HNT RSP Weight Loss Success Story: Kevin

Kevin is a participant of the HNT RSP (Remote Support Program) and has agreed to let us share his amazing weight loss success story with all of you! Read below as he shares many details. 

 

 

My name is Kevin.  Through most of my life I’ve been heavy.  There have been stretches where I have lost weight & kept it off for short periods of time, but eventually the weight comes back and increases.

Everything came to a head about a year and a half ago.  Though I was very heavy, I was always able to manage through everyday activities.  Things started changing towards the end of 2010.  Tasks were becoming more difficult, stamina was decreasing.  After walking about ¼ mile my back would start seizing up and I would be winded.  I needed a rest.  I couldn’t even stand still for more than a few minutes before I needed to lean against something or sit down to ease the strain on my back and legs.

From the end of 2010 through mid 2011 I had unknowingly, because I rarely checked my weight, gained over 50 lbs.  Years ago, I had purchased a scale which measured up to 440 lbs. as a standard home scale reading up to 330 lbs. was showing ‘ERR’ (Error).  With physical issues mounting and the thought that I may have to start buying shirts larger than 5XL, I pulled the scale out to weigh myself.  I assumed my weight would be in the 400-420 range, where it had been mainly in recent years.  This time the scale greeted me with ‘OL” (Overload).  Now being that this was already a heavy duty scale, this was a bit demoralizing.  I was forced to weigh myself on the loading dock scale at work, making sure no one was around.  The scale read 468 lbs.

With other events occurring in my life, adding stress to the already decreasing health, I went to my doctor for a physical to get the full scope of how bad I had become.  The prognosis was increasing blood pressure, among other readings, and most likely I would be diabetic before years’ end.  Though many friends & family over the years had begged me to lose weight, I finally realized that something had to be done.  My doctor had previously worked with Health and Nutrition Technology (HNT) in the past and he got me in touch with them to enter the program.  The decision has changed my life.

Due to the timing of when I joined HNT, I entered the Remote Support Program (RSP).  HNT utilizes Health One Meal Replacements in conjunction with weekly group and one-on-one discussions about nutrition, fitness & behavior modification.

Through the program, with the help of the HNT staff, I was able to help identify bad habits I was employing, plus better ways to handle stress & refocus energy to other activities other than eating. 

I learned the importance of being active, understanding I didn’t have to be tremendous in the beginning.  In fact due to my size & health condition, in the beginning most activities were measured in 5 – 10 minute intervals, but keeping with it, the time & intensity quickly increased.  I found enjoyment in activity.  Found it was much better to think things through during a walk, rather than sitting on the couch eating & feeling worse afterwards.  I felt increased confidence & empowerment as I set goals & achieved them.

The Health One Meal Replacements were extremely helpful with my weight loss largely through their versatility as a product.  Not only can they be made into shakes or soups, but they can also be cooked or baked into others forms to add texture.  Plus the variety of flavors led to many different meal choices. 

The meal replacement formula also provides well balanced nutrition, so I felt satisfied after eating them and any cravings were minimized. 

Now about 15 months after entering the program I’m down over 250 lbs. and have a much better outlook on life.  Blood pressure and all other measures are back in the normal ranges.  I’m probably in better shape today in my mid-40’s than I was in high school or college.

I don’t dread being active; I’ll walk to the store instead of driving to it even though it was only a ¼ mile away.  I wake up in the morning energized, ready to take on the day.

I understand my journey is not over, but has only begun.  I look forward to meeting new challenges and to see where they will take me.

 

Kevin: BEFORE HNT (468 lbs)

Kevin NOW: Down 250 lbs!!

Kevin NOW: with his OLD pants!

 

Know YOUR Nutrition Information Source

Nutrition information is running rampant on the Internet, TV & other media sources.  But, is this good nutrition information or a lot of misinformation?  In a recent episode of Dr. Oz it was suggested that consuming milk and yogurt with some fat is better for you than nonfat.  The same tune was sang by Laine Bergeson who is the Senior Editor at Experience Life magazine in THIS article claiming that whole milk is the "healthiest choice". 

So, do we believe these two sources? In our opinion, it is important to go to the nutrition expert for this kind of information.  According to the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, "a Registered Dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential "RD.""

Who is Dr. Oz & who is Laine Bergeson?

According to sharecare.com, Dr. Oz is,"Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital....He has… [Expand] authored or co-authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents. He performs 100 heart operations annually."  This is great if you are looking for information that pertains to the heart, heart surgery, etc, however this does not qualify him to speak on behalf of the nutrition expert community. 

Laine Bergeson has her credentials spelled out on Linkedin HERE.  She is currently the Senior Editor at Experience Life Magazine, but has in the past been an Associate Editor at Utne Reader magazine, Research Editor at Utne Reader magazine, and Researcher at National Institutes of Health (research grant project through the Mayo Clinic).  So does an editor or associate editor qualify someone to provide nutrition information? Most would say no.

Who should we turn to? Here is an article responding to this exact nutrition information and it is written by Barbara Quinn who is a nutrition author, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.  Her recommendation: "I vote to mix and match 2 to 3 servings a day of low-fat or nonfat dairy foods...and save the higher fat choices for occasional occasions".  She also states that, "Until we learn more, here's what we know: High-fat dairy foods are loaded with saturated fat-the fat implicated in raising "bad" LDL cholesterol in our blood.  Low-fat dairy foods have been shown to help lower the blood pressure and possibly help with weight loss.  Some components in dairy fat-such as CLA and transpalmitoleic acid-may offer additional health benefits."

Bottom line: Know where you are getting your nutrition information! Do a quick search in an online search engine (of course, be sure it's a credible source) to know where you are getting your information. 

A Family Losing Together-The Beckwiths

We have had several families participate in our weight management program and have great success.  The Beckwiths are one of those families.  They have been in the program for 29 weeks and have lost a total of 211 pounds or 21% total weight loss between the four of them.  We are so excited for them!  Take a look at their before and after pictures showing their weight loss progress, but don't forget about the health improvements or risks that have been lowered since beginning their journey at HNT. 

Christmas 2011

Summer 2012

Keep up the great work!

A Day in the Life of Daniel

I’m Daniel, a 32-year-old educator in central Arkansas. Since November, I’ve been using Health One Meal Replacements to lose weight as a part of a medically-supervised program. I’ve lost over 145 pounds, my waist size is now 12 inches (yes, a foot) smaller, and I have more energy than ever. At nearly 450 pounds, I never dreamed that I would be able to walk a mile, much less complete a 5K and climb a mountain.

It was about this time last year that I resumed my seasonal job supervising high school participants in academic summer programs at a nearby university. When I went to check out a van to drive the kids to our evening activity, I was shocked to find that I was unable to fit behind the steering wheel. Had I really gotten that big? In short, the answer was yes.

Growing up in the south, I was raised to take my food very seriously. Food that has been breaded, fried, smothered with cheese and/or gravy, and presented in gargantuan proportions is a staple. I hail from the state that hosts the World Cheese Dip Championship, for crying out loud. When someone is born, we eat. When someone dies, we eat. When someone gets a job, we eat. When someone retires, we eat. It’s not hard to see why my state was firmly ensconced in the top 10 list of most obese states recently.

So there I sat, half-way in a van, already late to pick up my campers. It was my wake-up call. For some, it’s seeing a photograph of themselves. For others, it’s a medical diagnosis. For me, it was not being able to get into a 1997 Dodge Ram Van. I’d had many other wake-up calls in the past, but I kept hitting snooze. Whatever your wake-up call is, it’s time to answer it before things get as far out of hand for you as they had for me.

“Obesity doesn’t run in your family. Nobody runs in your family.”

The sedentary child of an obese parent, it was no surprise that I weighed 165 pounds… in the third grade. In the fourth grade, I weighed 209 pounds. By the time I finished high school, our scale at home wouldn’t weigh me. When I got to college, I had a conversation with a nurse in student health services about ways to lose weight. She suggested diet and exercise.

Over my college years I tried every fad diet known to man. I really enjoyed the “Subway Diet,” but it wasn’t in my budget. I tried to eat “Healthy Choice,” but I soon learned that it wasn’t very healthy. For a long while, I lost a lot of weight on ephedra… until the FDA outlawed it. None of the changes I made through those efforts were lifestyle changes. They were quick-fix efforts. The end of the road came when I lost my mother to cancer two weeks before college graduation. I resumed eating then, and I didn’t stop until last November.

After getting my wake-up call, I started researching weight loss options. My employer would pay for gastric bypass surgery because I was morbidly obese, but I have long been afraid of the negative side-effects that I’ve seen in friends who went through the procedure. I could try yet another quick-fix diet, but I knew how it would turn out. I could go to one of the weight loss boutiques that have started popping up in strip malls everywhere, but how could I be certain that their products and services are safe?

I chose the Weight Loss and Metabolic Control Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which uses Health One Meal Replacements, weekly classes in nutrition and behavior modification, and regular visits with an endocrinologist. I attended the orientation session on a Thursday, visited with the doctor the following Tuesday, and by the next Thursday, I was on the program.

I am so satisfied with the program, the products, and my progress on them. “Is that the one where you just drink shakes?” Nope. I make all sorts of things including pizza, muffins, pudding, waffles, and pretzels. I have shakes, too, but not every day. “Is that the one where you have to eat their stuff forever?” Nope. Once I am released by the endocrinologist, I transition to grocery store foods using the nutrition knowledge I picked up in class, my new relationship with food that comes from the behavior modification classes, and ongoing support from my friends at the clinic.

Motivation to carry on comes from every direction. Simply knowing that I am healthier and likely to live longer as a result of the choices I am making is a huge part. Seeing the looks of disbelief when I run into people who haven’t seen me in a while is also thrilling. Serving as a motivator to my peers both in-person and through my blog is also rewarding. Finally, being able to do the things that I want to do makes it all worth it.

This year’s summer camps have begun, and I am not only driving the vans, but I’m keeping up with — and occasionally outpacing — the students at every turn. I’m happier, healthier, and more energized than I’ve ever been. Am I still obese? Yes. There is no quick fix for obesity, but I know I’ve learned the skills and mastered the tools to live a longer, healthier life thanks to the folks at UAMS and HNT.

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To read more about Daniel and his journey with weight loss, visit his personal blog: http://needlesspounds.com/

Mary Grim on her Inspiration: Mindfulness

Mary Grim is a participant at the Weight Management Program of Salem, OR.  She has been very successful in creating wonderful, delicious and inspiring recipes with the Health One Meal Replacement.  The rest of this post is Mary talking about her inspiration for her recipes! We hope you enjoy.

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My Inspiration - Mindfulness 

What do I mean by mindfulness? When it comes to my intake of fuel (food) it is about taking the time to prepare an attractive and nutritious meal, sitting down and being aware of what I am putting into my body. This has helped to eliminate the mindless eating that I have done for many years. What a difference this has made in my efforts to live well.  

As a first step in learning to be mindful, I made a commitment to climb out of my rut and improve my experience of eating. I was in a HUGE rut with my Weight Management Program – eating on the go and eating the same thing over and over again. My personal commitment began with a challenge to create unique, tasty, attractive and healthy meals using Health One Meal Replacement.  Like many of you, I do not have a professional culinary or dietary background. But I had prepared healthy meals for my sons as they were growing up; and, I do enjoy cooking. So with the knowledge I had, I began looking at recipes and photos of food. Then I started to experiment. This is where the fun began! 

Some of the steps I take before beginning to create a new recipe:

1. Find an existing recipe that might be converted successfully.
2. Ask some questions before you begin. Questions like:
1. What is the base ingredient that may be replaced by HOMR?
2. Does this recipe require leavening?
3. Does this recipe require thickening?
4. Will the recipe require additional sweetening?
3. Take the recipe and go down the list of ingredients.
1. Keep a list of additives and their calories for a quick reference. You may visit my blog No Longer a Grim Girl for a list of low or no calorie additives that I use on a regular basis. www.CalorieKing.com is also a wonderful reference that I use.
2. Identify ingredients that must be substituted to not exceed the allowable additive calories. My goal is to keep additives at 80 calories or less. The lower the better without sacrificing taste.
3. Learn the role of various additives. Some examples are:

                                          i.    Gelatin and pudding thicken.

                                        ii.    Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Eggs or Baking Mixes that include yeast provide leavening.

                                       iii.    Pudding, fat-free cream cheese or sour cream provides moisture.

Now it’s time to begin to experiment. The quantity that you make will most likely be your biggest challenge initially. If you’re like me, I was used to cooking in family sized quantities; and, I took family size portions. The change to “cooking small” takes some thought and practice.

Here are the steps I take when I begin to cook an experimental recipe:

1. Document EVERYTHING! If it is a success, you will be able to make the recipe again and again.
1. Ingredients – make a list.
2. Quantities – measure them exactly! I have a little measuring cup that measures by tablespoon and teaspoon.
3. Steps – what you do first, second…
4. Baking temperature, baking time or refrigeration time

Presentation – Make it pretty – YOU deserve it!

1. Serve food on a small plate – like a salad plate. Your plate will be full and give the illusion of more.
2. Color – one thing my mother taught me was to always have some color on your plate – some green beans or a few strawberries. If you’ve visited my blog, you’ve seen that I’ve even put edible flowers on a plate to add some color.
3. Set the table. Whether you are eating on a kitchen stool at your breakfast bar or at the table, make it look nice. Use a placement and a napkin.

You’re probably saying. “That’s great for you, but I don’t have the time to do all of that.” You don’t have to come up with great recipes on your own. The Health OneMeal Replacement facebook page and my blog have a lot of fun recipes. And, please know that these more involved recipes do not make up all of my meals. I still have my quick and easy favorite recipes that I make up in quantity for breakfast or lunch. And I have multiple shakes during the week. But at least three times a week I treat myself to a sit-down meal that is special. 

My hope is that you will share my inspiration to become more mindful while learning to live a healthy and happy life.

Be well…Mary

No Longer a Grim Girl

www.nolongeragrimgirl.blogspot.com

Quick Quote on Choices!

Found this great quote on Pinterest (couldn't get to the original source) and thought it exemplifies our program to a "T".  You have to know, understand, & own the consequences for all your actions including food choices!

Outstanding Improvement in Health Measures!

Our latest Dietetic Intern, Karen Willy, did her major project for this rotation on the improvement statistics of health measures including total cholesterol, BMI, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and A1c.  Here are her findings of those (n=1037) who completed the initial 20 weeks or Foundation:

Average reduction in BMI: 6.1 points

Average reduction in total cholesterol: 25 mg/dl  (maximum change was 166 mg/dl)

Average reduction in LDL: 18.4 mg/dl  (maximum change was 157 mg/dl)

Average reduction in TG: 40.2 mg/dl  (maximum change was 606 mg/dl)

Average reduction in A1c: 1.1 points  (maximum change was 5.5 points)

These are OUTSTANDING health improvements & we are proud of the patients that have been able to lose weight and improve their health.  We are excited to be able to help more individuals accomplish goals related to health improvements as well as weight loss. 

New Meat Nutrition Labels

On March 1, 2012 the USDA now has rules and regulations in place for the nutrition labeling of some meat products. This should help clear up the foggy assumptions of whether a meat product is really a good option or not.  Remember the leaner (lower fat %) the lower the calories and better the product is to help you lose or maintain your weight!

Here are the changes you will see:
1) All ground or chopped products (e.g. ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey) will have nutrition information on the package label
2) The rule also provides that if a ground or chopped product includes a lean percentage statement on the label, it must also display the fat percentage (ie. will be noted as 90% lean/10% fat ground beef product instead of the traditional way of labeling 90/10)

For more information, visit the Academy of Dietetics & Nutrition website.

Meet our Purdue University Dietetic Intern: Karen Willy

Karen is  from Fishers, Indiana and will be graduating from Purdue University Coordinated Program in Dietetics on May 13, 2012. In May 2011 she became an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer. She has a passion for fitness and nutrition.  When Karen is not in school or busy planning her June 2012 wedding, she enjoys working out, cooking, shopping, decorating homes, being an active member in church, helping others and spending as much time as possible outdoors.   

Karen will be with us in Indiana until April 27th-so say hello if you get a chance to see her!  

        

5 Helpful Tips When Dining Outside the Home

1. Plan ahead. Many restaurants now post their menus online, as well as their nutritional information. Even if they don’t have nutritional information, you can take note of the dishes you’re interested in and plan your caloric intake around them. The key is to watch out for portion size, because you won’t likely know until you arrive at the restaurant how big their portions are.

2. ONLY eat half of your meal. One way to address the portion issue is to ask if the waiter can bag half of your meal before they even bring your meal out to you. 

3. Know high fat lingo. There are a few words and phrases you should watch out for on any menu that indicate the fat content is going to be significant. They include “breaded,” “battered,” “with gravy,” “au gratin,” “cream sauce,” “buttered” and more.

4. Know how to have your meat cooked. One of the keys of weight loss is sticking with the right preparation types. Poultry, for example, should be skinless if possible, and it should be steamed, broiled, grilled, baked, boiled, poached or even roasted. It should definitely not be fried. Red meat is fine a couple of times a week, as well, just watch out for portion control and try to order more lean cuts as opposed to fattier cuts.

5. Go easy on the sauce. The most important tip when eating out is to order sauces, dressings and condiments on the side. This can save hundreds of calories. Be careful not to dump the entire side of sauce onto your meal and use only one to two small spoonfuls for your meal. 



         *Written by: Karen Willy, Dietetic Intern, Purdue University