Family lost 500 lbs together!

Check it out here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23110183/

I think the Dickert family can kick their butts!

Family fights battle of the bulge together
The Dean family lost over 500 pounds by leaning on each other for support


By Mike Celizic
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 10:19 a.m. CT, Mon., Feb. 11, 2008
A Nebraska family of self-described “fatties” lost a combined 500 pounds in one year, proving that the family that loses together wins together.

“It never felt so good to be called ‘losers,’ ” Tony Dean of Omaha told TODAY co-host Meredith Vieira on Monday in New York, where he assembled with six other family members who joined him in a collective quest for fitness.

Tony Dean, who lost 36 pounds, not only came up with the idea to make losing weight a family affair, he is the principal author of the book the Deans wrote about their experience: “The F.A.S.T. Diet: Families Always Succeed Together.”

Now, they’re taking their program public — a family on a mission to spread health and fitness in an increasingly obese nation.

They’ve already had one major success in addition to their own: Last year, they helped a group of 100 people lose a collective 4,000 pounds — two tons of adipose tissue, a.k.a. blubber. They’re also talking to the mayors of 50 towns about running municipal programs.

Tony Dean, an entrepreneur, got the idea while watching one of his favorite TV shows, “The Biggest Loser.” Contestants on the show leave their homes and jobs for three months and work with personal trainers on the best equipment available. Most people can’t afford that luxury, but he realized that a huge psychological advantage contestants had going for them was their sense of togetherness in pursuit of a common goal.

“One thing they had that I knew we could create was accountability to hold everybody in check when they had bad days,” Tony Dean told Vieira.

With him on the show was the rest of his family, including his parents, Michael and Sheila Dean, Tracy Wright, Jamie Sacks, Jeremy Dean, Julie Dean and Tina Chereck. Michael Dean, they agreed, was the toughest one to get with the program. He hadn’t exercised in 30 years, never met a candy bar he could resist eating, and claimed to have no desire to change.

Tony Dean got the idea in mid-2005. He shared it with his sister, Julie, who also works as his assistant. Despite their mutual enthusiasm, they put off breaking it to the family until early November, when they were gathered for a birthday. They were almost unanimous in their support, with the only question being whether they should start right then or wait until after Christmas.

Tony Dean figured the eight family members averaged 5 feet 6 inches and 215 pounds. The family body shape was round.

“I said, ‘I want to eat my cherry pie, so it better be after,’ ” Michael Dean told Vieira. “I was the only vote to wait until after Christmas. I was voted down.”

Just the same, said his wife, Sheila, the family had the same Christmas dinner they usually had — including Michael’s cherry pie. They just ate more sensibly.

In the following year, Michael lost 101.5 pounds and learned the joy of exercise. Sheila, the mother, lost 65 pounds; Tracy Wright, 32.6 pounds; Jamie Sacks, 100.2; Jeremy Dean, 73.5; Julie Dean, 68.5; Tina Chereck, 40.8; and Tony, 36.2.

The power of the family working together, Tony Dean said, gives individuals others to call when they’re having weak moments.

His brother, Jeremy, had spent years on yo-yo diets: he’d lose big amounts of weight then put them back on and repeat the process. “Just the support system and learning more about food has really, really helped me a lot,” he said. “I was 150 pounds at one time and a year later 215.”

It’s not easy, the family said, but it can be done, and the secret is the support group.

“Everybody’s trying to do it by themselves and that’s a big mistake,” Tony Dean said. “There are 200 food decisions to make every day, and if you make 90 percent of those right, you’re going to fail.”

Julie's words of wisdom!

Hi gang!

So, work has been crazy these past few weeks, so I've been pokey about adding anything new to the blog. Forgive me! But since this seems to be motivating people, I'm planning to transition this to a REAL website (rather than a blog) that will allow people to post easily to a forum, as Susie suggested.

If you missed Julie's words of wisdom in the posted reply below, I'm reprinting here. Go Julie go! Who's joining her on that bike ride??

"Hello Everyone!

Thanks for this John, I also recall an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in which a Green Bay family was trying to break the record for the most family members to complete a marathon together. I thought this was also very inspiring. I have appreciated all the email traffic and the 'collective support' has really made a difference for me. At a family Birthday party 2 weeks ago, Jen and I were talking about how this has motivated us to get back into AM exercise. Where Jen had already started a week or two earlier ... and had the sore muscles to show for it!...I was still 'thinking about it alot'! However, I then got my butt out of bed four times that week and this has been a huge motivator! Last week I managed it 2x however ... and I am on a downslide!!!

The old distractions are working there way in ... which goes to show you behavior change is multifaceted;
especially with kids! I've discovered several other 'changes' have to take place for me to be continually successful. 1) I have to go to bed earlier ...and I am a night person; 2) I have to get things organized for myself and the kids the night before (otherwise coming home at 7:40 when the kids need to be on the bus
at 8:25 gets CRAZY!!!); 3) I need to layout my clothes at night so I can put them on half asleep (thinking is really not an option for me at 5:30 a.m.!); 4) I need to be accountable to someone else for getting to the gym at 6:00 - I am joining a class and/or setting up a personal training session this week!

Regarding a GOAL: like Pete, certain genes have gone in my favor, so I decided to have my % Body Fat tested, which I did last Wednesday am (yes, I went out the morning of the Blizzard! ... it must have wasted me though, I haven't been there since!!!). More importantly though, I think a good goal for me is maintaining a consistency of exercise. So, MY GOAL is a minimum of 4 days of exercise a week for a month, I hope to make it more, but I am looking at being realistic. Honestly, I am at my LEAST FIT probably since about age 20 as I got into fitness after that. Regarding any "-athons", I will make my decision after March. Yes, I think it would be awesome to do one as a family. However, I am staying focused on practical change for myself right now, I want to succeed at this first. My past exercise love is distance biking and I would like to look at doing the Diabetes CURE bike fundraiser in May. I am putting that out as my first 'carrot'. If any other local Dickerts want to join me ... the more the merrier!

Carry on Kinfolk!

With love,

Julie"

Aunt Mary Ann Lays Down the Law!!!

If you didn't see the great recent email from mom/Aunt Mary Ann, she does a great job of reminding us all that health and fitness goals are as individual as each one of us, that we're all struggling with different issues in reaching those goals, and that the most effective way of making lasting positive change is to take baby steps and gradual changes that can easily be incorporated into our lives and become routine.

I'll also highlight her great strategy for cutting out nighttime snacking. I've recently read (will cite the source when I track it down) that our metabolism slows after 7 PM as we prepare for bed, and that eating after 7 PM can actually affect your quality of sleep. So cutting out that nighttime snacking can help us all trim those pounds and get a better night's rest!

Here's that email. Tiger, isn't she? Go mom!

"OK you crazy people...I notice Lindsay nominating her Mom, my sister Carole, and Cathy and Carrie nominating brother Jim and I but no one is responding...speaking for myself, gang, I just want to take baby steps...seeing all this climbing mountain stuff, John's spartan diet, and marathon stuff...I want to go in a corner and cry...almost...since I broke my ankle which had to be fused in 1989 and fracturing my back in 1992 I have slowly really put on the weight. Then in 2002 I got inspired and lost 50 lbs in Weight Watchers...and joined Curves with my sisters and Carrie's encouragement. I over did it and had poor direction at the Curves I attended and ended up getting a terrible problem with sciatica...I went to an orthopedist, physical therapy and an excellent chiropractor with no success...and years of sleepless nights. I finally was treated with neurontin which really helped. I also am using a sauve called Topricin which I swear by...and take at least two baths a night in bath salts and maybe a shower to calm my back and knees...I am able to walk my dog around the block but the bottom of my fused ankle foot is down to bare bone in the front of my foot so I have it heavily padded and I am limited in walking any great lengths.

So with all of that, you can see where I get a bit overwhelmed by you all...my goal is get into a water based exercise program at least once a week, and to cut down on my snacking at night. I really eat well during the day...it is just evenings that are my weak point. I love fruit and vegtables and salads...I do have a wonderful healthy restuarant in town called Life Alive...and do go there for lunch (Google it, and you will be inpressed.) though often I have a salad with cheese and syrian bread and an apple for lunch when I work, only on Mondays and Tuesdays these days...semi-retired...yaaahhhhh...I go for cataract surgery tomorrow...so don't be so tough on this old lady...though I know less weight will be so good for my back and knees. So I won't be paragliding or climbing mountains too soon..next time round..ha ha...but I will be giving my best to the cause...someone else can take that pot of gold. Love, Mary Ann, Sissy, Gramma"