* Rep. Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) is my new hero. He sent me this e-mail today…

Dear Rich,

You indicated that you would like to have a “before” and “after” picture of my weight loss efforts, which I have enclosed. The “before” or heavy picture, was at the start of my weight loss journey in December of 2011, and the “after” or lighter picture was taken in January 2013, when I reached my personal goal of losing 100 lbs. I have been able to maintain my new reduced weight since January of 2013.

You also asked me to explain how I was able to lose the weight. In order to reach my goal of losing at least 100 lbs., I consulted with my family doctor and developed my own plan which was to have a target goal of approximately 1,500 calories per day, but never more than 2,000 calories per day. In addition, I wear a pedometer and try to walk 10,000 steps per day, which is about three miles.

There are also many very good, healthy, low-calorie snack items that have been helpful to me. These include products or snack bars made by The Quaker Oats Company, Kellogg’s and Nature Valley, to name a few. The important thing for me was to keep track of my total daily calorie intake with the goal of being between 1,500 and 2,000.

Also, “fast food” does not necessarily mean “fat food” since some restaurants do an outstanding job of listing calories on their menu boards. I frequently eat at McDonalds and stay within my calorie goal. I also eat healthy snacks like baby carrots, fruits, vegetables and peanuts, but always watch my total daily calorie intake.

Losing 100 lbs. in about one year has not been an easy journey, but it has been a worthwhile one. If I can do it, then I know anyone can do it! At my heaviest weight, I was on medications for high blood pressure, cholesterol and would have probably soon needed medication for diabetes. Now I am being phased off of all medications. In addition, I no longer have sleep apnea.

I have been talking with Senator Martin Sandoval and with lobbyist Betsy Mitchell, who have both been very successful in their recent weight loss efforts. The three of us are exploring the possibility of starting a new caucus next spring to encourage a healthier life style for all of us serving in Springfield.

Sincerely,

Don Moffitt
State Representative
74th District

As everyone at the Statehouse knows, Rep. Moffitt looks great. I’m gonna have to join that new caucus.

* Rep. Moffitt before…

* After…

Amazing.

Discuss.

       

57 Comments - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:01 am: Congratulations. That’s a huge feat. And he did it right. I am doing the same thing- actually eating the same amount as well (1500 calories) and have lost 45 lbs in 7 months. A new caucus would be an interesting idea. Obesity is such a huge problem in our country that touches everyone in some way. All it takes is a little dedication and hard work. - 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:01 am: Congrats Rep Moffit, someone who lost a lot of weight with a lot of discipline and not surgery. - Chitownhv - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:01 am: Sign me up! This is one GOP sponsored plan that I’d enthusiastically follow and support. I could stand to lose a 100 lbs myself. - Scott Ives - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:06 am: As a former federal prosecutor and confederate sympathizer all I can say is congrats! - siriusly - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:06 am: Congratulations Representative Moffit you look great. Such a nice guy and always professional to deal with. A great example. - frank - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:07 am: Good for him. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. A real gentleman. - Jak Tichenor - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:08 am: Way to go! - reformer - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:13 am: I’m proud of Don, one the most considerate guys in the House. - Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:15 am: Thanks for posting this. A great story — great tips. Congrats! - Concerned Observer - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:17 am: Not too “Concerned” about this guy’s health. Congratulations! - Joe M. - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:17 am: Good for you Representative Moffit! - Stones - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:21 am: That’s admirable! A few years ago I did South Beach and dropped 35 lbs in about 3 months. Unfortunately, I have put some of it back on but losing the weight definitely helped with the blood pressure and sleep apnea. The bad part was that all of my pants needed to be taken in and I looked like I was wearing my Dad’s suits. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:26 am: That takes a lot of courage, patience and commitment. Very inspiring. The longest journey starts with the first step. - Jim - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:28 am: Fabulous job. He’s a great example for others to follow. - dupage dan - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:33 am: Dat Rep is Phat! Actually, trying to lose a chunk of weight myself. Kudos to the good man! - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:38 am: Great effort! Great accomplishment! - Shore - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:44 am: Great story. Now get him on the 2014 ticket. - just me - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:45 am: It takes great discipline to take the journey. You are what you eat and perception is reality. You look great. - Jake from Elwood - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:50 am: Good job Don. It is hard to lose weight and I congratulate those who do it the old fashioned way. - nieva - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:51 am: Now that’s something to be proud of!! - Nearly Normal - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:54 am: Just the inspiration I need to kick-start my own weight loss plan. I have been rather haphazard on the portion control and total calories these past few days. Too much celebrating last night after the Cubs beat the Sox! - anon - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:56 am: he just described weight watchers. well done, Don!! - Loop Lady - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 11:56 am: It’s really easy to fall into bad habits such as eating and drinking too much when in Springpatch. There should be alternatives after hours for for folks who still want to network away from bars and restaurants. How many hors douvres and drink parties can you go to before the results show up on your waistline? Then there’s the bores that drink too much and are too loud… Great job Rep. Moffitt! - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:21 pm: Great story, congrats. One quibble — unless you’re about 4 feet tall, 10,000 steps is about five miles. - Waffle Fries - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:22 pm: Session schedule does not lend itself to healthy eating and exercise habits. Props to Rep Moffit for having the willpower and focus to be a healthier person! - L.S. - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:24 pm: Good for him. Moffitt is genuinely good guy. - Ruby - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:42 pm: People who live an unhealthy lifestyle are costing this country billions of dollars in prescription drugs and other health care costs. Frequent eating at McDonalds and relying on snack bars from Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s and Nature Valley does not suggest that Moffitt has developed healthy eating habits. Weight loss only works when it leads to an overall health plan of exercise and eating a whole food diet which includes making an effort to eliminate refined sugar and flour. Now I must admit that I have never had a weight problem, but also that I have always followed a healthy exercise and diet plan. - Dan Bureaucrat - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:42 pm: Thanks so much for sharing your story, Representative. We should all be talking about healthier lifestyles! Persistence and commitment are traits I highly value. There are rarely short cuts in life, especially for good health! - gadget_geek - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:55 pm: This is a great story! It really does all come down to burning more calories than you’re taking in. To know what you’re taking in does require some sort of counting. With the prevalence of smartphones this is now easier than ever. There are numerous good applications to pick from so I won’t plug one in particular. Many have a huge database of items, including store brands and restaurants. - ??? - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 12:58 pm: Ruby, weight loss “works” when you consume less calories than your body needs to maintain the current weight. It appears that is what the representative is doing. Rep. Moffitt IS walking (is that not exercise??), he didn’t say he was ONLY eating McDonald’s and Quaker Oats bars, etc. Besides, his blood pressure and cholesterol have come down…can’t you just say “good job” or just keep your mouth shut? A 100-lb. weight loss in a reasonable period of time is commendable. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:06 pm: Ruby, don’t be such a clueless hater. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:12 pm: I mean, seriously, you bemoan the obesity problem and then rail on a guy who list 100 pounds and kept it off? Why kind if a human are you anyway? - Learning the Ropes - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:17 pm: Classy Ruby. Last week of session and you try and make a light post a battlefield. Next you’ll be criticizing Rich’s puppy rearing methods… (THEN we’ll see a war.) - Down South - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:21 pm: Rudy, This was such a good read. But in the good ole USA we get pulled back to the real world by readers like you. Good Job Rep. Moffitt. - Bill - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:26 pm: Fill in the Blanks - Dieting Calculator - Bill - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:26 pm: Calorie Counter for any Food - LadyKane - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:34 pm: Congrats to Rep. Moffitt. You are an inspiration. Great attitude gets greater results and you are a prime example of that. - publicpolicyperson - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:37 pm: Way to go dude! Incorporate some exercise! - publicpolicyperson - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:46 pm: Ride a bike for 30 minutes as a warm up and lift weights for about 45 minutes every other day! Go slow at first! You can do it! - dupage dan - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:50 pm: Don’t be so hard on Ruby. This person is trying to point out information that is very hard to get ahold of and you’all are doing a smack down. I mean, c’mon, it’s a public service to do all that hard research to find out how to lose weight, keep it off and get/stay healthy. Kudos/Snark - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 1:57 pm: Rep. Moffitt, My congratulations, well done. You should be proud of your accomplishment, and I am pulling for you as you continue for the long haul. Kudos! - Ruby - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 2:00 pm: Rich @ 1:12 p.m. Sorry I offended you. I really take my health and my family’s health very seriously. If I may suggest to those who would like a simple eating plan that does not include counting calories check out Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet. - Dark Side of the Moon - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 2:07 pm: Rep. Moffitt looks great! There is no magic pill out there that just melt away the pounds. It takes dedication - smarter food choices and increasing your activity level. - Gunderstank - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 2:29 pm: He’s always been great to work with, and this is yet another reason to admire a very likeable guy. Congratulations! - Capitol View - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 2:33 pm: Sid Mathias must have been taking you to high calorie restaurants these past fifteen years! Just kidding - tell him of your achievement, if you haven’t already done so. - Langhorne - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 2:48 pm: Veterans would often tell the new members, “you cant eat every egg roll put in front of you”. Legislators can also have a “freshman fifteen”. - One of the 35 - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 2:57 pm: Way to go Don! And it made you better looking too! - Don Gwinn - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 3:03 pm: Ruby, I’ve lost 85 pounds in the last ten months using a combination of exercise and a very-low-carbohydrate diet. I’ve never heard of Dr. Gott’s variant, but I don’t eat sugars and I don’t eat starches. I eat more vegetables than the typical Atkins dieter, but mostly things like peppers, onions, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower….no carrots, potatoes, etc. I don’t eat at McDonald’s, I don’t eat granola or other “snack bars.” All that has worked for me, yes. But it hasn’t worked for Rep. Moffitt. He chose to restrict calories and add exercise instead. Did he fail or succeed? Well, he’s taken a huge amount of weight off his joints and freed up a lot of strain on his circulatory system, which seems successful. He was hypertensive enough to need controlling medications, and now he’s not. His cholesterol levels were bad enough to require management with medication, and now they’re not. He was apparently pre-diabetic, and now he’s apparently not. How are you managing to argue with success? - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 3:08 pm: What an inspiration…and, leading by example. - Anonymiss - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 3:48 pm: Way to go, Rep. Moffitt. There are thousands of weight loss programs out there that promise success, but what you described is always best: eat better, move more, repeat. And bonus for sharing your story and inspiring others to do the same! - titan - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 4:49 pm: Having done the calorie restrictive stuff several times (along with my lovely bride of many decades), we’ve found them difficult to sustain on a permanent basis. We finally had good success with a nutrition program that pushed vegetables and fruits, and steers largely away from animal products and completely away from processed anything (much like Fuhrman’s “Eat to Live” program. - Susiejones - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 5:20 pm: I live in Rep. Moffitt’s district and have watched his weight loss journey. We are proud of him and congratulate him on his accomplishment! - Just a Citizen - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 6:26 pm: Way to go Rep Moffitt! You are an inspiration to others. - RNUG Fan - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 8:35 pm: I have know Don for years. This is good news. I lost a lots of weight when I was young on a limited fats food diet. I need to lose it again I went vegetarian which has been great for cholesterol but .. - Steamer - Tuesday, May 28, 13 @ 9:39 pm: I’ve known Don for over 30 yrs…so congrats, you look great. I’ve also lost 100+ lbs..and it’s not easy. Keep up the good work! - Northern Light - Wednesday, May 29, 13 @ 2:17 am: Great work Rep! Who DOESN’T get fat around the rail? Just about everyone! I gained 100 lbs but have lost 80 by working hard at it, staying away from the parties/funders….just sayin…its hard down here! - 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Wednesday, May 29, 13 @ 9:26 am: Ruby, You are following Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet. That one is not so easy to follow see what it did to the confusion of Illinois sales tax IL Sales tax items containing flour excluded Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.