“I started my journey with Enara Health in November 2017. The 6 months it took me to get from 158 lbs to 127 lbs was not an easy road, but I was determined to be healthier for myself and my kids. Weight loss for me has always been challenging since I’ve always had an idea of dieting from what I’ve read online, but had no idea what dieting really meant. It should have been more of a lifestyle change and incorporating healthy ways into my diet, instead of a monthly restriction on Whole30, or 3 months on Paleo, and then going back to my terrible eating habits after restricting myself from certain food groups. My weight yo-yo’ed between the fad diets.
I was 89 lbs in high school and was barely 109 lbs in college. After I graduated from college, I’ve ate most of my meals out as I worked on my career, dealing with divorce and raising 3 kids on my own. I steadily gained weight until I hit 145 lbs. 145 lbs may not seem like a lot, but the weight gain was very noticeable on my 5’2″ frame. I signed up for a gym and went a few times a week. I would lose the same 5 to 10 lbs, but once I started working at an accounting firm (working 70+ hours per week) and also studying for my master’s, the little exercise regimen I had went out the door and the lbs started packing on even faster. Before I knew it, I walked across the stage to receive my master’s degree at 170 lbs in 2015!
It was definitely a wake-up call for me! I knew I had to focus on my health and weight before it got even more out of control. With the master’s program behind me, starting a new job with normal working hours and a very supportive boyfriend, I became what most people would consider a ‘gym rat’. Working out almost every day, weight lifting, running, boot camp classes. I changed my daily routine to include a boot camp class before work and after work, and lost 12 lbs on my own. My blood pressure was still through the roof and my chronic kidney disease was slowly progressing. I still did not feel as healthy as I could be. Desperate to make a change, I called Enara.
When I met with Dr. Rami, I didn’t have labs done yet, so we couldn’t definitively say VLCD or the Gradual Program would be better for me. Since I had a big trip to Southeast Asia coming up, we decided that I should go on the Gradual Program to see results for 2 months. I was successful in the first month and was able to lose about 10 lbs. My only goal from Danielle was to maintain while I was on my trip. I came back from 3 weeks of vacation losing a lb! Danielle has been my champion and rallying behind me. She has helped educate me on good food choices and how it could help lower my blood pressure and weight. She also pinpointed when I would make bad decisions (drunk munchies or hangry) and encouraged me to make better decisions before I get to the point of making bad food choices. Between her gentle reminders and weekly visits, I was able to stay on the Gradual Program and making great progress. At the 3 month mark, Dr. Rami added in intermittent fasting to give my internal organs, especially my kidneys, a break. And as an added bonus, the intermittent fasting jump started my weight loss again. At the 6 month mark, I’m down to 127 lbs. My current goal is to stay under 130 lbs. I’m currently in maintenance mode and feel like I would keep up with the intermittent fasting in my lifestyle.
Over the past 6 months, I was able to maintain my muscle mass with regular workouts and weight lifting. As of today, I’m still a gym rat! On the weekends, I run 5k races with my family and friends for fun and have even changed up my social hour from ‘eating/drinking’ to ‘working out’. I’ll meet with friends to take classes at different gyms or go hiking at different trails. If we do go out to eat, I scope out the restaurant menu online ahead of time, so that I can make better choices. I am able to keep up with my kids now and not out of breath when we’re racing uphill or hiking. They call me their “fit mom”, (not cool, because you know I’m still their mom). My diet has really changed for the better and it is slowly being incorporated into my family’s diet. It has become a domino-effect and making my family’s diet healthier. The kids ask for salmon and asparagus as part of our weekly dinner rotation!
My family and friends started taking notice of my weight loss around the 3 to 5 month mark and I have the team at Enara to thank! I’m still on this journey and will continue with Enara for as long as it takes. I’m committed to this process and owe it to myself to be as healthy as possible. And there is no way I could be where I am without Dr. Rami, Danielle, and the team at Enara Health!
I’ll end this with a quote that helped me keep going when it got tough: “It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice. Give it 12 weeks.”
So don’t QUIT! Give it your best shot. You have the rest of your life to be the best that you can be.”
Weight Loss Progress:
Anne was able to lose 28 Lbs (18% of her weight) in 6 months
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LDL Cholesterol Progress: 37%
Reduced her body fat percentage by 13
- 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.
- LDL is the bad cholesterol.
- It collects in the walls of blood vessels leading to atherosclerosis which put you at greater risk for a heart attack or stroke.
- The goal for people with one other risk factor for heart disease (e.g. increased BMI, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history) is an LDL level under 100.
- Learn more about PBF (Percent body fat)
