SHANNONVILLE, Ont (23/01/12) John Wendling pushes his way through some shoulder presses as he pursues his goal to lose 200 pounds. Beginning at 380 pounds, Wendling is already 75 pounds closer to his goal. Photo by Sherry Tompkins
By Sherry Tompkins
At 380 pounds, 5’ 7” tall, John Wendling, of Deseronto, felt as though he was about to have his fourth heart attack. “I knew that I had to do something,” says Wendling.
Wendling discovered that he had four grandchildren that he had not previously known about gave him four new reasons to live. “Before I found out about Rob and the kids, I didn’t really know that I had any family to live for. Now I have a reason to stay around,” said Wendling.
The government had just approved performing gastric bypass surgery, so Wendling visited his doctor to sign up.
“The thing is,” Wendling says with amusement, “before you can have the surgery, you have to drink shakes for eight weeks.”
Out of desperation, Wendling welcomed an alternative to the surgery.
“I had a friend who had just lost 40 pounds by using Isagenix. So I thought, ‘Why not try it?’”
He tried the nutritional program and lost weight immediately.
Because of coronary artery disease, Wendling’s doctor would not permit him to add exercise to his weight loss regimen for the first three months.
In November, Wendling contracted pneumonia and ended up in the hospital. During his stay he did indeed have his fourth heart attack.
“The table they put you on to do angioplasty has a weight limit: it’s 330 pounds,” said Wendling. “When I got to the operating room, I was exactly 330 pounds.”
During his post-operative appointment on Nov. 17, of last year, Wendling was given a cardiac stress test, successfully exercising for 3.3 minutes. It was then that Wendling was given the go-ahead to begin an exercise program. His doctor wrote a prescription note to a personal trainer, “exercise no limit.”
Wendling then enlisted the assistance of certified medical exercise specialist, Andrea DiRocco-Supryka, at Belleville’s One to One Fitness.
“The thing that drew me to John was you could see his inner spirit, and inner desire to make a change. That’s what will make a difference,” said DiRocco-Supryka. She explained that when a person sets out to lose a large amount of weight, there are a great many aspects to the process. There can be medical issues, emotional hurdles, and habitual facets.
Over four months and 75 pounds into the process, DiRocco-Supryka is impressed with John’s progress. “John is determined and dedicated,” she said.
Wendling’s workout currently consists of doing two rounds of 12 laps walking around the gym, followed by two 17-minute sessions on a recumbent bicycle. He then alternates squats, lunges and push-ups on different days of the week.
Currently, a 12-lap round takes him 12 minutes, down from 20 minutes when he began.
“When I began, I was taking 300 units of insulin per day. Now I’m down to 30 to 40 units. I was taking two blood pressure medications and now I just take half as much of one of them and the other one is gone,” beams Wendling.
“My lungs are working better; my pancreas is working better; my blood pressure is better and I don’t get tired as much.”
Wendling started a Facebook page to track his progress, www.facebook.com/GettinThin [1].
“A lot of people tell me that I’m an inspiration. That if I can do this at my age, then they can do it too,” said Wendling.
Joe Roberts, known as the Skid Row CEO, and a classmate of Wendling’s in the business-marketing program at Loyalist College commented in a letter to Wendling, “Sir, you are an inspiration. You are someone’s catalyst….all should become reality should we only have the courage to change the things we can.”
Wendling’s success led him to enter the Isabody Challenge, a contest for weight loss. There are six categories, Wendling will be in the men’s 50-plus category. The winner from each category is flown to the annual convention, and given $2,000. and a cruise. From those six winners, one grand prizewinner is selected. The grand prize winner will win $25,000, a personal makeover and photo shoot, personal training and fitness training.
“I’m going to win,” Wendling said with determination.
According to Wendling, Isagenix has only five members belonging to the 200 club, those who have successfully lost 200 pounds or more. Wendling intends to be the next member.