60 lbs. that will never see or camp in the redwoods

[mdvaden]

A bit over a year ago, my knee got hammered on a downhill hike at Prairie Creek redwoods. And maybe that's the straw that broke the camel's back and flipped the switch of my will to actually lose weight. Been overweight for over 40 years, at least since age 10. Anyway, starting last June, 2012, and up to this December, I managed to lose 60 lbs. The grocery manager near here let me come in the other night, and photograph the equivalent weight in cheese. The 30 x 2 lb. blocks of cheddar below, are equal weight to what I lost since last June. And my knee and ankle joint pain and swelling went away, too.



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[DataGuy]

Mario,

A hearty congratulation to you for your hard work and that's a very striking photo demonstrating just how much extra many carry around all day! Still working on losing a few myself. Wishing you many more healthful years out and about in nature.

I hope others are encouraged by what you've accomplished and do not wait for an injury to take the same steps.

Love your site! Very professional and who can't love the Redwoods. Plan to visit there again in a couple years for our 25th.

Ron

[S. Heisley]

Wow! Congratulations! That's impressive.

[mdvaden]

Thank you ...

Also, when I hike, and almost as often bushwhack, I tend to carry quite a bit in my pack. One camera plus an extra one, several lenses, extra batteries, plus a laser rangefinder. So my mind visualizes that bag stacked on top of that stack of the cheese blocks.

[Lazybones]

Congratulations on the success of all of your hard work!

[campmaster-k]

Congratulations.

I lug around 5 gal buckets of paint for a living. Most paint weighs in at about 12-14 pounds per gal. A five gallon bucket is 60 + pounds. Its like carrying a five gallon bucket of paint everywhere you go.

You must feel like a new life has started for you.

[Woodbutcher]

Nicely done, I am working on doing the same thing right now. You look great!

[rebapuck]

I know how hard it is to lose weight. We all do. But, sometimes, it's just not fair. Some of us can't lose no matter what.

I retired from the Post Office 4 years ago. It was a very physical job. One day, I weighed a few typical containers of letters and flats. Counted how many containers came into the station on average. Added it up and I got 5000 lbs. And I moved that around several times a day. Anyone else would have been very fit and trim. Not me. Still 70 lbs overweight. Strong, but "well insulated"...........heavy sigh.

Congratulations for accomplishing the impossible.

[Prem]

Mario,

Way to go. You da man!

Prem

P.S. What next? Sierra Giant Sequoias given equal treatmemt on your awesome website??? I hope so. Then Metasequoia? A trip to China to document it? Also, there are Metasequoia cone and leaf fossils all over the John Day Fossil Beds in central Oregon. They've been found as far as the Dakotas. (65m to 100m years old. Hearty plant!)

[indycamper]

Congratulations! Have lost a bunch several times myself - but the pounds never seem to stay lost for long!

[48Rob]

Congratulations!

Thats a lot of cheese!

Bet you feel a lot better.

Rob

[mdvaden]

Mario,

Way to go. You da man!

Prem

P.S. What next? Sierra Giant Sequoias given equal treatmemt on your awesome website??? I hope so. Then Metasequoia? A trip to China to document it? Also, there are Metasequoia cone and leaf fossils all over the John Day Fossil Beds in central Oregon. They've been found as far as the Dakotas. (65m to 100m years old. Hearty plant!)

From the table of links on the coast redwood page, there's one for our Giant Sequoia and Pine trip last summer. Any future stuff will stem off that page. But the Sierra Nevada area is twice the distance and expense. Also, I've got a love for coastal weather conditions at the Coast Redwoods. And why I am looking forward to extending potential for hiking years.

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[Prem]

[mezmo]

Nice Visual Aide !

[jonw]

Good for you!