This blog post is a testimonial written by a patient who wanted to share their experience in hopes it could be inspiring or help others. This personal story may resonate with you or with someone you know, please feel free to share it!
I have been overweight since getting out of college nearly 50 years ago. I had tried every diet and every gimmick but it was always the same old yoyo story-- lose 10 or 15 pounds, then put it right back on. Notwithstanding the weight issue, I thought I was healthy. Then, in January of 2010, at age 59, while working out at a local gym, I started to have trouble breathing. I was having a heart attack. It was massive and life-threatening. I was rushed to the hospital, barely made it, and was awakened hours later that night to be told I had just come out of bypass surgery and had had seven--yes, that is 7-- bypasses. I suffered serious heart damage and was told that carrying too much weight could substantially shorten my life. Still, more failed diets ensued through the years. Up and down, up and down, round and round I went, always with a pervasive sense of failure. Then, a few years ago, someone suggested I try the POUNDS weight loss program. I was at my highest weight of about 190--way too much for someone 5'7" with my health problems. Today, as I write this, I weigh in at about 147. That is a loss of over 40 pounds, yes, forty! I owe this success to two things: my own inner determination to change my eating, lifestyle and nutritional habits and exercise regularly, and POUNDS. After decades of failure, disappointment, and self-recrimination, I have finally succeeded. The POUNDS program is truly outstanding. It is based on sound science and psychology. Regular meetings with talented, trained dietitians and counselors provide practical, doable advice. The counselors are experienced and knowledgeable and creative, not to mention highly professional, and will work with you on details, large and small, until you see real progress. Weighing in on a regular basis provides accountability and gives you the opportunity to track your weight and other key indicators--such as body fat. POUNDS sells some food but does not push it on you. You will be assisted in planning menus, but with a light and helpful touch. Devising a workable exercise plan is also on the agenda. You are never browbeaten or made to feel bad about yourself. Positivity is the watchword. The doctor who [co-founded and co-directs the program] founded and directs the program, Charles Cavo, is available for consultations and specializes in weight loss issues. He provides invaluable, science-based advice and an incredibly deep reservoir of knowledge. In sum, if, like me, you have spent decades failing at weight loss, I urge you to give POUNDS a try. I plan to continue going in regularly to make sure I keep off the weight I have managed to lose. This is the first time I have succeeded at this incredibly difficult, and frustrating, task. I literally-- and I mean literally-- believe that I may owe my life to POUNDS.
