Scaling Down 6 end their year better off

2/9/2003

Still, despite the setbacks, not one of them regretted the decision to go public with the details of their diets. So as the series closes, here's a brief review of what happened to the Scaling Down Six, and a look to what they plan once they're out of the spotlight.

Barbara Meyers had lost about 40 pounds in the five months before the first weigh-in, and she hoped to continue that trend of losing about eight pounds a month. However, a lengthy plateau dashed that dream. Her ultimate goal weight, 160, is still about 135 pounds away.

Like Barb, Bob Zirker started losing weight before Jan. 30. From his original weight of 277, his goal was any weight “that beings with a 1.” Health problems that started over the summer derailed his diet and continue to plague him and prevent him from exercising.

Diana Gaillardetz wanted to lose 29 pounds, and she achieved her goal this month, the only one of the six to reach her goal weight.

Jacob Coon set a goal weight of 265 pounds, but he says he's glad to have lost any. Still, the five pounds he lost this year, coupled with an earlier 35-pound loss, had a profound effect: his doctor deemed him ready to stop taking medications to control his diabetes.

Lisa Otting dropped six pounds before Scaling Down started, and lost weight steadily until late summer, when her progress stalled. She's about 40 pounds from her goal. But now, her weight is below 200 for the first time in years.

Tiffanie Wachira wanted to lose 43 pounds, so she's more than half of the way to her goal. Despite the obstacles she's faced, she calls her participation in Scaling Down “one of the five best things I've ever done in my life.”