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December 10, 2009

Still 250 pounds thinner!

A wonderfully inspiring story from Judy:

A few days ago I bumped into a former weight loss clinic of mine who I had not seen for about 3 years.&; I was so happy to see her, and what she looked like, that I almost cried with delight.&; For this client was not your ordinary individual seeking weight loss help.&; She was special; someone who fought many obstacles to lose over 250 pounds.&; Alyssa (not her real name) had been a thin, active attractive young adult before she experienced a variety of severe emotional disorders which effectively stopped her normal life.&; She was hospitalized for an extensive period for psychiatric treatment.&; &;Alyssa told us that it was common practice at the inpatient facility for her and the other patients to order vast quantities of take-out foods such as pizza and Chinese food that they consumed most evenings.&; Alyssa, like nearly every other fellow patient on mood stabilizing medications, developed new seemingly insatiable food cravings and an inability to ever feel full.&; So she ate and ate.&; &;Ultimately Alyssa recovered from her emotional disorders, but the medication regime, which caused her to eat almost constantly, left her weighing over 500 pounds.&; She could barely walk without being out of breath and experienced an almost constant need to eat.&; As she began to resume life outside the hospital, she resolved to lose the weight she had gained.&; But she feared that an ordinary diet would leave her desperately hungry, and she did not know how to begin to exercise.

While she continued to take her medications, we helped her over almost two years with our weight loss plan that took away the incessant food cravings she had been experiencing.&; At first we told her to eat 5 meals a day and three high carbohydrate snacks so she would not feel hungry.&; The foods were considerably lower in fat and calories than what she had been consuming, and as the weight came off, we reduced the number of meals and calories she was eating.&; We also found a personal trainer who worked with her weekly to improve her stamina and increase her muscle strength which was weak due to her almost total inactivity.&; At first, she could not walk up and down the three steps in front of her apartment building without holding on for support. One of the first things the trainer did was help her buy walking shoes to support her weight.&; She could only walk around the apartment with difficulty when she first started to exercise but after several months, she was able eventually to walk 3-4 miles each day. And most importantly as she lost weight, she gained confidence in her ability to live a life without any restrictions due to weight or lack of fitness.&; As we worked together, I felt privileged to learn and share in her plans of what her future life would be like when her weight would no longer restrict her.&; And seeing her a few days ago, happy with her work, looking radiant, exuberant and full of good humor, I felt doubly privileged to learn that her future had&; arrived.

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