Meet Linda, our June Rockstar! She has lost and kept off 23% of her weight! She has also improved her blood lipids, and lowered her A1c, insulin, and triglycerides.
Midway through the pandemic lockdown I met (virtually) with my doctor who told me that if did not get my blood sugar and visceral fat in check, it would be very bad news for my pancreas. I was on track to becoming an insulin-dependent type 2 diabetic. Being in the medical field, I was well aware of what that could mean for my ongoing overall health and was scared to death! I had dieted before (WW and Akins anyone?) with varying degrees of success but no dieting had resulted in sustained weight loss. When my doctor suggested I consider bariatric surgery, I knew it was time to really get serious and lose weight. Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol were not going to make me the healthy grandmother I wanted to be. After doing research into bariatric surgery, I decided that it was not the best idea for me. I then started looking into alternatives. My goal was not to lose a specific amount of weight. Instead I wanted to improve my overall health which was impaired by my excess weight.
When I came across Enara, I was immediately attracted to working with and receiving support from a qualified team of professionals – medical, nutrition, psychological and physical movement. The other element that was appealing were the nutrition plans based on real foods. No gimmick diets or diets of prepared foods, shakes, or soups. I knew if this was going to be successful long term, I needed real foods and lifestyle changes. It was also imperative that I had access to all of this via a well-developed technological platform so that this could all be managed remotely during the pandemic.
Following the program and working diligently with my team, I have realized my weight loss goal. This has also resulted in losing visceral fat, improving my blood lipids, and being able to eliminate medication for my type 2 diabetes. Reaching these goals with Enara has only been the beginning. I am in my second year—losing the weight was the easy part, maintaining it is where the real work has been for me. Now that I am in maintenance, I find the online group classes facilitated by the psych-med team to be so important to my ongoing success in this journey. These classes have been invaluable in my ability to manage an eating disorder, gain new tools for future success, and meet with others in the program to share struggles and successes.
Along with my health improving and no longer worrying about adding insulin to my diabetes care, I have more ease of movement and feel better in my body. The only real drawback has been that I had to buy an entire new wardrobe!
Special thank you to Dr. Andrea Pollema and Dana Ilvedson, RD who have proactively checked in and supported me throughout this process, Dr. Roopal Lalaji for providing the insight needed to tackle maintenance, and Anthony Ricci who has tried to keep me moving for the past 18 months.
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Linda Before -
Linda Now
Linda lost nearly 50 lbs (23% of her starting weight)
Linda’s Percent Body Fat
PBF (Percent Body Fat) is the percentage of your body that is made up of fat. Everything else is usually referred to as “lean tissue.” This gives a more accurate representation of health, fitness and leanness.
Linda lowered her A1c by 2.3%
- Hemoglobin A1c measures the percentage of your blood hemoglobin that is coated with glucose (sugar). This test reflects your average blood sugar level for the past 2-3 months.
- A level less than 5.7 is normal, a level between 5.7 and 6.4 indicates pre-diabetes, while a level of 6.5 percent or higher indicates type 2 diabetes.
Linda lowered her insulin by ~63%
- Insulin is a hormone secreted by your pancreas. Its main role is to regulate the amount of nutrients circulating in your bloodstream, in particular sugar.
- Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding to insulin correctly, causing high insulin and blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance is linked to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
- Insulin resistance can be reversed by weight loss and lifestyle changes including exercise.
Linda lowered her triglycerides by ~49%
- Fatty foods and carbohydrates that we eat are broken down into globs of fat called triglycerides.
- High levels of triglycerides can increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and nerve damage.
- Excess glucose in the blood can be used to make triglycerides, which is why people with insulin sensitivity, pre-diabetes, or diabetes often also have elevated triglycerides.
