SPORTS SNAPSHOT OF THE WEEK
1. Jessi Heyen of Arcadia-Loup City drives to the basket against Callie Coulter of Ravenna. She had two points, two rebounds, and a block against the Bluejayes. 2. Rusty Oxford of Twin Loup attempts to block Joel Finney of Anselmo-Merna during the two teams matchup on Feb. 4. The Coyotes ended up winning by a final of 59-38. 3. Emmalee Bartak of Anselmo-Merna attempts to box out Tera Horky of Twin Loup. Bartak was one of three seniors on the girls team honored on senior night after their 57-22 victory. 4. Schylar Campbell of Broken Bow looks to break free from Dreu White of Cozad during the Semifinals at 132 pounds at the Class B 4B Sub-District in Lexington. Campbell qualified for Districts next week in Gering with a fourth place finish. 5. Logan Peterson of South Loup looks to break free from Scout Ashburn of Plainview at the Class D 1A Sub-District in Shelby. Peterson finished second at 120 pounds. Rhonda Sommer 6. Caden Holm of Ansley-Litchfield puts up a shot vs Loomis during the Fort Kearney Conference Semifinal on Feb. 5. Holm’s finished with 15 points.
BROKEN BOW - Making a Decision. When you see someone, like I saw Sid Fessler on October 15, 2020 I could not believe what I saw, he was younger looking, you could see a sparkle in his eyes, the first thing I asked, what did you do? The answer was I have lost 130 pounds! The next question is HOW.
Sid’s year long weight loss journey will help each of us start our 2021 with a new mind set on weight loss, some new recipes and hopefully a new journey to “bring it on” for each of us to become a better person in 2021.
“We sat in a Colorado Hotel on January first of 2020 and promised each other that in 2020 we would both commit to health and do all we could this year to become the best version of ourselves.” Stated Fessler. Starting January 6, 2020 at his heaviest at 331 pounds. With having issues with his back exercise was not an option since he was healing from a back injury and could not do much. His wife Heidi had already gone on a 90-pound weight loss journey so he saw proof being committed really worked.
“I just committed to changing how I looked at nutrition and resolved to end the ‘cheat day most days’ behavior that has always been an issue for me. I borrowed the mantra Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. I do eat meat and love BBQ. I just cut back the frequency and portion size and tried to select lean meat options and try to grill those meats.” Expressed Fessler.
In the first two weeks no weight was lost, but making the comment he saw his first success with seven pounds in week three. With the encouragement of those first pounds lost, the first month Fessler saw a drop of 20 pounds. Then followed 10 in February, 20 in March, followed by 10 each in April and May making a total of 50 pounds in less than five months!
Many would say that was a success alone and statistics show the majority of individuals on a weight loss journey don’t stay on any kind of a diet for more that six months.
Fessler said “I was good at starting, not good at finishing”, since he was committed the 50 was still only the beginning of his journey.
With the loss of the 50 pounds and healing his back injury, he eased into exercise. Careful to start slow. “Just walking in the beginning was all I could handle.” Expressed Fessler. Then going for walk/jogs with the dog and running passing routes with Sid III, his 8-year-old son.
A big milestone for him was getting that active and also seeing the mark of 70 pounds of weight loss. “That is when I started to believe that this was the way, not just for now, but from now on.” Confessed Fessler. But with a plateau at 70 and the desire to hit the triple digit weight loss he put pressure on himself and he realized he was not having fun at all.
“At this time, I began to examine more closely the lens in which I had been viewing things. I was painting things with a negative brush and sort of adrift. I resolved to change my approach to how I would react to things and committed to try to embrace positivity.” Stated Fessler.
Wanting to improve and grow as a human being, in addition to the physical health journey. “I began reading more and trying to view things with a more positive outlook.” Stated Fessler.
Discovering the power of consistent positive thinking and limiting the power that negative forces were having was a big part of Fessler’s journey. This thinking added another step to his wellness path. Nourishing the body with the balanced diet and the mind allowed him to see an additional 20 pounds in about three weeks, then exactly on August 23, he reached the 100-pound barrier. Allowing him the confidence he would reach his goals.
The 130-pound goal Fessler felt was the pie in the sky goal. With yet another challenge with his back, he was down for a full two weeks. Not being able to walk and ending up in the ER twice with intense pain, he was questioning if all the work he had put in was for nothing.
Still with all the success he had had, with the injury he started doubting himself. When
you are working on a goal, having a team partner is very important. That is where his wife Heidi came in, with her words on encouragement and assuring him he would be fine, it gave him the confidence. Keeping on track with his meal plan, even inactive he was able to see six more pounds off the scale.
Working ahead on your meals is key, over the weekend, he gives credit to Heidi for all her pre-planning and preparation. As a family, the Fessler’s do eat out, wanting to keep a normal life for their children, daughter Quin, 10 and son Sid III 8, the children have their fries and ice cream but the adults opt for salads that many fast food restaurants offer.
Healthy snacking on almonds and apples instead of milk
duds, other candy and chips became second nature for him.
Still giving himself an occasional break, especially early on. Breaking the bad habits that you have been used to day in and day out will not go away over night.
Fessler’s wellness journey became so much more than just loosing weight. The balance of positive life force and eating real food determined his success. “You grind, you lose, you don’t lose, you learn, you grow, you try to be better. The scale becomes a part of your journey, not the journey.” Reflected Fessler.
Currently at a total of 130 pounds lost, Fessler’s outlook we all must admire and congratulate him on bringing on such a challenge and willing to share with us all so we too might become a better person in 2021.
The Fessler’s have shared their basic meal plan and some recipes below.
Breakfast: Blueberries, Blackberries, Protein bar./ Sometimes an apple instead
Lunch: Healthy leftovers from the night before and a nice-sized serving of veggies (usually green beans) and a piece of fruit (banana, apples etc.).
Dinner: Dinner usually consists of a plant-based meal or a lean meat (not too much meat for me honestly--maybe a couple of times per week) and a salad or fruit.
Snacks: Almonds, string cheese, fruit, pickles, fresh veggies, or popcorn (not too many snacks though-measure out an amount and stick to it). I drink low calorie juice and chew sugar-free gum to counteract sweet cravings and drink lots of water.
“I completely cut processed food and only salads when eating out. Watch what kind of dressing you put on it. That matters a lot. Cut sugar except in fruit and not too much alcohol. 1 to 3 drinks a week is what I usually aim to stay under. If you are going to have alcohol, be smart about what you drink. There are tons of empty calories in some beverages, Margaritas or too many beers can really have an adverse effect. I also shoot to exercise at least 3 days a week for 45 minutes.” stated Fessler