Okay, Pond Boss faithful. Your fearless leader has let himself become morbidly obese over the last few years. I admit it. I am fat.
And, I'm sick of it. Time for all that butter to go away. Here's the deal. You get to play.
I spoke with Eric West and Dr. Dave Willis, the caretakers of the Jesse West Foundation for scholarships for fisheries students at South Dakota State University. They're in for this game.
Here's how you get to play.
We are taking pledges for every pound I lose between now and July 15. You can pledge as little as $1 per pound and as much as you dare to pledge. My goal is to lose 50 pounds between now and then.
Pledge here...on the website. Let the world know you are willing to donate those dollars...all of them, to the Jesse West Foundation. Plus, you get to hold me accountable, too. Rib me, encourage me, chastise me...I am at your will, your proverbial poundage beck and call.
C'mon, play with us...and let's make SDSU's Fisheries Program continue to grow as I shrink.
Okay, who's in? What's your pledge?

By the way, I went to a nearby Medifast Center and started that program April 1. I weighed in at a much-more-than-fighting weight of 316 pounds. That's right... THREE HUNDRED SIXTEEN pounds.

I'll be the first one...I'll pledge $1 per pound for every pound I lose by July 15.


316 pounds....it's true. That's son-in-law Dennis Backschies on the left. Grandsons Ethan and Nolan Backschies, their dad and I built a worm farm about three weeks ago. That's me and my gut hanging out on the swing.


Thank goodness those giant bass cover up my fat belly. Help me lose weight and build the coffers at SDSU.

Now this is gonna be fun... I'm in for a $1 per pound!

Bob/Dr. Dave;

I'm a huge fan of the great work Dr Willis is doing in our neighbor to the North - especially the study last published in PB. Like last year, I want to continue supporting the research, and help encourage Mighty Bob to be a little less Mighty. Count me in for $2.50/lb.

I'm in for a buck per.

Who called Bob fat...them theres fightin words,he aint fat,he's comfortably fulfilled. :)OK,count me in for a buck a pound too.

Because it's you, and it is first good for you, $10.00 per pound from me. The benefit to SDSU/Jesse West is just icing on the cake.

No icing for you though, my friend!

Alrighty, then!
Great start!
$17.50 per pound! That's more than fathead minnows cost!
Thanks to CJBS, Teehjaeh, Dave, Tom and Sunil (as the top bidder, so far). You guys are great.

Willis might need to be creative on this one...I can't wait to hear what he tells a student about this batch of dollars...oh, wait, he doesn't have to tell them anything...it's a foundation.

But, I could just hear it if I told the story,..."yeah, a bunch of internet guys gambled on this porky fish guy and they, like, paid money here to watch him, like, shrink, dude."

Thanks guys! Who else wants to play?

Bring Sunil some icing, someone. No icing for the Pond Boss.

$10 a pound from us -- to be paid at the convention, if you are still at your July 15 weight, or below!

Nice looking worm bin too.

Put me down for $1.17 a pound. I couldn't miss this, just for the right to kibitz.

Come on, folks, it's a safe bet. Ask anyone who's been there how incredibly good the food is at Lusk Lodge II.

Bob, when is Dennis making those to die for ribs again?

Bob I am in !!!

We talked about this and my concern is your health. Here is a question for all of you to consider. I think it makes my point. How much would be in the SDSU endowment without Bob? Would it exist? Would this forum ?

In the spirit of helping you Bob and encouraging you to reach your goal I am going to pledge on a sliding scale. $1.50 for each of the first 10 pounds , twice that for the next 10 lbs , and more for the next and so on. To share in the event I will also pledge a kicker for the amount I loose over the same period. While not at 315 I could stand to loose a little myself.

I'll tell you what is working for me: Those HOT BOYS OF SUMMER IN THOSE BOATS, very motivating!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, you would have to get girls to treat your ponds.

That is a very big goal, I too am in for $1.00 per pound, spending my extra cash this summer on the Lake Leader Institute, three trips a couple of days each. That is a huge goal in a short time.

Methinks one of those 2 cats is a cougar wannabe.

Shrewd, Catmandoo! It might be "easy" to lose it, but what about the aftermath...that "yo-yo" dieting thingy....good move on your part. Lusk must lose the fat...and then keep it off with better lifestyle decisions.
Theo, thanks for the rib taunt. My birthday was March 28. Guess who came over and cooked ribs just three short days before I started Medifast? Now then, who's shrewd? Oh, wait, $1.17 per pound from Theo? Isn't that what Dennis paid for those ribs? Ah, maybe you ARE the shrewd one. Lusk fat = ribs.
We made Cat's worm farm as the ribs did the magic what Dennis' has them do. Multi-tasking...worm farm, cook ribs, worm farm, eat ribs. It was a great day....and I got the rib fix.
Ewest...you are the man! I think YOU are the one who put the foundation together. We all just feed it, so to speak. Step on the scales and play. I'll pledge $1 for every pound YOU lose, too! This Medifast plan is working well.
And, Linda...thanks for playing. You and I have this sorta secret mutual admiration thing going. You're the feisty lake keeper trying to push and pull your way to a healthy lake. I stand on the sidelines like your cheerleader, watching your plays, listening, hearing.

Oh yes, one other thing...I said my goal is 50 pounds. But, July 15 is a long time away...and I am really big...please be aware that it could go higher than that....me being the big motivated optimistic person I am.

I will post pictures as I shrink...if you all can stand it. I've already started losing...I can feel it the way I breathe. It's awesome.

I did 6 months of homework before choosing the course of action.

Just thought of something, my company can match my contribution...

Bob,

I'll give you a choice.

I'll give $2.50/lb

OR.....

I'll give $5.00/lb if you give $5.00/lb Christmas Day of 2009 for every pound you weigh OVER 266.

I'm with Ewest on this one -- where would we be without Bob? He is our center. I would never have met good friends Dwight, Eric, Dr. Bruce, etc., etc. (I always hate to list names, as there are so many who should be listed), without him. I would not be entertained by Theo and Sunil without him. The Jesse West endowment would not have happened without Bob, as our entire net would not exist.

What will we do with the endowment proceeds this year? The last two years, Ph.D. students benefitted from the proceeds. Well, this year, a young undergraduate student will benefit. The SD Department of Game, Fish and Parks stocked a series of ponds last year at a 25/acre rate for LMB fingerlings. Our LMB don't usually reproduce until age 2 up here, and it's a problem for initial stockings. Jeff Slipke suggested the 25/acre rate (rather than the typical 50-100), trying to get faster initial growth rates on the fish. So, this will be a low-key project compared to the high-tech assessment of muscle plugs and fin clips last year. However, Bob and Eric really liked the idea of switching around, and helping all levels of students.

Bob, please put me down for $1.00 a pound.

I just did Eric's math...if I lose 100 pounds, he pays more than $15,000! Thank goodness there's a deadline!

Bruce, put yourself (and me) up for the $5 bid. You take the challenge, then give it...and I'm in. It costs you an extra $125 for a great foundation...it gives me pause to maintain my health.

I'll throw one right back at you. What if I can get below 250 and stay there at Christmas? You toss another $125 at the West Foundation?

Bob,

I'm glad to hear this! You've worked too hard all your life to get where you are to have subsequent health problems due to being overweight mess you up.

I'm in too! $1.00 per pound by July 15th.

Do you mean get below 250 by July 15th?

There is a point at which you're losing it too fast.

Let's try something different, since you're taking the $5 challenge.

I give $5/lb, up to, and including the 50th pound by July 15, so that's a MAX for me of $250. Then you give $5/lb for every pound you weigh over 266 at Christmas.

Then the modification is... that I'll toss in another $125 if you find your way under 250 anytime between July 15 and Thanksgiving...then you're still 250 the minute you wake up on Christmas.

That's what I meant....my actual plan is to lose 50 pounds by July 15 and then slowly drop further, down to 240...as long as that weight is comfortable...and then maintain. But, first things, first.

Dr. Bruce brings up a good point... Losing weight too fast is not healthy either.

Based on what my BMI index is, at 38.5, I can stand to lose much more than 50 pounds...slowly.

A little more than 3 years ago I admitted to myself that I needed to lose weight and exercise if I wanted to live longer. I went on the "ELEM" diet. Eat Less, Exercise More. Nothing magical and not really a diet - just a change in life style. I lost 35 pounds in a little less than 6 months. I averaged a consistent loss of 1.5 pounds per week. Slow and steady is best.

Good for you Bob.

We need JHAP in on this, just to keep track of all the pledges, provisos, buyouts, and side bets.


Can you put that in RW, so we can all understand it?

This is no myth, easier for guys to shed the pounds than gals!

Yeah don't lose it too fast. I know someone that had to have their gallbladder removed because they lost weight too fast.

How much does a gall bladder weigh? (chuckling)

hi bob, this is neat.
please put DIED down for a $1.00 a pound.
(rhyme intentional)


theo......$1.17/pound ???

you a funny guy.

Just for diversity, I'll pledge $5/lb. for what I lose. 5' 10"
198 now. Looking for 180. Then I will go and treat 2catmom's lake.

Rumor has it Wr's are only bragged about in fish -- not ourselves or our wives!

I'm down 8 pounds in the last 45 to 60 days. Went to a crawdad cookoff today so may have gained some of it back.

I blew my back out a couple of months ago and the Chiropractor, for the first time ever, couldn't fix it. So had an MRI and found some disk deterioration, a slightly herniated disk and some arthritis in the back. It's not too bad and I can live with it. However, they told me life would be much better if I lost about 20 or so pounds to get to about 185. I'm now at 202 and working to get some of the Abs back that I seem to have lost over the years. I'm not minding anything that I'm doing but am not desperate enough to drink lite beer.

Good for you Bob. Exciting news. I've been trying to compete with my fish for Wr lately as well.

I'm happy for you, and I'm happy for the Jesse West Foundation.

I was going to match Sunil with the $10/lb.. but decided to get there a different way.

Count me in for $5/lb - up to where you get by the conference.

I'll play too. Count me in for another $5/lb of my own. I was at my heaviest at 262 a few months ago, down to 250 as of last Monday (6 foot). I'll start at the 262, so you're up $60.

Great idea Bob. I'm in for $1 per pound as of July 15th,
$50 if you are under 250 at the Convention and $100 more
if you are still under 250 on Dec 27th.

Bob,

Do you have any trails on your property? If not something to consider. My parents have a trail through a nature preserve near their condo in Florida and it's a pleasure to to walk it. Before you know it you've walked a couple of miles looking for gators, the fish in the water, and the native birds.

You guys are the best!

I'm good for a buck a pound on July 15 and another buck for each pound Bob is under 316 at the conference.

Bing

I don't want to add a ton of variables, but Luskie, could you walk 2 miles a day? That would make a hell of a difference. Like what RobA said, eat good and burn some calories.

Let's do this!!!!!!!!!!

I need to lose weight too... Boy I love to eat!

I'm gonna start as soon as I cook and get rid of the 2 slabs of babybacks I bought on sale for 1.97 per lb. yesterday.
Dang, it's always something. Maybe I'll just pass them out to the neighbors.

I am in for $0.99/ lb

I am assuming Lusk is on sale for the Easter weekend.

Great Idea Bob!

I have been on the keep eating a ton of food, but excercise more diet and it has helped me lose 15 lbs this winter (first winter ever to not gain weight). I am down to 279, but need to get down to 250 and stay there. If I could just cut back to about 5,000 calories per day I should drop some lbs going into the summer.

$1 per lb for Bob and for Myself.

Is that like quiting smoking until the next cigarette?

Bob,

As close as I can calculate, I have lost around 1500 pounds since the day I was born. Most of those pounds are repeaters.

Having been a jogger and now being a walker and a worker-outer have kept me healthier than most. I still battle the bulge; it is the bane of my existence.

If you donate 10 cents for each of the 1500 pounds I have shed, I will donate 300 cents for each pound of your 50 pound shedding goal.

Burning the calories is way more important than reducing the calorie intake, in my humble opinion.

Let's see, Dwight wants me to do a matching fund thing, eh? Here's what we'll do. Pond Boss will kick in the $150, but Dwight, you gotta committ $3 a pound to the total I lose by the conference. Deal? I might lose as much as 75 during that span...who knows? I might also gain it all back....
I'm already personally in for $1/lb.
Can someone summarize the committments and let's see where we are? This is gonna be fun.
By the way, I went to the Medifast Clinic today and weighed in a 299...that's 17 pounds in 15 days. It's a good start.
Who else wants to play?

I'll summarize unless someone else has done so. I'll do it this weekend and put it in a public spreadsheet.

If you are able to sort all that madness out Aaron, you the man! HAHA Between the side betting and Theo's $1.17 a pond I got lost...

Those numbers remind me of what Jody Foster did in Papermoon.

maybe I'll have this done tonight... odd that this is fun while watching the Suns play a meaningless game and miss the playoffs.

okay, I'm having an issue sharing the spreadsheet, I'll fix that tomorrow and update this post when I do.

In the meantime, here's a PDF of the details.

We're at $940.22 as of Bob's weight at 299.

UPDATE: Here's a 'live' spreadsheet with the details:
Lusk Tracking Spreadsheet

Well done...

Bob is just taking this diet thing WAY too far!!!

PBman:
How exciting for you! Are you hungry? That is an amazing start, this is going to cost us!

Not hungry at all. I do my meal replacements 5 times a day and then one "lean and green" meal which is usually a steak and salad. Actually, it's really easy and the best thing for me is that I don't have to think about it.
My food issues have always been centered on convenience and way too much at a time.
Now, I have a cabinet full of stuff...I just pick one, eat or drink it, wait 2.5 hours and do it again.
It's the simplest program I have ever attempted. I didn't realize how filling these meal replacements are.

OK, $3 up to the 50 pounds. I can't leave it open ended because you could lose 200 pounds and send me spiraling into a surgical bankrupcy.

UPDATE: Here's a 'live' spreadsheet with the details:
Lusk Tracking Spreadsheet

This will continue to be updated as we move along.

That darn Lusk has already cost me a trip to White Castle!

White Castle?!

It must be an acquired taste as the first time I ate those burgers was the last time.

Originally posted by Cecil: "It must be an acquired taste as the first time I ate those burgers was the last time".

White Castles are not an acquired taste, they are an addiction.

Bing

I eat pretty much anything and in large quantities to boot, but the first time I had a white castle while down south, was also my last. (just like those trash ocean fish)

Only one bite of a Whitey in my life and I quickly spit it out. The fries are good though!


Nate, I really like the pavillion!!!

Oh Boy! I believe we may need multiple counseling sessions at the convention!

Geeze Nate, just one sentence has offended nearly all of my personal senses:

* -- I love trash ocean fish
* -- I love White Castle hamburgers
* -- I try not to eat anything in large quantities,
* -- and, although I'm technically a Northerner, I also technically live below the Mason-Dixon line.

Yeesh.

Have you thought about Zoloft, or just a day out fishing for bluegills, all by yourself, using artificial bait so that you don't hurt any living worms?

I've asked my friend, the Dali Lama, to meditate for you.

In response to White Castle issues, here are a few alternatives that might be a little more palatable:

Five Burger Joints

I'm down for $2 bucks a pound. If you would eat what we ate last night here in Japan you could loose 200 lbs before July.

n8ly adds

Cecil piles on
You guys just don't know the formula for preparing the palate.

No doubt, Theo, Bing, and Catmandoo are aware of the all-so-important prerequisite period of moderate to heavy drinking required before the critically timed 1am - 3am visit to the Porcelain Palace. It's kinda like cheese with your wine, only at a higher level.

Finally someone fesses up about how to eat at White Castle.

"Slugburgers were invented during the Depression, Motz said, when cooks would add day-old bread to ground beef as a way to make more burgers."

that's how my mom made them. Beef, pork, bread, egg. Awesome tasting from a grill. Just have to be careful the bread doesnt burn in flameup.

Works equally as well for the southern chain version called Krystals. A southern friend of mine swore by a hangover prevention of Krystal burgers, chased with a goody's powder and a gatorade. Worked for him because he sure was annoyingly upbeat the day after a heavy session.

As long as I don't have to cook it, I'll eat it! I hate food, wish we could just fill up like cars.

How about an update?

Headed in to weigh today. I'll edit this post when I get home. Maybe even a picture?


Down 27 pounds in 28 days. Good stuff.

I'll get a picture when I can. More than 10 inches of rain today, photo must wait.

Great progress Bob! Keep up the good work and we'll all be broke...

sorry not checked on this. Better lae than never in for $1/lb Great job Bob how has it been on the road? You able to followplan, that is the true test for our line of work.

Greg,
That's the number one reason I shopped for the "right plan" I can pack three days worth of groceries in two minutes. 6 meals a day, 5 "substitutes" and one "lean and green" meal I can eat anywhere at any restaurant, even fast food places. I bring the meal substitutes, which range from ready to drink things to bars to puddings to soups (which need a microwave). It's actually the easiest diet I've ever done (I've tried about 10 different ones...they all take too much work). This plan is easy, it works and is way more palatable than I thought it might be.
At this rate, I'll be down 50 by mid-June. Then, the hard pounds come off...As you lose, the rate slows down.
I already feel tons better, it's easier to breathe and energy levels are rising (I'm a pretty high-energy guy as it is).
Actually, I spent about 6 months mentally preparing, too, so the temptations for regular food aren't there, I have no qualms saying "no" every day.
While I'm in no position yet to talk much about it, my body will be proof that it works for those folks who are considering something like this.
I figure the actions will speak louder than my keyboard..
Glad you're in on the $1/lb.
I can't wait to hear how Dr. Willis plans to award these funds. "The 'Lusk is/was fat' scholarship award from the Jesse West Foundation goes to...."

the Lunker scholarship

I was to the doctor the other day and he thoroughly scared me, so I went on a diet. I'm down 12 pounds in 3 weeks. It isn't easy to lose weight when you like food. Something to be proud of! Then I got my blood work back(thought I had Lyme Disease) found out I had a hypothyroid condition. No wonder I was getting fat! Keep losing the weight Bob, hopefully others will take your lead and get down to a healthier weight as well.

Bob, my mind is always cranking on the best use of our Jesse West funds! I've got one idea in the works right now -- the bait is out, and I'll see if the student bites. Then, you, Eric and I can have a discussion. If it falls in place, I think our forum folks will especially be pleased.

I saw those recent photos, your face looks thinner, and the bass look bigger! I bet the success in every pound lost spurs you on, and if it is easy, that is cool, usually it is a grocery shopping and cooking nightmare that people don't have time to keep up with.
Maybe you can be a celebrity endorser of this plan, you jet setting dog, now helicopters, how cool is that, I want to be you!

Dibs on your Pond Boss/GFC shirts when they get too big for you.

The "Lunker to Juvenile" diet. great work, Bob. I am glad you realize the pounds will get a little harder to take off. Watch out that you dont lose too much muscle mass. Do some exercising.

I watch UFC while thinking about a really tough Yoga discipine, and do 12 oz. curls. I'm getting there.

Theo...you're gonna have to swell up quite a bit more to fit into my 3X shirts, but all the best to ya for it.

I promised a few photos and got an email from Brettski this morning, so I humbly present another "before" shot along with a couple of "during" shots. We'll save the "after" for when I'm done.



At the Purina Mills Expo in Phoenix in January



Mark Griffin and I giving a speech at the Expo.



This morning, outside on the porch.



The obligatory side pose....

Down about 30 so far....another 20 and you people are broke. That's just a start, methinks. I don't think 20 will be enough. Losing about 5 pounds every week right now...that will surely slow down, but I must tell all of you that this is the easiest diet/eating program I have ever done.

I did the Medifast program in the early 90's. It was terrible...effective but terrible. Now, fast forward 15-20 years, and it's the easiest thing to do. I can't believed I stayed fat for so long.

For those of you considering a program, I would sure look at Medifast.

Quite the Stud-Muffin now!

Yeah, sure....heavy on the "muffin".

are black shirts thinning or thickening? i cant remember. regardless, lookin good bob, congratulations and continued good luck.

If he shaves off that beard after the biggest loser competition, he's gonna look skinnier than Otto !
(edit); I can just see jealous Otto wearing stripes to the jobsite. Make sure they're vertical.

Hey, I have some old PB mags with Otto in a Before picture.

My husband wants to loose weight, I keep telling him of your success, maybe he will check it out, like getting an easy button to loose the weight. What exactly is it that makes the plan successful compared to other plans? Is it constantly eating small portions so you don't overeat later? If so, I'm in trouble cause I forget to eat once it is nice outside, I just go outside and get lost in my garden and the lake.

What makes it successful is actual a number of things.
1) A person doesn't have to think about what they plan to eat. They eat according to the plan.
2) Eat 6 times daily, 5 meal subsitutes...bars, soups, oatmeal, shakes, drinks and one 'real' meal, called 'lean and green'...meat and green vegetables.
3) You are never hungry
4) The 'first' weight falls off fast, so it's encouraging.
5) It costs less money than grocery shopping. There's a fee for the program, but the food costs about $10 a day, plus the 'lean and green' which might cost $3-5.
6) Your body metabolizes your fat, using it for energy while preserving your lean body tissue. When this happens, you go into a process called ketosis, where your body produces ketones as a byproduct of fat burning. When this happens, your energy levels rise measurably.
7) It's easy!

Are you exercising at all, Luskie?

Well Bob, now you've gone and done it. I hesitate to post this but....

JHAP is fat....wanna play?

I joined weight watchers on Monday. Years ago I used this system and it worked for me (BTW I only had 30 pounds to lose at that time). There's something about recording everything you eat that appeals to my bean counterness. So that's the system I'm using. I'm going to start exercising (I'm getting a workout room in order - spare bedroom).

So here it goes. I hate to post this but JHAP weighed in on Monday at 284. My ultimate goal weight is 180. I use to be fit and trim and very active (worked out 4 days a week, trained in martial arts two nights a week and surfed like a zealot) and let that all go. DIED pointed out to me that I kept saying "I use to do this and I use to do that" and that thought has been bouncing around the empty portions of my cranium since he mentioned it. I was one of the fattest guys at the 2008 Pond Boss conference. Imagine my shock when I stood next to "Fatty McButterpants" and looked like the before photo (ok shorter and balder as well, dang this is just not getting any better, why did I even bring that up?).

So here it is. For every pound you loose between now and convention I'll pledge a buck. And for every pound I loose between now and convention I'll add another buck.

Oh and there are enough before photos of my floating around already. I'm not going to add fuel to the fire. I'll post a skinnier photo when I'm skinnier.

JHAP's not chasing ding dongs any more. Thanks for posting this thread, you've inspired me.

(BTW I'm not trying to compete with Bob's fund raising efforts, I'm just trying to lose weight. I wrote "JHAP is fat... wanna play?" to ease my way into this big fat confession.)

Bravo! jeffhasaplan!

Isn't it great how one good thing leads to another? I usually loose 5 pounds without trying as soon as the weather breaks because of all the gardening, recaliming sand from the lake, mowing the yard with a walk behind mower. The last 2 years I have done the Treadmill every day pretty much in the winter, or Sweating to the Oldies, and now Flirty Girl Fitness, as the same routine gets very boring. I think the exercise really helps you stay happy in these long Michigan winters. Pretty soon I won't do the inside stuff anymore, instead add the Kayak with the pedals, and GF Lakechair and I have our bikes out to patrol our village and the creek upstream and downstream, I'm wearing the Boys of Summer Shirt when we go across to two other lakes not in our development, but they still have the crappy company over there.
Bob's plan sounds very scientific, and I am guessing the med part means they monitor your vitals through the process.
I know Weight Watchers works too.
At the age we are now, I don't cook those big dinners like I used to either, much smaller healthier meals, less fast food.
If I dump the normal 5 lbs I will be very happy.

FIVE POUNDS??? 5???

Sheesh, I've eaten cheeseburgers that weighed more than that. (Not anymore of course).

Sorry 2Cat, that sounded a little harsh. I think I'm suffering from junk food withdrawl.

Go JHAP!
We're rootin' for you!
Jeff, if you want, you can take a look at what I am doing. There are four Medifast centers in the San Diego area. Go to http://www.medifastcenters.com and you can find them. I'm telling you, it's absolutely the easiest thing I have ever done. No pressure, no mind games, just focus and do it.
Sunil, I am on the treadmill 2-3 times a week, 20-25 minutes at 4.5 mph.
This is a killer...when I started this plan, they told me "no exercise for the first 3 weeks." Dude, I was in!
But now, with a wheelbarrow of butter missing from around my gut, I have new energy and actually WANT to exercise. As a matter of fact, I made 5 seine pulls today grabbing lmb fry to transfer to a grow out pond and I wasn't a bit tired.
(I'll post those photos in a new thread in a minute...we caught and photographed some cool biological stuff.)
Oh, yes, I went to the Medifast Center today and weighed...down 32 pounds in 38 days.

You go guys!!!! I'm proud of you.

Very inspirational! it has got me thinking...


By the way, put me in for $1 as well. Plus a $1 as well for every pound JHAP drops by July 15th!

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the support. My dad used Medifast years ago. It worked quite well for him. For me there is something oddly comforting about carefully logging what I eat and assigning a points value to it and comparing that to a points budget. Then through out the day calculating your unspent program budget to aid you in determining what to eat. The you can calculate budget versus actual deviations and plot them on three dimensional graphs. Man I love 3D graphs.

Actually it's not all that difficult and there are two programs in weight watchers, one of which does not involve any counting. (I don't want to discourage any one from trying WW if they feel so inclined).

Losing weight isn't difficult. Eat less and move around more. It's not rocket surgery.

Thanks Coach that's very kind of you.

for some reason jhap, that statement struck me as the wisest thing i have ever heard.....except for that rocket surgery part .......which now that i think about it is a clever combination of rocket brains and surgery science.

That's because, although I'm no where near as old as Brettski, I'm ever so much older than you and with age comes wisdom. Actually I can't take credit for either of those two sayings, the first part I heard on the radio about two weeks ago and the second part someone posted here on the forums before.

Oh and did you see how I got the cheap shot in on Brettski? With age comes trechery as well.

...and notable weight loss, so plan on it since 500# is alot of bowling balls to be carrying around. After 48 years old, most of it disappears in the derrierre (you won't understand this unless you speak Porturalian).

First weigh in was this morning. Current weight 277. DOWN SEVEN POUNDS BAYBEEEE. I'm not going to post my weight every week (too much fodder for the Bski ). But I had to tell somebody. Talking to myself (Ricki is not coming home until next Monday) although extremely interesting at times is just too much work. I can be very argumentative with myself at times and "Knock-Knock" jokes just don't have the same punch when told to yourself.

Hey Jeff.
What?
A nun, a politician and an alligator go into a bar.....
Shut up, you told me that one yesterday.

Bob,

I kinda lurk here but I'm in for $1/lb. Its great to see people inspired to lose weight. I skimmed thru this thread and its great that you have a plan to spread out meals and snacks. Thats the best way to jump start and maintain you metabolism. When I was working out that was one of the most important aspects of my plan. For those that don't want to go to a weight-loss club or anything liek that the formula I used was I took my weight x it by 10, then divide that number by 6. The number you come up with is the amount of calories each snack you eat should be (max). It will be tough to do but if you are awake for 16 hours a day that gives you roughly a meal per 2.5 hrs so after a week or two your stomach wont be as loud in between meals.

As for works out I concentrated on full body workout. If you can do squat with a press at the end or even just super set your weight lifting (minimizing resting periods) that will help kick up the metabolism as well. Still work in cardio, but you have to remember that muscle burns more calories that fat and chicks dig muscles :).

Best of luck to everyone

Forgot: If your legs are strong enough to lift some weights without straining yourselves give that a go. Because the legs are one of the largest muscles, working them burns quite a bit of calories and will help with your mobility. Just be sure to stretch before and after you work out, whether it be running or lifting. Also drink water as you don't want to bust your butt and go down with dehydration only to put yourself out of commission for not staying properly hydrated

Well gang, got off the road long enough to head in to Medifast today and check progress.
Down 48 pounds since April 1! four-eight...forty eight! Get ready to break out the checkbook!
You should see ewest, too. Was with him last week. That boy has shed 20-30 pounds himself! He looks great.



Eric, wrestling with a 3+ pound smallmouth in Canada last week. He and I both need to buy new clothes. We decided to wait until we are down to our maintenance weights. For now, at least one of us will look like Omar the Tentmaker made his clothes.



Well, here I am, tonight! With a July 15 deadline, I've got time to lose another 20, 25 pounds. Let's see, if another 20 comes off, that would put me at 248. Hmmm...maybe shoot for 235? Probably won't make it by July 15, but that's just the deadline for you guys to put another fisheries student through SDSU.

Seriously, I appreciate all the support and friendly emails and phone calls. Plus, it's really cool to hear about all the different people accepting the un-challenge and losing weight themselves.

Let's do it!

Geez. you look fantastic!

Congrats, Bob. That's truly awesome!

Way to go! You've helped to inspire me to lose 20 pounds myself. I got some more to go though. Congrats, we all know it ain't easy!

Incredible! And all that extra strength to support that huge log on your shoulders, too! Look out Ahnold.
(I'll leave the candle-hat for Theo)

The old menorrah-through-the-head gag.

Lookin' good, Bob (wax antlers notwithstanding).

Way to go, Lusk (and ewest)!

48 pounds! Woo-hoo!

Good work guys! I have lost 15 myself in an attempt to get down to convention weight by September.

The incredible shrinking Bob.

...is this another one of them Condello techniques for makin' fish look larger?

Way to go BOBBY!!!

Congrats Bob, im sure you feel great now too.

Weighed in Thursday afternoon.
264.
Down 52 pounds.
Met the goal...11 more days to shed as much as possible and we can write some checks! May hit 60 off by July 15. We'll see.
Thanks for the support, all.

Keep it going!! Great Job.

Well done. Be proud, it ain't easy.

Way to go Luskie!

Very late to this party, need to visit more often.

Great job Bob. I pledge $5.00.

Countdown is ticking!!!
I am down 14 lbs since the start which brings me to 265. My goal and ideal weight is 250.

Okay kids!
Stepped on the scale yesterday.....258 pounds!
That means, since April 1, the Pond Boss has lost 58 pounds.
Let's write some checks.....
Thanks for the support.
Still doing Medifast, the new goal is 240 by the end of August and then we'll evaluate. Maybe stop there, maybe not.

Our bookkeeper, Diane, will be sending a check tomorrow.

Congratulations to everyone who has also accepted this challenge. Eric, Nate, JHAP and all the others. You can do it!

Hey Dave Willis, is the address below where you want the dollars sent?

Jesse W. West Foundation
c/o Brandon Thiesse, Development Director
College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences
SDSU Foundation
815 Medary Avenue, Box 525
Brookings, SD, 57007

And who do we make the check out to?

Congrats Luskivore!

Congratulations, Bob!

P.S. Did you also get taller?

he does look taller, What a great diet! Congrats. my check is on the way!

First of all, nice shirt, Bob! It fits you so well at your new fighting weight!

Address for check: YES, the address and contact name that Bob provided will work. However, if you would like an acknowledgement of the financial donation to a tax-exempt institution, checks could also be sent to me, and I would respond with a thank you letter on university letterhead that is signed by both Bob and me. I'll put the address below.

Sunil asked who to make the checks out to: SDSU Foundation. However, be sure to put "Jesse West Endowment" on the subject line so there is no confusion over where to deposit the funds! It never hurts to be careful, you know!!

Thanks, Bob, and thanks so much to ALL of you. We'll bring two of the most recent Jesse West award winners to the Pond Boss Conference.

Dave Willis
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
South Dakota State University
SNP 138, Box 2140B
Brookings, SD 57007

David.Willis@sdstate.edu

My check is in the mail to Dave. Great job Bob. Bob I am down 35 lbs total , including 12 since Canada . Thanks for the encouragement and support.

Bob said "Step on the scales and play. I'll pledge $1 for every pound YOU lose, too!

Check in the mail also!

First Congrats Bob. Picture did not quite show the Texas Cowboy boots, yes I know the tricks to looking taller. Bob keep it up Randy and Bing I think have money tied in with conference weight so more motivation to keep it going.

Aaron you got time to update the spreadsheet? Curious to see the totals and might help Dave keep track. I think an announcement of the great news at PB conf is in order. My checks going out today.

Check is in the mail to Dave.

Seems like I also stepped out and offered another buck for a conference time or post Christmas weight.

My accountant is beginning to wonder if I graduated from SDSU.

Bing

Probably very simple, but could someone post the total amount for me to write the check for? Also could we get an update for how much money was just raised in total?

Hey my check is in the mail as soon as I get my butt off of here and finish a couple of fishies for a customer. A dollar a pound at 58 pounds right?

Congratulations Bob. I'm going to share this with my wife who has battled the bulge all her life. Of course she lost a lot of weight before she met me and got her hooks into me. I wouldn't trade her for any other woman in the world even if she does have a weight problem. Just worry about her health and fat is not sexy.

$67.86 you've cost me, Lusk.

OTOH by my figures, you're worth another $301.86

I bet Dave will provide a total after its all in.

Okay, I started at 5:00 this morning to summarize this stuff, and now working to put together the next PB. Went through all the thread, here's what I see.....

Summary $2,602.28 now,

Plus ewest’s total, plus catmandoo’s at conference, plus Bruce Condello’s add-ons later, plus Burgermeister’s, plus AaronM’s at conference, plus rmedgar’s add-ons at conference, plus Bing’s add-ons at conference, plus JHAP’s pledge for conference, plus CoachB’s add-ons for JHAP…. Could easily be another $2,500, maybe more, depending what ewest does.

Individually…..
Lusk $1.00/lb plus $1/lb for each one ewest loses. Eric lost 35. Lusk is sending a check for $100.00 + $150 for Dwight’s matching fund idea.
CJBS2003 $1 per pound….$58.00
teehjaeh $2.50/lb…$145.00
Dave Davidson $1.00/lb…$58.00
Tom G $1.00/lb…$58.00
Sunil $10/lb…$580.00
catmandoo $10/lb…to be paid at the conference, if still at July 15 weight or below. (see at conference)
Theo Gallus $1.17/lb…$67.86
ewest $1.50 for the 1st ten pounds; $3.00 for the next ten; and more for the next and so on; plus a kicker for the 35 he lost in the same span. (Eric may tell us his total)
2catmom $1.00/lb…$58.00
Bruce Condello-$2.50/lb or $5.00/lb if Lusk gives $5/lb for every pound over 266 on Christmas Day. Maximum $250 Modification….another $125 if Lusk gets below 250 anytime between July 15 and Thanksgiving and still 250 on Christmas morning. Lusk accepted the challenge. Condello owes $250 now and will owe another $125 when Lusk sheds below 250 (which will happen in August) and still below 250 Christmas.
Dave Willis-$1.00/lb…$58.00
Cecil Baird-$1.00/lb…$58.00
DIED-$1.00/lb…$58.00
Burgermeister--$5.00/lb for each pound he loses…need update from the burgermeister.
AaronM--$5.00/lb for conference weight, plus $5.00 per pound for the weight he loses by conference. We’ll know at conference.
rmedgar--$1.00/lb, plus another $50 if Lusk is under 250 at conference, plus another $100 if Lusk is still under 250 December 27. Rmedgar owes $58.00 now.
Bing--$1.00/lb July 15 and another $1.00/lb for every pound under 316 at conference….$58 now plus some at conference.
FattyMcButterpants--$0.99/lb…$57.42
Dwight—if Lusk donates $150, he donates $150…Dwight owes $150.00
heybud--$2.00/lb…$116.00
Greg Grimes--$1.00/lb…$58
Jeffhasapond--$1.00/lb for every pound lost by conference, plus $1.00/lb for every pound he loses by conference…we’ll see at the conference.
CoachB--$1.00/lb for Lusk, plus $1.00/lb for every pound JHAP loses by July 15. That’s $58 for Lusk and awaiting jhap.
RB Blackshear--$1.00/lb…$58.00
Pedro--$5.00/lb….$290.00

Wow, Bob -- looks like nearly a 2 hour task to summarize all of that.

I think the Forum members already know the long-term goal for the Jesse West endowment. Bob, Eric, and I have a long-term plan to develop a graduate research assistantship, with most emphasis on small impoundment research. We also get a short-term return on the endowment of about 5% per year, which lets us help students now as we keep our eye on the bigger prize. Obviously, the current economy hasn't helped.

Bob is our master fundraiser. It was his idea to start the silent auctions at the conferences. Last year, he raised extra money with the auctioning of "guest passes" for his place after the conference. This year, his weight loss idea really added to our total. We'll have a silent auction at PB III as well, and two of the previous student awardees will be there to help. CORRECTION: WE NOW WILL HAVE THREE STUDENTS THERE WHO HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE JESSE WEST ENDOWMENT.

From December of 06 to March of 09, we cracked 40K! We'll obviously bump that again nicely this year. It appears that slow and steady wins the race!

I hope you guys either don't mind or perhaps actually appreciate hearing an udpate such as this one. Fund-raising is a funny (two-edged?) task, but with a goal like ours, I hope you like hearing the details.

Its the people I like hearing about , each individual and their projects and then meeting them. These are quality young men and women student-scientists with lifetime goals and aspirations that we get to help along their journey. Plus they do research that helps recreational fisheries like all the PB ponds.

Like many PB endeavors it is a first , one of a kind , from the heart creation done by PB members. IIRC it is the only purely private fisheries research endowment at SDSU. It is open and flexible and geared to fill the needs identified by the Profs and students in applied fisheries research.

Thanks for helping and sharing the journey.

Bob, you left me out, but I will send in a check anyways.

congrats bob.

now its payback time..........i'm gonna mail the check through the el dorado post office..............you (dr. dave) should be receiving it about the same time i get my PB magazine.......

I'm not paying until I weigh you myself.

I want you to get on my back and I'll judge whether you've lost all that weight or not!

You and me both, DIED (the mag, that is!).

Congrats Bob and to all of the PB Forum Members! To health and healthier ponds...

Okay, Bruce, you can stick your hands in my mouth Monday at 4 pm...at your office, buddy.
Then, on your back I go!
Got scales? Er, scales to weigh on, I mean.

Nate...don't know how I missed you, buddy. So sorry! I did get a phone call around 6 and got interrupted for a minute. You're the best! Also, I know you've emailed me a couple of times (as has lots of people...) and I'll get to answer you shortly. I've never been so overwhelmed for so long in my life. I love it!

Times like these make days fly by pretty darn fast! I have a few irons in the fire as well and know the feeling.

Wow, guys! Six checks in the Monday morning mail. You don't fool around.

I honestly can't thank y'all enough! That's the northern y'all, with the "eh" at the end of the sentence. Spoken, but not written, eh?

Edit: let me start a running total. $1602. Impressive. Thanks to Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez (a self-proclaimed reader without much posting), and some guy named Willis.



Plus, let's not forget that Rainman already had his tilapia "sale," and donated another $250. Thanks, Rex. I'll add that to the total for the year later, but for now, we'll keep it separate from the Lusk Loss Leader.

Dave, who do we make the check out to and what addy do we send it to?

From page 13 of this thread

Dave Willis
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
South Dakota State University
SNP 138, Box 2140B
Brookings, SD 57007

David.Willis@sdstate.edu

- checks to : SDSU Foundation. However, be sure to put "Jesse West Endowment" on the subject line so there is no confusion over where to deposit the funds! It never hurts to be careful, you know!!

I'm disappointed I wasn't as active a member during this thread's heyday, but it was an incredible idea. Great potential for a nice win-win. And I'll send a check anyway. Nice job Mr. Lusk.

Thanks Greg...

Great job Mr. Lusk! I'll mail out my check when I pay bills on the first! I'm sorry to say that I fell off the wagon. I haven't weighed in a while and doubt that I'm down much weight. We're going to dust ourselves off and begin again.

Update on running total. $1702. Sincere thanks extended to Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis.

Rainman earlier had his tilapia "sale," and donated that $250. Thanks, Rex. I'll add that to the total for the year later, but for now, we'll keep it separate from the Lusk (Weight) Loss Leader. Rex wanted me to remind everyone that Pedro is the one who bought the tilapia.

Also, very generous of you, Omaha, to buck up!

It's a great cause.

A couple more batches of tilpia will be in the silent auction at the Conference.

I am just not checking in I will cut a check tomorrow!!!! Great job Bob keep up the good work!! I am almost one year without smoking and I will need to start to shed some of the weight I have gained doing it. KUDOS!!!

I had the rare and distinct honor of walking my ponds and having dinner with Bob, Debbie and Nolan Monday evening...in an effort to pad my bill I tried to tempt him with huge steaks and dessert...no dice - far too disciplined! Guess it's time to fork it over.

Update on running total. $2067.42. Sincere thanks extended to Fatty McButterpants, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis.

Rainman earlier had his tilapia "sale," and donated that $250. Thanks, Rex. I'll add that to the total for the year later, but for now, we'll keep it separate from the Lusk (Weight) Loss Leader. Rex wanted me to remind everyone that Pedro is the one who bought the tilapia. Also, Rex is donating blue tilapia for the silent auction at the conference (which is coming up soon!).

Anyone wonder about the extra 42 cents? I'm sure there must be some inside joke, as it involves Fatty. However, darned if I know what it is.

OK, the mystery deepens. DIED says "I don't know what the 42 cents is either but consider it a bonus. " Fatty, I think this one is on you!

Updated total is 2125.84. Thanks extended to DIED, Fatty McButterpants, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis; plus Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia deal.

Burgermeister--$5.00/lb for each pound he loses…need update from the burgermeister

Shameful to say I also fell off the wagon when my bluegill got big enough to fry up, along with too many fries. Only down 5 #.
I always have a $50 minimum on these deals due to my lack of discipline, so here comes a check for $50.

Congrats, (former) Big Guy. And all the rest.

Updated total is 2250.84. Thanks extended to Burgermeiser, JHAP, DIED, Fatty McButterpants, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis; plus Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia dealings.

I'm sending in my $58.00 later in the week. Got a taxidermist coming to pick up a bowfin I did for him to come up with the mullah. Promise!

I also hope to get the former world record redear replica posted on this site very soon that will be in a Amish crafted shadow box of solid Oak. However Dave and/or Eric want to do this will work for me. Winning bid goes to the Jesse West Endowment Fund.

BTW the cast of a large green sunfish is on order. Can't wait to get it assembles and painted the auction at the upcoming convention also for the Jesse West Endowment Fund.

Latest update: is 2463.70. Thanks extended to TJ Hudson, Burgermeiser, JHAP, DIED, Fatty McButterpants, Theo, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis; plus Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia dealings mentioned earlier.

Great stuff. I really enjoyed my personalized note in with my receipt!!!

Keep up the good work. I have shed 25 lbs from my non-smoking weight (down to 270) yes I said DOWN to 270

Yeah, those personalized notes are really important to the IRS so be sure to hang onto that.

Seriously, thanks again, Fatty!!

Latest update: is 3013.70. Thanks extended to Dr. Condello, TJ Hudson, Burgermeiser, JHAP, DIED, Fatty McButterpants, Theo, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis. Other funds included here are from Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia sale, and from Sunil and Cecil for the redear reproduction. The 2009 Auction is already a huge success, and we haven't even made it to PB III yet! Two of our current students will come, as will one former student. We'll have a couple of posters based on their research near the silent auction table.

Latest update: is 3163.70!!! Thanks extended to Dwight, Dr. Condello, TJ Hudson, Burgermeiser, JHAP, DIED, Mr. McButterpants, Theo, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis. Other funds included here are from Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia sale, and from Sunil and Cecil for the redear reproduction. The 2009 Auction is already a huge success, and we haven't even made it to PB III yet! Two of our current students will come, as will one former student. We'll have a couple of posters based on their research near the silent auction table.

Great news Dr. Dave!!!

Love that truck door, Rex!!

Thanks Dave.

I was thinking of driving it to the conference. It will depend on what I need to haul down there. Maybe I could fill-er up with water and do some burn outs!

Latest update: is 3283.70!!! Thanks extended to Heybud, Dwight, Dr. Condello, TJ Hudson, Burgermeiser, JHAP, DIED, Mr. McButterpants, Theo, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis. Other funds included here are from Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia sale, and from Sunil and Cecil for the redear reproduction. The 2009 Auction is already a huge success, and we haven't even made it to PB III yet! Two of our current students will come, as will one former student. We'll have a couple of posters based on their research near the silent auction table.

I go to the mailbox, looking for the next issue of PB, and continually find these checks..... Humor intended!!

Ok:
I have missed something here cause of The Summer of Fun, Fish Kill, Lake Leader Institute: I promised to pay $1 per lb. (I think) and have my company match those funds: So please tell me what I owe, (isn't is Jessie West Foundation?). I never pay a bill late........ever.

Thanks 2cat. Here is the info via Dave Willis at SDSU.

" However, if you would like an acknowledgement of the financial donation to a tax-exempt institution, checks could also be sent to me, and I would respond with a thank you letter on university letterhead that is signed by both Bob and me. I'll put the address below.

Sunil asked who to make the checks out to: SDSU Foundation. However, be sure to put "Jesse West Endowment" on the subject line so there is no confusion over where to deposit the funds! It never hurts to be careful, you know!!

Thanks, Bob, and thanks so much to ALL of you. We'll bring two of the most recent Jesse West award winners to the Pond Boss Conference.

Dave Willis
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
South Dakota State University
SNP 138, Box 2140B
Brookings, SD 57007

David.Willis@sdstate.edu "

FYI, Bob lost 58 pounds during the prescribed period.

How much is he down now?

64

Very impressive sir... I am sure you are feeling much better with that 64 pound tire missing!

64 Pounds? That is an amazing success. I lost my normal 5 too! My check will go out today.................. Now my vet is angry that I cannot get Sampson to lose just one or two pounds, he is weighing in at 20 lbs, 10 oz. Never saw a food he did not like, sits in the food dish tray and cries.

2Cat I have one dog that is 14 years old and still in great shape and he does just like your cat. Eats everything in sight and always looking for more but never gains weight. My other dog can just look at a bowl of food and gain 3 lbs.

E West:
Maybe our animals need the medifast program? My check went out today, I doubled my amount, glad to help out a worthy cause and celebrate the PondBossMan's success.

Latest update: is 3399.70, thanks to a check from 2catmom. Thanks also extended to Heybud, Dwight, Dr. Condello, TJ Hudson, Burgermeiser, JHAP, DIED, Mr. McButterpants, Theo, Dave Davidson, Bob Lusk himself, Nate Herman, Bing, Ewest, Greg Grimes, Randy Edgar, Sunil, Pedro Rodriquez, and Willis. Other funds included here are from Rainman and Pedro for the blue tilapia sale, and from Sunil and Cecil for the redear reproduction. The 2009 Auction is already a huge success, and we haven't even made it to PB III yet! Two of our current students will come, as will one former student. We'll have a couple of posters based on their research near the silent auction table.

I just got back from the American Fisheries Society meeting in Nashville (actually, it ends today). I don't want to seem like I'm bragging, but "your" Jesse West students did a great job. Does everyone recall Justin VanDeHey was the winner of the research endowment for 2008? Well, he won the best poster award at the meeting in Nashville for the work support by the Jesse West Endowment. His article on high tech fish diets was in the March-April 2009 issue of Pond Boss magazine. In 2007, you supported Melissa Wuellner, who won a distinguished service award at the meeting. Like I said, I don't want to seem like I'm bragging, but I want you good people in the Pond Boss family to know you are supporting good people! Thanks again.

Great work Dave and Justin and Melissa !! FYI those are competitive awards won against thousands of fisheries scientists from all over the US and other countries.

The Nashville Program Committee for AFS'09 is pleased to announce that on April 1st we formally accepted abstracts for 840 oral papers, 132 posters, and 15 speed presentations for the conference. The acceptance letters were emailed to presenting authors in 20 countries. Talks and posters have been arranged into 16 different Contributed Paper sessions and 32 Symposia. Attendees will be able to choose among talks in fifteen concurrent sessions on each of the four days of the technical program (31 August - 3 September 2009).

Dave what great news. Gotta say...what a novel concept a paper with ponds as subject matter at AFS meeting, sorry they never cover pond topics it seems, gald to hear it. It might start attending again.

Now to the real issues wondering why you did not drive 3 hours south to see me.

Greg I read through a list of some of the titles of the 950+ papers/topics and there were quite a few about ponds/small waters. A bunch more were fish specific - any waters/all waters. A lot were not pond related and that is to be expected given the scope of the Organization.

Sorry, Greg -- "only" 3 hours? Heck, we couldn't make 2 hours each to meet on a pheasant hunt when you were in ND. seriously, probably should have considered a visit, and would really have liked to see your operation. Did you note, however, that I was already home while the conference was still going? Like everyone, not enough time in the day.

I'm jealous, I love Tennessee, my family is from 65 miles s.e. of Nashville, out in the boonies, they are all passed away now.

Yep Dave lame attempt to give you a hard time. Keep up the good work. Ewest got a PM from Dave. Yes indeed the AFS seems to have little more applicable talks for pond mgmt these days, great news. sorry off topic now back to the skinny Lusk conversation.

Greg -- never thought for a second that you were being anything other than positive. Yes, back to topic??

No sweat, we have never had a thread that stayed on topic.

What's a topic?

I'm down 70...
back on topic?
Weighing a paltry 246.
Wanna start a new bet?

What would the new bet be?? The photo you posted of Mrs. PondBoss in the car showed a woman who was glowing......... Her back is better, and your weight loss is off the charts, life doesn't get much better does it?

OOPS, looks like I'd better bring my wallet to Big Cedar.

Bing

You need your wallet anyway!

Someone needs to get the finally weight loss for Mr. Lusk at the conference and post it on here... For those of us who were waiting on the final weight to send in the money.

CJ, Some of us gathered for dinner tonight. Bob and Eric look awesome. I did not realize Eric lost 51 lbs as well. Bob told me he hit the 70 lb mark, amazing.

The kid fell sleep at dinner so called it a night but look forward to the next few days.Everyone take care we will be doin some learin and havin a blast.

Excellent! Thanks Greg...

Okay, kids...time to wrap up this weight loss thread.
As I recall, Bruce and I took the challenge to drop the weight and keep it off.
Seems like we took a $5 per pound challenge...He would pay the $5 per pound if I lost 50 pounds as long as I would pay $5 per pound for every pound over 266 on Christmas day. I weighed 249.1 on Christmas morning. So, looks like $250 from Condello to the Jesse West Foundation at SDSU.
But wait, there's more.
The kicker...Bruce also said he would add $125 if I found my way below 250 between July 15 and Thanksgiving. I hit 244 in October.
So, with the 249 on Christmas...looks like Bruce is in for $375.00

Also, I promised to send a check for the weight that Ewest lost. I don't think that's happened, either...

So, Ewest...chime in here...I need to send a check, too, for your weight loss. How much do I send?

rmedgar also pledged an extra $100 if I weigh under 250 on Dec 27. Well, here it is, Dec 27. Just weighed....251. Dang! I had a ham and cheese sandwich and chips yesterday for lunch, then 2 glasses of wine at 6, then three pieces of pizza for supper, along with about 30 oz of water....I think all that stuff is stuck along the way. Bottom line, I was a bit heavier today after all that junk food yesterday.

So...let's wrap this thing up, settle up and move on. How about it?

I'm sure rmedgar will pay anyway! It's just the kind of guy he is.

Why fret over a technicality?

I need somebody smarter than me to read this and see what I really owe. I already wrote a check for $250....

Bruce, looks like the extra $125 is won and If I read correctly and additional $125 for Bob being at 249# Christmas morning. Or if you meant that both conditions (dropping below 250 by Thanksgiving AND still being below 250 on Christmas morn) then it is just the $125 kicker due.

Bruce called me, a little concerned....seems he already paid the $250 and "owes" $125.
We both had a good chuckle about it.

Bob the agreement was weight lost by 7-1-09. At that time I had lost 35 lbs. The amount by PB III Conv time was 60 and now 65. My understanding is you owe Dave 35. The challenge now is for both of us to keep it off - not easy at this time of year.

Eric,
You caught me! I better get cranking again. Since Thanksgiving, I've tried to maintain and fortunately have done pretty well. I'm up about 6-7 pounds from the lowest, but I've decided to shoot for another 25 off by February 1.
Hang in there, buddy...you're doing spectacular. I'm proud of you!
Maybe between you, AaronM and I, we'll inspire some others to take the pledge and shed a few unnecessary pounds.

I'll have Diane send out a check tomorrow!