Last year, at 59, I weighed 337 pounds. I knew that my obesity and Type 2 diabetes would surely mean severe health problems in my next decade. I really didn’t want to be 60 and sickly. But, what I thought I knew, limited what I thought I could do about it. After all, the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight, right? Worse yet, my bad back limited the exercising I knew must be required to take off weight at my age.
Good fortune came my way when a friend recommended I get nutritional and weight loss coaching from the team at the Hall Center. Jennifer Katz, the clinical nutritionist, and Jody Berger, the weight loss coach, explained to me that what I eat, not my age, limits weight loss. Once they pointed me in the right direction, something miraculous happened: I lost 70 pounds in seven months and my health improved dramatically! And it happened without strenuous exercise or my feeling food-deprived!
At first, I must admit, I was a little skeptical but Jody and Jen didn’t ask me to give up all the foods I liked. I was asked to give some ideas a try - like limiting my intake of products made with corn syrup and white flour.
Jody said if I gave up ingesting white sugar and sugar substitutes, my taste buds would change and many foods would taste better. So I did and, unbelievably, she was right! By the third week, fruits low in sugar, like strawberries, tasted amazingly sweet. Fresh vegetables tasted better than I could ever remember.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Jen created a food plan specifically for me. She suggested certain food brands, and some new foods, that she thought I might like, and then Jody took me shopping!! There are actually so many choices and healthy alternatives to consider, that I would have been lost on my own. Unlike many other diet and food plans that I’ve tried over the years, the personalized attention and coaching I received from The Hall Center, has allowed me to make lasting changes. I have completely changed the way I eat and learned so much in the process, there is truly no “going back” to old habits.
Now, in just seven months, I’m halfway to my ultimate weight goal!! My blood sugar is the lowest it’s been in ten years! As for exercise, I’m walking. It’s much easier now that I’m lighter. I’m up to a mile and a half a day and expect that will improve in coming months.
I’m very happy to write this - both to share my experiences and to be able to put into writing my gratitude. Thanks, Jody and Jen, for improving my life, for being my guides, and for making what I thought was impossible possible.
This information is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition.