Madison Man Working To Reclaim His Body, Life
Man Has Lost 128 Pounds So Far
Updated: 8:21 am CST February 6, 2010
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MADISON, Wis. -- A Madison native is working to reclaim his life after his weight reached 800 pounds.
READ: Post Message To RyanRyan Burda, who runs a very successful home-based business, is smart, accomplished and trapped in a body that he no longer wants.Burda said he was always chunky as a child. He first realized he had a weight problem when he was second grade at Thoreau School."My mom took me to a store and I bought my first pair of Levi's and a Nike shirt and they were men's, they were for adults. That's when I first realized, 'Wow, I'm 7 or 8 years old, and I'm wearing men's clothes,'" Burda said.In junior high and high school, his weight continued to go to go up."I just started trying to be funny, maybe and acting out or just being obnoxious, and trying to do anything to take the attention off me by drawing the attention to me. It's kind of weird. I think I was a pretty confused, scared kid," Burda said. Burda tried for years to lose weight by himself but years of insecurity and self-doubt took their toll. When the scale read 800 pounds, he finally found the courage to ask for help. He teamed up with Annette Plante, a registered nurse and fitness trainer from Meriter Home Health."He's taking something that maybe society would say is a mess and he's regaining his life and he's grabbing it by the throat and he's going to live it in a way he's never been able to live it before. He's now able to give that to other people and, in turn, that helps him heal and grow," Plante said.Once a week, Plante meets with Burda in his Madison apartment. She has him on a 1,500 calorie per day meal plan and she's gradually increasing his daily exercise.Burda walks the halls of his apartment building and works with resistance bands. His goal is to be able to leave the apartment and go to the pool this summer.Burda has lost 81 pounds and 45 inches in four months. He's lost 128 pounds in all, and he said he's just getting started. His goal is to ultimately lose 500 pounds."I feel like I've made a little progress and I'm excited and proud about it but there's a long way to go. This is about consistent effort everyday and accepting that the results will be there. You can't force it, but you have to show up," Burda said.Plante's goal for Burda is to lose 8 to 10 pounds a month, and he's well ahead of that plan.
READ: Post Message To RyanRyan Burda, who runs a very successful home-based business, is smart, accomplished and trapped in a body that he no longer wants.Burda said he was always chunky as a child. He first realized he had a weight problem when he was second grade at Thoreau School."My mom took me to a store and I bought my first pair of Levi's and a Nike shirt and they were men's, they were for adults. That's when I first realized, 'Wow, I'm 7 or 8 years old, and I'm wearing men's clothes,'" Burda said.In junior high and high school, his weight continued to go to go up."I just started trying to be funny, maybe and acting out or just being obnoxious, and trying to do anything to take the attention off me by drawing the attention to me. It's kind of weird. I think I was a pretty confused, scared kid," Burda said. Burda tried for years to lose weight by himself but years of insecurity and self-doubt took their toll. When the scale read 800 pounds, he finally found the courage to ask for help. He teamed up with Annette Plante, a registered nurse and fitness trainer from Meriter Home Health."He's taking something that maybe society would say is a mess and he's regaining his life and he's grabbing it by the throat and he's going to live it in a way he's never been able to live it before. He's now able to give that to other people and, in turn, that helps him heal and grow," Plante said.Once a week, Plante meets with Burda in his Madison apartment. She has him on a 1,500 calorie per day meal plan and she's gradually increasing his daily exercise.Burda walks the halls of his apartment building and works with resistance bands. His goal is to be able to leave the apartment and go to the pool this summer.Burda has lost 81 pounds and 45 inches in four months. He's lost 128 pounds in all, and he said he's just getting started. His goal is to ultimately lose 500 pounds."I feel like I've made a little progress and I'm excited and proud about it but there's a long way to go. This is about consistent effort everyday and accepting that the results will be there. You can't force it, but you have to show up," Burda said.Plante's goal for Burda is to lose 8 to 10 pounds a month, and he's well ahead of that plan.Copyright 2010 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
