs over the CARBS any day of the week.

Thanks Dave,

Gary

Gary,
You're so skinny, the wind seems to be blowing you forward. Congratulations
zuki

Gary....I dont care what anyone says......... your doing a fantastic job, great will power, perseverence and the Results to prove it buddy!!

keep it up!

Here's update on DNJ, who after just 9 week on the South Beach Diet has dumped 40 pounds and lots of waistline inches. Everyone has seen the before photos, but here's the DNJ after photo.

As for me, just 4 pounds to reach 175, which is the goal I set for myself to be by Christmas.



Cheers,

Gary

Congratulations to both Gary and Donny. That's truly fantastic!

Ed

Oh Yeah...."I'm To Sexy For My Vest"


http://secure.agoramedia.com/index_sbd2....A75063DB&email=

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 11-06-2004).]

Don't get me started on that vest !

Vest?....How 'bout that tie?

Just kiddin' with ya, Donny. You look maaahvelous!!

Ooo, a great picture for some new Photoshop jobs. Lookout........

-mike

hahahahahahah, so far 40lbs lost....
just wait till I lose 25lbs more
oh yeah..............

you're lookin good mon. - Scott