TITLE: Congratulating Angela and Willie Gillis of Beaumont for losing a combined total of 500 pounds.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Angela and Willie Gillis of Beaumont for losing a combined total of 500 pounds.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, In a remarkable demonstration of self-motivation and determination, Angela and Willie Gillis of Beaumont have greatly improved their fitness and well-being by losing a combined total of more than 500 pounds over the course of two years; and WHEREAS, At the start of this remarkable journey, Mr. Gillis weighed 492 pounds, and Ms. Gillis weighed 338 pounds; on January 6, 2011, a few days before their first wedding anniversary, they decided to start living a more healthy lifestyle and lose as much weight as they could; and WHEREAS, The couple educated themselves about exercise and began working out at a gym six days a week; at first, all they could do was walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill, but eventually they increased the duration of the exercise, and Ms. Gillis began running; and WHEREAS, The couple also learned more about food; they cut back on eating out at restaurants and began to cook for themselves, using more healthful ingredients such as vegetables, lean meat, chicken, and fish, and they became more attentive to portion size and to their intake of fat, sodium, and sugar; and WHEREAS, Their mutual encouragement of each other was essential to their success, since neither wanted to disappoint the other; they also took advantage of every tool at their disposal, using an iPhone application to track calories, keeping a photographic record of their progress, and sharing their experiences, recipes, and techniques for healthy living with others on Ms. Gillis's blog at WeBeatFat.com; their story was featured in a CNN Health article in March 2013; and WHEREAS, Thanks to their smart choices, hard work, and dedication, Mr. Gillis lost 300 pounds and Ms. Gillis lost 200 pounds; moreover, Mr. Gillis is now a member of a running club, and Ms. Gillis recently completed a half marathon and teaches classes at a local gym; and WHEREAS, By taking responsibility for their own health and working hard to achieve their goals, Angela and Willie Gillis not only have made a great improvement in their own lives but also have become an inspiring example to others; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Angela and Willie Gillis on their impressive weight loss and extend to them sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness. Deshotel Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1354 was adopted by the House on April 15, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House