Mississippians answer weight-loss call

Rob Dyess, before and after losing 80 pounds.

Ten months ago, Rob Dyess had trouble running on a treadmill for more than a few minutes.

Now, he's preparing to compete in a 10K race next year.

Dyess' weight loss - more than 80 pounds since Jan. 1 - is featured in
the current issue of People magazine. The article, titled "Half Their
Size," also includes seven other Mississippians who participated in the
nine-month challenge and will be the subject of an ABC special airing
today.

The 41-year-old father of two from Ridgeland credits changes in his
diet, lots of exercise and knowing the world would be watching for his
physical transformation.

"I have a history in my family of men not living a long time," Dyess
said during breaks from a workout Friday at Courthouse Racquet &
Fitness in Flowood. "I was very fortunate that I was not suffering any
real health issues, but I knew I didn't want to go down that road."

Dyess lost the most weight among the eight, and his success has landed
him spots on ABC's Good Morning America, E! and Access Hollywood.

Another metro-area resident who lost weight during the challenge was
April King, a 29-year-old accountant from Jackson. She dropped 23
pounds. King said she was motivated to try after starting and failing
several fad diets.

"I felt like this was the opportunity I had been waiting for," she
said. "I needed that combination of proper nutrition and exercise. And
I just decided it was now or never."

For both King and Dyess, obesity was a burden they struggled with most
of their lives. And while their battles against the bulge aren't over,
both say they feel better for starting.

"My clothes fit looser. I know the scale still isn't saying what I want
it to, but I know I've lost inches," said King, who started the
challenge at 273 pounds. "I can be more active. When I'm climbing the
stairs at work, I'm not out of breath."

People provided each of the eight Mississippians with personal trainers, but the first few weeks of hitting the gym were tough.

"I played high school baseball, but I didn't play that well and I
didn't play much. Other than that, I'm not really much of an athlete,"
Dyess said. While he struggled at first, he stayed dedicated.

"(Dyess) was in the worst shape of any of the athletes when they
started," said Paul Lacoste, the trainer who helped whittle Dyess down
from 290 pounds to less than 210. "But he had willpower on his side. He
wanted to work hard. He wanted to win."

Lacoste, a former Mississippi State University linebacker, runs his own
style of "circuit training" classes at the Courthouse that blend
weightlifting, running, yoga, spinning and drill-style cardio into
hour-long, full-body exercise sessions. One of his mottos is
"reinventing tough," and his first session of the day starts before
sun-up.

Another obstacle for Dyess, a traveling salesman, was eating well.

"A baked potato doesn't translate well to eating in the car," he said.
Since greasy fast-food burgers were no longer an option, Dyess carried
yogurt bars, mixed nuts and healthy snacks while on the road.

"Sometimes, I use lunch as an opportunity to dine out with clients," he said. "But that presents a whole new set of challenges."

But Dyess said he has found ways around those, too. At a buffet, it's
all about knowing when to say when. At sit-down restaurants, it's
looking for clues on the menu like "baked" or "grilled" instead of
"fried." Still, he doesn't completely deprive himself.

"People ask all the time, and I'll tell you, I absolutely still eat
pizza," Dyess said. "But it's thin crust with veggies instead of a
thick slice with pepperoni and sausage."

King said portion control was a big lesson for her, as well.

"I was eating better but still too much," she said. "I've learned to listen to my body and determine when I've had enough."

Those lessons were honestly learned. During King's journey to a healthier lifestyle, she hit walls early on.

"The first month, I only lost about five pounds," she said. "I felt I
worked out hard enough that I had to have lost more than that."

King said her support group of family and friends kept her going through the days when she wasn't so sure she could stick to it.

"I've supported April by answering her many 4:30 a.m. wake-up calls for
morning walks," said her friend Tommiea Jackson. "I admit, my tone
changed from an excited, 'Sure, I'm ready!' in the beginning to a
not-so-excited, 'I guess so,' closer to the end. (But) at her request,
we even inserted a few short jogs into the routine."

Mixing up her routines also kept King interested and motivated.

Besides walking or jogging on elliptical machines, she also incorporated belly dancing classes offered through Millsaps College.

"Belly dancing is really whole body. You learn to isolate muscle
groups, and it made me feel like a woman. It made me feel good about my
body," King said. "I think that was really key. When you're happy with
yourself, you want to start bettering yourself physically and
emotionally."