Fueled by Community, A Full Life Blooms… Jeff’s Story
I’m 53 years old and I knew that it was time for a change. For the past 10 years of my life, I had been dealing with about 20 to 35 extra pounds of weight. The extra weight was not fitting into my active lifestyle. My family and I, very close and highly competitive, frequently go out to go dirt biking. You can imagine that this extra 35 pounds of weight didn’t help me on my dirtbike. I actually would fall off constantly and I would frequently hurt myself. In fact, at this point, I have now had 4 orthopedic surgeries due to this. Weight loss could have saved me a lot of time and a lot of money. On top of all of that, I have a physically demanding job as a firefighter. The extra weight just was not working for me and I absolutely knew that a change was needed.
Before going to Dr. Abby, I had tried a variety of approaches. My first serious approach was when I went to my regular physician. Their approach definitely worked. I was on a diet that consisted of bars, shakes, and power food. Although it wasn’t fun, I lost the weight that I needed. This option is quite expensive and isn’t easily maintained over a long period of time. After 8 months of being on this program, I transitioned off of the food substitutes. The weight came right back on. I needed another option that I could actually stick to.
The next go-to option was a trendy diet we had heard of. My wife and I did this together and she was actually able to lose about 10 pounds pretty quickly! Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same experience. I quickly noticed that this wouldn’t work for me due to my acid reflux. The south beach diet has a bunch of acidic foods and it wasn’t bringing me back to health. It simply did not work for my body.
I then tried to reduce my calorie intake and work with my daughter, an exercise physiologist, to get the weight off. At this point, I was having a hard time staying motivated; I was eating very little while only losing around 5 to 6 pounds. My hope came back around when I saw a significant change in one of my good friends. He started in a metabolic crisis and very quickly lost a large amount of weight. When I asked what happened… he said he went to Dr. Abby! I got scheduled immediately.
When I first met with Dr. Abby, I was confused as to why I was going to a Psychologist, Dietician, and Personal Trainer. All I was thinking was, “Can’t you just give me a food plan.” I quickly learned that weight loss is so much more than that. The team that I worked with was absolutely amazing! They all took a one-on-one approach that made this weight loss journey one that would allow me to be active with my grandchildren and fully enjoy my life.
There was only one point in my journey where a hit a low spot. I was feeling sorry for myself and felt like I couldn’t push on any longer. That day, I was walking out from meeting with the personal trainer, and I saw a lady that I knew had a long journey ahead of her. But she was ready to go! She inspired me and I knew that if she could do it, then I could certainly turn the frown on my face to a smile and push through. Dr. Abby’s community is full of inspiring people and that is one thing that pushed me through.
I was able to get the extra weight off. But more importantly, I have been able to maintain the weight loss, only fluctuating about 3 to 4 pounds since completing the initial program. I have never felt so successful before.
“What were your top 3 favorite things about Dr. Abby’s approach?”
1. Dr. Abby makes sure to develop a personal relationship with you. I felt completely supported throughout my whole journey and to this day I feel like Dr. Abby is someone who I can reach out to and ask for support.
2. Everyone that is on the Healthful Life MD team has seamless communication. They work together as a team and make sure that you understand what is going on throughout your process. Everyone partners up with you, rather than ordering you around.
3. Even though I am not paying for the program anymore, I never felt like I “left.” I always feel like I can reach out to Dr. Abby and let her know about my upcoming goals, when I need support, or when I need advice. Everything about Healthful Life MD was fantastic!