What he’s doing now(February 2004): Not long after Season Two ended, David’s life changed in two significant ways. He began full-time university studies to become an elementary school teacher and he met Debra, who he married in December 2003. Losing weight helped him realize both of those dreams, says David, primarily because of the renewed confidence he had in himself after achieving his fitness goals.
"You just feel better about yourself. You feel more fit, you can do more things. You don’t even know you actually have it (self-confidence). You don’t actually realize how it’s changed you. But other people see it."
However, the sea changes in his life also disrupted David’s fitness routine, and working on Saturdays while attending school during the week has made it a challenge to get to the gym regularly.
David continues to referee hockey and umpire at softball and he’s taking gymnastics and dance classes as part of his studies towards becoming a physical ed teacher. But after 15 pounds crept back on, he realized he couldn’t afford to scrimp on regular exercise. It was time to schedule in both running and workouts at the gym - the activities that delivered him results the first time. "I’m a firm believer you can’t use time as an excuse," he says. "What I’m looking at now is getting up and going to school, doing my workout there first and then doing my studies."
What David learned about himself during six months of taking it off: "I became very informed about proper eating and how the body works when you eat carbs and eat sugar. I think if people are better educated about this, they’d eat healthier. If I’m eating a sandwich, I now know that the white bread will convert to sugar really fast and if I can’t use the sugar, it’ll convert to fat."
David’s strategies for eating: "You need to make sure you have variety and the biggest tip is, you always have to have quality food with you. You don’t go to work or school without a lunch - because that’s when you’ll make bad choices."
"I buy a box of meal replacement bars and keep them in my locker in case I don’t have anything with me. I also have a whole bunch of (flavoured drink crystals) in my locker in case I get tired of water -- so I won’t get tempted to go for a high-calorie pop."
David’s strategies for exercise: "Get your exercise done early in the morning. It really wakes up your body and there’s been proven research that if you do it early in the morning it gets your metabolism going. Another reason is, it’s done, you can’t come home at the end of the day and say ’I don’t feel like running.’ Another reason: it totally energizes you. You’re bubbly all day."
