Priest and deacon lose weight while raising funds

On Ash Wednesday, two parish leaders hit the scales at St. Stanislaus parish in Amsterdam. Rev. David Mickiewicz, parish administrator, and Deacon Michael Ryba each weighed in at 216 pounds.

The bet was on: Who could lose the most weight by Pentecost Sunday?

Father Mickiewicz and Deacon Ryba had been challenged by parishioners to go on a weight-loss campaign to raise money towards the parish's debt.

"We were looking for ways to reduce the debt. Back around Christmas time, at a parish meeting, some parishioners thought it might be a good idea to raise money through a weight-loss challenge between Father Mickiewicz and myself," commented Deacon Ryba -- adding that "my wife was among the first to suggest the challenge."

Lenten pledges

Parishioners set the weight-loss time for the 90 days between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost Sunday. Notices were put in the weekly bulletin, informing everyone of the weight-loss challenge and inviting parishioners to pledge dollars for each pound lost.

The challenge, called "Pounds for Cash," encouraged people to "choose whether your pledge will apply to 'the priest,' 'the deacon' or both."

"One of our parishioners is a pediatrician; he offered some healthy weight-loss guidelines for us," noted Father Mickiewicz.

Neither the priest nor the deacon made any dramatic changes in their eating style, but both admitted that they did have to look daily at what and how much they were eating. Both looked at the challenge as a change in eating habits and choices rather than a diet with a set time.

"I didn't want to lose weight and then go back to my old habits," noted Father Mickiewicz.

"I had lost a little weight before the challenge, sort of a trial, to see how I'd do," added Deacon Ryba.

Techniques

Each tackled the contest in his own way:

* "I watched my carbohydrate and salt intake every day," said Deacon Ryba;

* "I eliminated all 'white flour' foods from my diet," said Father Mickiewicz.

Both men weighed in every other week. For weeks, the two appeared to be losing weight at matching rates: By the fourth Sunday of Lent, each had lost six pounds.

Then, one Sunday after Mass, Father Mickiewicz presented Deacon Ryba with a box of marshmallow Peeps because he knew the deacon loved them.

"I was hoping he would enjoy the Peeps for Easter," Father Mickiewicz said with a laugh.

Deacon Ryba would not admit to eating them; but, "the next week, I presented [Father Mickiewicz] with a 12-pack of A&W root beer -- not the diet variety. I don't know if he drank it, but I'd guess he did, because he can't resist that soda," the deacon noted.

 As the weeks went by, both priest and deacon discovered that they weren't even missing potatoes, rice, pasta or white bread. They were both eating smaller portions of healthier foods that included raw vegetables, protein from lean meat and fish and extra water.

Feeling good

Both agreed that they felt better as well, "not heavy or logy," the priest remarked.

"I don't cook because I am seldom at home and had to rely on leftovers and restaurant fare for most of my meals," he added. "I ate only chicken and fish. When dining out, I'd ask for a substitute salad instead of a potato. I think that, during the entire 14 weeks, I had only one potato."

Deacon Ryba's wife, Kim, prepared most of his meals.

"We concentrated on meals that included only meat, vegetables and a salad. When dining out we would have small portions of pasta, rice or potatoes. I'd order a side of them and take just a forkful or only a very small amount," he reported.

He also increased his water intake: "I didn't really keep track, but I'd guess I drank about six eight-ounce glasses of water a day. Every time I thought about it, I'd have a glass of water. I wasn't a water drinker before, but drinking water became a habit. I did cut back on soda and wine, though."

Stepping out

The deacon also walked on his treadmill at home for 45 minutes to an hour, five days a week.

Said Father Mickiewicz: "We both received pedometers at the beginning of this challenge. I gauged my normal walking on a daily basis and learned that I walk between 5,000 and 7,500 steps each day.

"I read somewhere that if you can walk 10,000 steps a day, it would be equivalent to a full workout. So my goal is to increase my daily steps."

During the 14 weeks of the challenge, parishioners were very interested in who was losing more weight.

"I would see someone from church while shopping and it wasn't, 'How are you?' It was, 'How much weight have you lost so far?' Most of the parish was involved" in contributing to the challenge, noted Deacon Ryba.

The winner

In the end, approximately $3000 was pledged by St. Stanislaus' parishioners. Father Mickiewicz lost 14 pounds, but Deacon Ryba was the winner, weighing in at 197 pounds after dropping 19.

Both men are satisfied with their weight loss and will continue their change in diet.

"I want to lose another eight pounds or so. I feel great and have learned a lot about eating," said the priest.

"During this time I struggled not to put certain foods into my mouth on a daily basis, I often wondered about so many others in the world that struggle to find enough food to eat every day. This challenge has made me more aware of hunger," Deacon Ryba agreed.

(Other weight-loss guidelines followed by the contestants: * decrease sugar intake by limiting fruit juices and processed, sugary foods, including dessert; * decrease use of unhealthy fats such as hydrogenated fats; replace with natural, healthy fats like olive oil.)

(05/22/08) [[In-content Ad]]