Bob Dzurilla
Knowing that neither his father nor his paternal grandfather survived past age 38, he wasn't happy about his prospects when, years ago, his doctor told him he had high blood pressure and placed him on medication. Later on, after unsuccessful attempts to control cholesterol problems through dietary changes, his physician prescribed additional meds.
Bob knew all along that he'd be healthier if he lost weight, and over the years he'd followed fad diets and consulted with dieticians about weight loss — but boredom would take its toll and the lost weight would come back, bringing new buddies with it.
Then, in the summer of 2006, Bob met Niki DelGrosso, and his life changed.
Impressed with Niki's approach to diet and exercise, Bob signed up for her 26-week program: once-a-week nutrition classes, combined with a sensible meal plan that fit his lifestyle.
That was his start down the road that would help him lose more than ninety pounds (about one-third of his body weight), reduce his 42% body fat to 20%, get off all medications and reach a level of fitness that would allow him once again, despite bad knees (chrodomalacia), shoulder injuries (torn rotator cuffs), and lower back problems, to be physically active.
It All Starts with Nutrition …
Food plans and nutrition charts weren't anything new to Bob, but Niki went beyond those to stress the need to learn how to eat right. In her nutrition classes she discussed the fundamentals of diet — what foods to eat and how the body uses this food. Bob learned how to balance his lifestyle with a sensible diet plan that allowed him to be properly nourished while losing weight (and which he can now rely on to maintain his weight loss or get back on track if he starts to slip).
It wasn't always easy. Just keeping focused on the whole process over four years sometimes proved difficult, and several times Bob stalled out. During those times, Niki helped him stay focused, trying different things to start him moving to the next level. At one point, during the three months while he was losing his final 25 pounds, she had him keeping a daily food log to track his macronutrient intake (fats, carbs, and proteins). He would email these to Niki each night, and she would send him new targets for the next day.
When Bob tried to explain this process to a friend, the reaction was, "OMG, you're her lab rat!" As he tells the story, Bob says he realized that while he had some idea of what Niki was doing with the macronutrient manipulations, he never fully understood it. So he guesses he really was her lab rat.
Niki's classes left Bob hungry for more knowledge. Recently, while doing his cardio workouts, he completed an 18-hour college-level audio course on nutrition, body chemistry, etc. While some of it was over his head, he's learned a lot more and is gaining an even stronger foundation for continued healthy eating.
… but You've Got to Build Muscles,Too!
Although Bob had been athletically active, he'd never been physically fit, so having a dietician who is also a personal trainer has helped him turn some of those fat pounds into high-metabolism muscle.
Bob began his resistance training with Magnum and Strive strength equipment, and has now moved on to plate-loaded machines and free weights, including dumbbells to add challenge to his walking lunges. And, because eliminating belly fat requires cardio as well as nutritional changes, he spends four to five hours each week on the elliptical.
It's Taken a Lot of Work, but the Results Are Worth It!
With diet, exercise, some whole food supplements, and Niki's guidance and support, Bob is off all his medications. Although less than enthusiastic about his stopping the meds, his doctor now admits that he is successfully controlling his blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. And while Bob still has some work to do (like learning to do ab crunches without falling off the weight bench), Niki is ready to put him on her web site as the poster boy for old, fat accountants.
Bob's family is taking note: last Christmas, his brother (twenty years Bob's junior) challenged him to a "virtual run" to Myrtle Beach. The rules: to log in the miles, either actually run, or use a cardio machine set at more than 75% of the maximum resistance level. In mid-April, for the most part using the elliptical x-trainer, Bob had logged over 430 miles, putting him someplace south of Roanoke, Virginia with about 220 miles to go. By May 15, he should be in Myrtle Beach, ready to tee up for a round of virtual golf.
And, while tennis, volleyball, and squash are but athletic memories, golf — the real kind — is a sport that Bob can now enjoy, pain-free. The truth of the matter, he says, is that Niki really has changed his life.
Bike MS — Pedal to the Point:
Bob Dzurilla Uses His Fitness Program to Promote a Social Cause
Bob finished his Myrtle Beach run at the end of May (665 miles in five months). Since then he has found that he can use his fitness program to benefit a worthwhile social cause, and at the same time provide specific goals that motivate him to continue his fitness program.
In June 2010, Bob decided to participate in the 2010 Bike MS — Pedal to the Point, a long distance bike ride (from Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio to Sandusky High School in Sandusky, Ohio) on Saturday, August 14, 2010. (Click here for information about the ride and about Bob's participation.) Riding as part of the Cleveland Clinic's Team Mellen, Bob raised a little more than $2,700 while finding the motivation he needed to push himself to a higher fitness level.
The day after the event, Bob shared some of his experiences with his trainer and nutritionist, Niki DelGrosso.
Well, this one is in the books. Overall, it was fun and truly a unique experience (at least for me). There were about 2,400 people riding in total. Team Mellen took off a little after 7 am with about 300–400 other riders. That was pretty nerve wracking.
For the first 4–5 miles we were shoulder-to-shoulder (remember me, the guy who has a tendency to fall off his bike!). It was really kind of neat. There were people along the nearby streets cheering as the riders started out. The early starters were some of the experienced riding teams so the pace was pretty fast. (What was I doing with them!) After a while, though, the riders stretched out and I finally settled into my own pace.
We asked Bob why he chose to make this ride. Seven hours on a small bicycle saddle can’t be much fun!
There are many reasons I did the ride. Most important, it was for a great cause. I have several friends who have been affected by multiple sclerosis. Luckily, they are not disabled, but there are many who are — I rode for all of them. As I contacted friends to sponsor me, I was surprised by the number who wrote back to say that they too have family and friends who suffer from MS. Their support for this cause was overwhelming!
The other reason I did the ride was that I needed something to motivate me, to push my fitness program forward. I needed a goal! After completing the “little brother” challenge, I needed something fresh. That was when I heard about the Bike MS event. I hadn’t been on a real bike for over 35 years: this was just the challenge I needed.
OK, once you made the decision to do the ride, how did you get ready?
The first thing I needed was an operational bike. I took my old bike to the local bike shop. They convinced me I should “just put it out on the tree lawn” and get a new one. OK, this would be a little more difficult than expected, but I wasn’t going to be discouraged.
After doing some research and talking to some cycling friends, I bought a new bike that was up to the task. (In the process, I was told that I was 2–3 months behind in a reasonable training program for the ride — OK, but so what? I was committed to this.) Finally on the road by mid-June, I worked my way up to a few 30-mile+ rides just before the event. Since I was a novice, I opted to do the 75-mile portion (first day — the full event spans two days and covers 150 miles to Sandusky and back). A few team members were skeptical that I would finish even that, but I was confident.
I talked with Niki about how to get ready. Although she isn’t a cyclist, she did have some recommendations about conditioning and nutritional preparations. We felt I was in pretty good shape, cardio-wise, but a few weeks before the event she tweaked my diet plan to help me start storing the additional glycogen I would need for the ride. She also warned me that I should be careful what I eat during the ride. “Just stick to simple fats” at the lunch stop and eat a reasonable amount of carbs (fresh fruit). I also took along a few of her protein cookies to eat during the rest stops. That was good advice, judging by the number of riders I saw along the road after lunch trying to “relieve” their stomachs of the weighted lumps stuck in there! I also went easy on the Gatorade: I was told that too much of that will eventually make me nauseated. More good advice!
At the last rest stop, about six and a half hours into the ride, I was feeling pretty good. The legs were feeling a little burn, but nothing more than a good leg workout. I was feeling pretty smug — hey, the old man was going to pull this off! I had a quick text message exchange with Niki during that rest stop and told her I was OK — I’d had only a slight muscle cramp after a rather steep hill, about 15 miles back, but no other problems. We then left for the finish line.
Many people had warned me about staying hydrated, so I was carrying a liter of water on my bike and was hydrating up at the rest stops. I had seen plenty of riders during the last part of the ride suffering from cramps, but I thought I was doing a good job staying hydrated. I found out differently during the last stretch. With about 5 miles to go (70 miles into the ride) I had horrific muscle cramps in both thighs! Luckily Brendan Scott (the masseur at Titans Gym at the Atrium) had prepared me for this: I did some very painful massaging of those muscles and finally got the knots out to the point where I could get back on the road. While I was doing this roadside massage, one of the SAG (safety team) vehicles pulled up and offered me a ride to the finish line. NO WAY! At that point, I would have crawled to the finish on my hands and knees, dragging my bike behind me!
All bike riders might take note of Bob's experience with dehydration: I noticed that for me the first sign of a hydration problem was a dry mouth. When I felt that, I stopped for a quick drink from my water bottle and then continued on. I realize now, however, I need to put another water bottle holder on my bike. One bottle wasn't enough and, near the end of the ride, I drained that bottle quickly in five miles.
After I finished I was surprised that the cramps kept coming back for about the next four hours. The cramps finally left, and the next morning (Sunday) I just felt a little tired.
Bob plans to do the full ride next year: two days, 150 miles. (Who knows, he says, maybe he can get James Boykin to join him!) Besides the satisfaction of experiencing and completing this year’s challenge, he has made new friends among the Team Mellen group, who have invited him to ride along with them on weekends. He is also looking for other charity rides to participate in for the future. The best part of this experience, he says, is knowing that he has been able to help a worthwhile cause as part of his fitness program.
Congratulations to Bob for his hard work and all the preparation that went into his Pedal to the Point success!
