I Lost Weight: A Doctor Visit Inspired Truitt O'Neal To Lose 154 Pounds

Name: Truitt O'Neal
Age: 38
Height: 6'3"
Before Weight: 399 pounds
How I Gained It: I was a huge emotional eater at a young age. I ate a lot of junk food. I was a huge fan of Little Debbie Zebra Cakes, Hostess Orange Cupcakes and Ho Hos. As the years went on, I continued to pack on the weight. In high school, I was 6'1" and weighed around 300 pounds. By the end of high school I was 6'3" and weighed over 350 pounds. Throughout college at North Carolina Central University I yo-yoed up and down between 320 and 380. After graduating, I continued to pack on the weight.
Breaking Point: My journey started after a visit to the doctor's office in 2010. He said that I needed to make some changes in my life. During that visit he also mentioned that I had high blood pressure and prescribed pills to help regulate it. I hated any type of medication, but I realized that high blood pressure could lead to other health issues.
How I Lost It: After my doctor’s visit in 2010, I began to change my diet and increase the amount of exercise I was doing. The subtle changes worked. From 2010 to June of 2012 I lost 52 pounds dropping from 399 to 347.
In June 2012, I was asked to join MediFast Weight Control Centers. The arrangement was made through my job at Radio One Raleigh and The Light 103.9FM. The deal was that I would work the program and talk about it on the air during The Yolanda Adams Morning Show.
When I started with Medifast I weighed in at 347. About two weeks after joining MediFast, I started working out at the local YMCA. From that point on, the weight loss really began to show. Later on that year I was asked to speak about the organization on the radio.

Over the next seven months I began to see an amazing transformation. My clothes began to get looser. I had more energy and could do more for longer periods of time. My co-workers and friends started to comment about the changes that they were seeing. I couldn’t believe that it has actually happening.
I've done a total 360. I can breathe -- for years I suffered from asthma. I always seemed to be winded. Now I feel great! I'm extremely happy with the results. Since starting this journey in 2010 I have lost over 150 pounds. I started off with a 54-inch waist and now I'm able to wear a 40. My shirt size went from 4XL to XL.
I've met all of my initial goals. I wanted to weigh 250 pounds or less. DONE. I wanted to feel and look good in nice clothes. DONE. And I wanted to be able to move, run and jump without restriction. DONE! I'm in a better place than I've ever been.
It still feels like I'm looking at someone else's reflection on a daily basis. I'm reminded everyday that past issues always play a role in future results. Getting your mind right prior to starting a weight-loss program help with making your results attainable and maintainable. If not, you're just wasting your time.
These days, I'm still working out four to six days a week at the YMCA. I love taking advantage of the kickboxing and Zumba classes. I've also completed two 5K races and spent a lot of time riding my bike around Durham. A lot of folks stop me now and ask me how I did it. I let them know that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
Current Weight: 245 pounds. My new goal is to reach 235 pounds by December.

This Underwater Airplane Flies Through The Ocean Unlike Any Submarine Before It

It all started with a little crab.
While conducting tests with a conventional submersible that crawled on the bottom of the sea, ocean engineer Graham Hawkes came nose to nose with a little crustacean that was poised to fight the underwater machine.
"I remember stopping and laughing," Hawkes told The Huffington Post. "But I thought, 'That crab has got it all wrong. These fish are moving in three dimensions. This guy is scurrying along the bottom. So am I. We've both got it wrong.'"
Inspired by the movement of fish, Hawkes designed and built the DeepFlight Super Falcon, a submarine that flies through the water like an airplane, instead of taking on water to sink itself. Similar to how hot-air balloons release weights to fly up, traditional submarines have compartments that fill with water to sink down.
Hawkes started a company out of his garage to create the DeepFlight Super Falcon in 1995. Today, Hawkes' dream has become a reality. "What we're doing is really, really obvious," Hawkes said. "There's nothing that clever about it. We actually build a thing that has wings, we build up speed, and it just flies underwater."
"Ninety-four percent of life on Earth is aquatic," he said. "We live on an ocean planet. We need to understand that. We need to be connected. This is a tool that can do that."

Fastest Growing Industries In America

By Debra Auerbach

If you created a list of factors that would make for an ideal job, chances are that job security would be one of the top items on the list. One way to measure job security is by the growth of that occupation.

Coming out of the recession, certain industries have been struggling to recover and may never get back to where they were, while others have re-emerged even stronger than they were before. Looking ahead, industries that continue to see growth will provide more job stability for those workers currently part of or looking to enter occupations within those sectors.

Below is a list, compiled by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., with the five industries that are expected to grow the fastest between 2013 and 2016, along with examples of the projected fastest-growing occupations within those industries. If you're looking for a career that is growing and can offer job security, one of these occupations may be the right fit for you.

Industry: Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction
1. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 16 percent
Education level: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $24.24

2. Industrial machinery mechanics
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 14 percent
Education level: Long-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $22.59

3. Petroleum engineers
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 13 percent
Education level: Bachelor's degree
Median hourly pay: $63.67

Industry: Health care and social assistance
1. Personal care aides
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 18 percent
Education level: Short-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $9.77

2. Home health aides
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 17 percent
Education level: Short-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $9.97

3. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 14 percent
Education level: Doctoral degree
Median hourly pay: $36.95

Industry: Educational services (private)
1. Educational, guidance, school and vocational counselors
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 13 percent
Education level: Master's degree
Median hourly pay: $26.16

2. Training and development specialists
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 11 percent
Education level: Bachelor's degree
Median hourly pay: $27.14

3. Education, training and library workers (all other)
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 11 percent
Education level: Bachelor's degree
Median hourly pay: $18.02

Industry: Professional, scientific and technical services
1. Logisticians
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 19 percent
Education level: Bachelor's degree
Median hourly pay: $35.08

2. Software developers, systems software
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 17 percent
Education level: Bachelor's degree
Median hourly pay: $47.64

3. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 16 percent
Education level: Bachelor's degree
Median hourly pay: $29.10

Industry: Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
1. Correctional officers and jailers
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 12 percent
Education level: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $20.55

2. Billing and posting clerks
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 10 percent
Education level: Short-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $16.21

3. Customer service representatives
Projected employment change from 2013-2016: 9 percent
Education level: Short-term on-the-job training
Median hourly pay: $14.91

Family Found Dead In Texas Home

 


RICE, Texas -- Investigators say no suspects are being sought after two adults and three children were found dead in a North Texas home.

Navarro County Sheriff Elmer Tanner says a Spanish-speaking male called 911 Sunday night to report that several members of his family were dead at a home in Rice, 40 miles southeast of Dallas.
Deputies and emergency medical workers rushed to the scene.
No information has been provided on the identities of the dead or how they died. Tanner says investigations are focused on the inside of the residence and that no suspects are being sought.
The Navarro County Sheriff's Office plans a news conference at 9 a.m. Monday.

Emmy Winners 2013: The Awards Go To 'Breaking Bad,' 'Veep' And More

The Emmy winners for the 2013 awards were announced on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Carrie Preston and Bob Newhart picked up early awards for their guest spots on "The Good Wife" and "The Big Bang Theory," respectively. A bevy of TV stars including Mindy Kaling, Julianna Margulies and Connie Britton were on-hand to announce the winners at the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Did your favorite take home the statue?
"Breaking Bad" picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and "Modern Family" took home the prize again. "Veep" stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale both took home awards. Anna Gunn won her first Emmy for "Breaking Bad."
Neil Patrick Harris served as host for the CBS telecast that featured tributes to Liberace, the 1960s, James Gandolfini and more. Click through the slideshow below for the complete winners list.

The 5 Funniest Quips from Neil Patrick Harris's Emmys Monologue

 

It's a decision that every Emmy host has to make for him or herself – how low do you go with the blows toward your fellow entertainers in the audience?

Well, Neil Patrick Harris got right into it during his monologue, and he even brought along some former hosts to help him do it.

In case you missed it, here's a recap of the monologue's best zingers:

1. "Or as Paula Deen now has to call it, Orange Is the New African American."
Not missing an opportunity to poke fun at the beleaguered chef, Harris turned a line about this year's colorful spate of television into a dig at the culinary queen.

Keep up with Neil Patrick Harris in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.

2. "I wasn't asked back ... because I'm a woman."
When the award show's previous hosts stormed the stage to warn Harris about the dangers of not being asked back to emcee, Glee's leading lady slyly pointed out that she was the only woman among them.

3. "I'm not going to do anything like that. That is far too gay."
If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? Harris did just that when he mocked Fallon's suggestion he perform a dance routine like he has in previous stints as host of the Tony Awards.

Peanut gallery: party of two

4. "Take your pants off. Twerk it."
Veterans of the award show skit, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler nailed it once more when they sat in the audience and heckled Harris.

5. "It might be degrading, but we would be de-grate-ful."

Content as he may be to stay clothed, even Harris found it difficult to argue with the comediennes when Poehler whipped out a great pun.