3/3/2011 Leesburg man sheds more than 200 po…

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Leesburg man sheds more than 200 pounds

Thursday, Mar. 3 by

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| 1 com m e nts | Em ail this story The Loudoun Tim e s-Mirror

Tim Schwarting brings out his 6 XL jacket, and says both he and his wife can fit inside of it. is an inte ractive , digital re plica
of the printe d ne wspape r.
Three years ago, Schwarting could fit in the jacket by himself because he weighed just over 500
Open the e-edition now.
pounds.

Knowing the span of his life was being cut with every pound he gained, he decided he had to do Vie w our othe r print publications available online .
something. With the help of his wife, Gretchen, Schwarting joined Weight Watchers in April
2008 and by February 2011 he had lost 240 pounds on the Weight Watchers plan.

“I just got to a point that my weight was just spiraling out of control,” Schwarting said. “I went
through these periods where I would lose 100 pounds and gain 100 pounds and I never found
something that really worked for me that would actually change my behavior.” W e e k ly He llo Loudoun Bridal Guide
Hom e s Guide C ounty 2010-11 2011

Tim, who turns 41 on March 3, works at the Fire Marshall’s office in Fairfax County and part-
time at Fair Oaks Hospital. His days at the hospital also prompted him to lose the weight—
working in a healthy environment and not being healthy didn’t sit well with him.

He credits his wife for giving him the push, she since had reached her goal weight with He alth and Sum m e r 2010 Taste
attending Weight Watchers and doing the program. Be auty 2011 C am ps 2011 of Loudoun

“I had seen it work in her life and then I finally decided to start going to Weight Watchers with
her,” Schwarting said. “Weight Watchers taught me the exact limit…the amount of food I could
have in a day.”
2010 C om ing C om ing
He calls himself a food addict, and he needed help putting limits on what and how much he ate. Hom e & Garde n Soon Soon

“I binged and was eating with no real intent on what was necessary to survive,” Schwarting
said. “It became normal in my life; I’d overeat anything, from vegetables to fruit to fast food to
ice cream.”

After losing so much weight, he had to get an entirely new wardrobe. He said that he and his
family bought one piece at a time as he progressed through his weight lose.

In addition to the support of his family, but, he credits his religion to helping.

“I believe the power of prayer had a lot to do with my success,” Schwarting said.

Dr. Karen Gable Speroni, Director of Nursing Research & Chair Council at Inova Loudoun and
Fair Oaks Hospitals says that the amount of weight Schwarting lost amounts to about a pound a
day over the course of three years. She says Schwarting lost the weight safely. With such
significant weight loss, there are health risks. But, she says there are more risks if the weight
isn’t lost. Speroni says that with weighing that much, the risk of getting diabetes and arthritis is
so much greater.

That is certainly a good target weight rage; we like to see a range of 2-3lb a week lost. Any
weight lost should be done with medical supervision. The weight loss needs to be done with a
balanced diet,” Speroni said.

Speroni provided more good tips for people who are trying to lose weight is to get enough sleep,
drink plenty of water, eat fresh and avoid foods that are processed or ones that are in boxes, and
exercise at least once a week.

loudountimes.com/…/leesburg_man_sh… 2/3
3/3/2011 Leesburg man sheds more than 200 po…
“Get enough sleep, so many adults with their hectic lives they mistake being tired for hunger.
When we’re tired our body thinks we’re hungry. Likewise I think many times we mistake being
thirsty for being hungry,” Speroni said.
Sc hwarting, here, jus t
over 5 0 0 pounds ,
s tarted to los e weight
after his fourth s on was
born. P hoto
C ourtes y/Gretc hen
Sc hwarting

Comments

Thu, Mar 03 at 04:46 PM by Selena Miller Moore:

Congrats, Tim! So proud of you (and Gretchen). Much love to you both.

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