Summary: It all started in January when Larry Hardin's orthopedic surgeon handed him a small slip of paper that got him thinking. Now, six months later, thanks to that paper and a friendly challenge issued to him and his co-workers at Moore's Lawn and Garden, Hardin's friends and relatives, even his own granddaughters, barely recognize him.
Story: Some people might call Larry Hardin a loser, and they'd be right. After all, Hardin, who has been a mechanic at Moore's Lawn and Garden in Millersburg for 10 years, is just a shadow of his former self.
In mid-February, Moore's Lawn and Garden office manager Nancy Baker issued a challenge to the staff. Each participant would toss $15 into the pot and whoever could lose the most body weight by percentage over a six-week period would be Moore's Lawn and Garden's Biggest Loser, taking 70% of the cash. The other 30% would go to the second place winner. By that time, Hardin had already been thinking about the slip of paper Dr. Rodney Miller had handed him following his knee replacement surgery. On it had been written Hardin's weight and body mass. Hardin said he'd known he was overweight, but seeing it in black and white was the push he'd needed to do something about it. By the time the Biggest Loser contest was announced, Hardin had already lost 11 pounds and knew he needed to shed some more.
"I figured, what the heck, I'll do it," Hardin said. "I was already on the way, so it just added more of a challenge to it."
And then, Hardin hit the road. Walking, that is. Before long, he discovered he could access the Holmes County Trail by strolling out the front door of Moore's and around the adjacent fence. Every day, during his hour-long break, Hardin would eat lunch then take to the trail. At first, he could only manage a mile and a half. Now, Hardin can cover three miles in that one-hour period. With some sensible dietary changes, like cutting back on his beloved ice cream, eating a cup of oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, and choosing salads and grilled meats for dinner, Hardin has made a big dent in his body weight. Within the contest period, Hardin had lost 32 pounds and 19.9 percent of his body weight. He'd also gained the title of Moore's Lawn and Garden's Biggest Loser. But he didn't stop there. To date, Hardin has gone from his original weight of 248 pounds to what he weighs now-- 188, dropping more than 60 pounds in six months.
Hardin said he has gained some things, too, in addition to the cash prize for coming in first place. When Hardin retired from his full-time position as assistant fire chief for the Wooster Township Fire and Rescue two years ago, he moved from Wooster, where he had lived for 40 years, back to his 40-acre farm in Millersburg. Hardin is now able to walk the hills of his farm without getting short of breath and can explore corners of his property he hasn't seen for a long time.
In March, Hardin and his wife met with friends in Saint Louis, Mo. From the river where they parked to the Gateway Arch is what Hardin called a "tremendous stairway made up of short little steps."
"But for some reason, I started jogging up those steps," Hardin recalled. "It impressed everyone when I was standing at the top waiting for them, laughing. Before I started walking, someone would have had to carry me to the top."
Hardin said sometimes friends and family barely recognize him. Recently, he attended the Triway softball game of his 15-year-old grandaughter, Madison Hardin. From a distance, his granddaughter had a hard time figuring out who was with Grandma.
"If they haven't seen me for a little while, they're pretty shocked," Hardin said.
Moore's Lawn and Garden's office manager, Nancy Baker, said the Biggest Loser contest was something co-workers came up with on a whim after a water-cooler conversation, something to help each other achieve fitness goals. She said Hardin's co-workers are pleased with his success. Hardin said they tease him for being an overachiever.
Overachiever or not, Hardin is definitely pleased with the results and plans to continue walking his way down to 180 pounds. Once he gets to that, he says, he'll do what's necessary to maintain a healthy weight. He credits his wife Janet Hardin for encouraging him, helping him seek out alternative snacks to kick his ice-cream habit, and providing healthy meals.
His advice to others who would like to lose weight and gain energy? It doesn't take diet pills, an expensive gym membership or a lot of time. Just make a choice, incorporate it into your regular routine, and stick to it.
"Deciding to do it was the hardest part," Hardin said. "Once I made the choice, it wasn't bad at all."
