Tim Liebmann, of Jamison, Pennsylvania relates to Hollywood director Kevin Smith, who was kicked off a flight because the airline said he was too big for one seat. Tim, a businessman who flies often, said it almost happened to him three years ago, when he topped 500 pounds. "The guy I was going to sit next to saw me coming, got up, and went to the stewardess, in front of the whole plane, and said don't have this guy sit next to me."
Bill Larson, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, had been overweight since he was a kid, but never realized how bad it was getting. "There was always a store that would have stuff to fit me," he said. But then he saw a picture of himself and he also started noticing health problems such as high blood pressure and knee pain. "It was problems a 34-year-old shouldn't have," he said.
Asa, Tim, and Bill all changed their lives the time-tested way by eating less, and exercising more. Tim lost 250 pounds over three years, Asa lost 60 pounds in less than a year and Bill lost 175 pounds over three years. And now they are dedicated to helping others do the same.
Asa's become something of a rock star on the South Jersey fitness scene. She teaches cardio-kickboxing classes at community centers. Plus, she's added nutrition classes, to help students develop healthier eating habits. "If I can get them to believe, I can get them to do anything,' she said.
Tim has created a non-profit organization called 'Angels for Obesity'His goal is to give 10 million people the motivation and emotional support to lose 250 MILLION pounds. "If they don't fix what's up here [in their mind], you're never going to fix what's down there [their body.]
Bill is using the internet as his platform. Every day, he blogs on his website, www.determinedtosucceed.com, giving readers practical tips to handle the ups and downs of big weight loss. "I say on my website all the time, be proud of what you're doing. I'm there with you. So that people know they have company doing it."
Asa, Tim and Bill will be at Action News Wednesday for a live webchat. Tune in from 5pm to 6:30pm and join the chat online at www.6abc.com They will answer your weight loss questions and help motivate you to make healthy changes.
For more on Asa Cansler's fitness classes, visit www.asacansler.com
