I have had a weight problem all my life and have tried a number of weight loss programs. No matter how much I lost, I would always gain it back and add a few extra pounds. For the past twenty years, my weight has hovered around 335 pounds. In 2005, I started a new weight reduction program and did manage to get down to 285 pounds but I was not getting any exercise so I decided to join 24-Hour Fitness. I met with a trainer and we agreed upon a weight reduction program and I was referred to my medical doctor for a clearance. I started my FIT program on May 1, 2006. Instead of loosing weight, I started gaining weight and the trainer could show me that I was loosing body fat but gaining lean body mass so I was not discouraged. I worked with the trainer for 40 sessions and then started working out on my own three days a week. Every time I weighed, I would be up a pound or two. I consulted with my family doctor and was told that I was probably not eating enough and was slowing down my metabolism. I had been on a 1600 calorie diet so I increased it to 2000 calories per day. At the end of eleven months, I was back up to my "normal" 335 pounds

I was at the gym one day and there was a new sign announcing the BodyBugg. I talked to the trainer and he explained the program to me. I purchased a BodyBugg and began the program on April 8, 2007 with a starting weight of 335 pounds. In spite of now knowing how many calories I was burning and consuming, I continued to gain weight and my waist grew from 44 inches to 48 inches. Three weeks later I weighted 358 pounds and ended up in the hospital with congestive heart failure. Over a three day period in the hospital, I lost 37 pounds of fluid. Four days after being released from the hospital, I was back, this time, in atrial fibrillation and renal shutdown. After five days in the hospital, I was released and placed on a very strict 2000 calorie, 100 gram of protein, low sodium, low potassium renal diet. Even though I was not able to exercise, I was able to use the BodyBugg program to track my calorie intake, with the exception of the potassium. The hospital did give me a list of foods I could eat and those to avoid because of high levels of potassium.

In mid August 2007, I was cleared by the cardiologist and nephrologist to return to my exercise program. I set up a program to loose 1.5 pounds per week using the BodyBugg to ensure that I was not exceeding the 2000 calorie a day intake and was burning at least 2750 calories. I became addicted to the program and found myself going to the gym five days a week and walking 2-3 miles on the other days. The pounds and inches stated coming off. On October 13, I was back down to 285 pounds. Each time I would meet a goal, I would create a new goal to loose another 15 pounds. When I got down to 230 pounds, the nephrologist thought I had lost enough weight, but the cardiologist wanted me to loose another 10 pounds.

Today I am 6 feet 8 inches tall, weight 205 pounds and have been on maintenance for two weeks. The nephrologist has increased my caloric intake to 2500 calories but I am still restricted to no more than 110 grams of protein per day and must keep my sodium and potassium intake below 2 grams per day. I continue to rely on the BodyBugg to monitor my caloric intake and have reduced my activity level to match the caloric intake. When I started my BodyBugg program, I was an insulin dependent diabetic, had extremely elevated triglycerides and was suffering from uncontrolled hypertension. I have been off of insulin for 10 months and have eliminated all oral diabetic medicines. I have been able to reduce my blood pressure medicines to very small doses and am looking forward to the day I will be completely off of them. My most recent lipid panel showed total cholesterol of 111 and triglycerides of 39.

My doctors are absolutely amazed at the change in my physical health and appearance. People who have not seen me for a while will ask if I had a stomach bypass and they find it hard to believe that I have changed my physical appearance only by diet and exercise. The most amazing thing that happens is that I am approached by members at the gym who ask me how I "did it" and I tell them it was the BodyBugg, diet and exercise. I am a walking advertisement for the BodyBugg System.

Starting weight: 335 lbs.

Current weight: 205 lbs.