When Mark Reichenbach's mother died in 2008, the grieving son had to rent a suit for the funeral. He didn't own one because for someone 5 feet 5 inches with a 64-inch waist, clothes were hard to find and higher priced than normal.
The rented jacket fit so poorly, he didn't wear it. "I was so embarrassed. It had big brass buttons on it; I looked like a greeter at a casino. There I was at my mother's funeral dressed like that."
That same day he vowed that nothing like that would happen to him again.
He's not sure of his exact weight at the time, but it was the largest he'd ever been. He found an adequate scale some time later: 440 pounds.
Today, Reichenbach, 43, is between 190 and 200 pounds. He lifts weights and walks for regular exercise. "I want more aerobics," he said. "I'm working not to be big, not get bigger."
At work in his job as a security officer, he walks up and down six flights of steps nine times a day.
He has incorporated more walking into his life. For example, he shops at farmers markets, which require a lot of walking.
"I used to just work and sleep," he said. "Now, I have so much energy."
He has taught himself yoga from a textbook. He jumps rope.
"I cook 90 percent of my own meals," he said. He eats mostly vegetables and fruits.
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