Lynda’s Story
56 pounds lost

Lynda is a petite woman, with an infectious smile and eyes that flash with wisdom. The 41-year-old resident of Bond Hill, like many of us, juggles more than seems possible. She’s married, with three children, and works as a registered nurse at a hospital.

Although always active and busy, Lynda was growing tired of the extra weight she carried and the way it made her look and feel. Then came the news that pushed her to try something different, “There were three people in my family diagnosed with diabetes and I didn’t want to be another statistic,” she said.

Before losing weight, her annual physical revealed that she had high cholesterol and borderline high blood pressure. She also notes that she had a hard time finding clothes that fit well. “The least amount of physical activity was hard. It was just horrible. My husband would want to go places and I didn’t want to go because nothing looked good on me,” Lynda said.

Lynda considered her weight loss options before deciding upon Jewish Hospital’s Weight Management Center. “I had a friend from church who went to the Weight Management Center, and she lost a lot of weight. I’d tried a lot of things before, and none of them worked for me. I thought, ‘if she can do it, so can I.’ I went to one of the orientation sessions, and they had a payment plan that fit into my budget. So I tried it!”

Since starting the program, Lynda has lost 56 pounds.

“I would definitely refer anyone to The Jewish Hospital Weight Management Center. If they decided to do the program, I would encourage them to do the all-liquid fast and not to cheat. See what the program is going to do for you.”

Lynda’s weight loss means more than just looking great in anything she wants to wear. It also means a healthier life for herself, and more energy to keep up with her family.

“I have a lot more energy now. One of my goals in losing weight was to look nice in a swimsuit. My daughter is on a swim team, so I’m always at the pool. It was deterrent to going before I lost weight. Now I go and have a lot of fun with them.”

Geoff’s Story
196 pounds lost

When Geoff saw his daughters begin battles with weight, he decided he wanted to be a good role model for them, and embarked on his own weight loss regime. “I wanted to model good behavior for them,” he said. “Plus, I was turning 45 and I wanted to be healthier.”

Although he had known about The Jewish Hospital Weight Management Center for several years, Geoff opted to try other methods first. After a variety of different diets met with minimal success, he even considered surgery. “To me, surgery was going to be the last stop on this path, so I wanted to try everything else first.” About a month after his wife joined Jewish Hospital’s program, Geoff decided to try it as well, considering it one more stop on the inevitable way to surgery.

After losing nearly 200 pounds through the program, Geoff no longer considers surgery as an option for him. He is confident that the Weight Management Center’s program was indeed the last stop on his path to weight loss.  “I think differently about food and my life,” he said.

Geoff didn’t consider himself a sedentary man, but he admits that being overweight meant he didn’t have the ability to be athletic. “A decent-sized hike was the limit,” he said. “I walked briskly, but I couldn’t run if I had to.” He added that knee and ankle problems were made worse by his weight, but he feels lucky that there were no serious physical problems before beginning the program. Recently, Geoff accomplished a 150-mile bike ride and has seen a positive change in the level of physical activity in his family as well.

Weight loss was fast for Geoff, which helped to keep him motivated, and support from family and friends was an added boost. The biggest challenges didn’t come from having only meal-replacement shakes to drink, but rather in attending the weekly meetings. “I’m generally not a ‘joiner’ – I didn’t think group meetings would work for me. But they really do, and that changed a lot of my pre-conceived notions. Coming here every week and getting support makes a huge difference.”

For those who are considering the program, Geoff has a few words of advice: “Although you need to make sure you’re ready to commit to the program, know that’s it not harsh. My pre-conceived notion of this program was that it was more controlled than it ended up being. I was surprised by the respect for individuality that the people in the program showed for me. They realize that everyone is going to be a little different, and there are ways to make the program adapt to your body and your psyche.”