February 14, 2014 at 2:15 p.m.
Weight management program helps Northwoods woman retire to a healthy life
Weight management program helps Northwoods woman retire to a healthy life
"After years of gaining and losing weight, I was overweight and in danger of losing that dream of fitting into a kayak with my grandkids. I thought I had arthritis because my feet, back and knees hurt, I had sleep apnea, and my cholesterol and blood sugar were getting high," Austin said.
So just six months ago, Austin started the Marshfield Clinic's HMR Weight Management program. To date she has lost 63 pounds and is planning to lose an additional 15 pounds on the Phase 2 Maintenance program to reach her goal. She completed the modified fasting diet and then went on to complete the Healthy Solutions component and is now continuing with the Phase 2 Maintenance plan for support.
"A side benefit was that my husband also lost 35 pounds, even though he was not officially on the program," she said.
"Spouses often benefit from their partners weight loss journey," said Renee Trapp, HMR Health Educator. "When a spouse is adopting a healthier lifestyle, making better food choices and exercising more, partners will often join in and gain great healthy benefits as well."
"The thing that I found most effective about this program is it is decision free," stressed Austin. "You don't struggle - you are provided with exactly what you should eat so there is no guesswork. Also, on this program, you get plenty of food so you are not hungry. The entrees have lots of sauce so that you can add vegetables and really have a substantial amount of good food. And the shakes are great if you have a sweet tooth. There are an endless number of options for flavor varieties."
Having a background in research, Austin also appreciated the studies and research that are behind the clinic's HMR Weight Management program. Those studies show that many people will regain a fad-diet weight loss.
"This is not some magic pill. It's good, sound research-based nutrition and lifestyle changes that work. The studies presented showed that it's so important to continue with a program that offers a support system, like the HMR Phase 2 Maintenance program. You can be on Phase 2 for as long as you want in order to maintain the accountability and support you need to keep the weight off long term."
Austin also found the HMR program to fit well in her social activities. "Planning is important to be successful," she said. "If you plan ahead, you can take your HMR food with you so you can still enjoy going to restaurants and social gatherings."
"There is a wide gap in this country between what is normal and what is healthy in our eating habits. We are bombarded in advertising with messages telling us to super-size our portions. People need to be reminded about what is healthy in terms of portion size and types of foods we should be eating," said Trapp.
Today, Austin delights in fitting into new, smaller clothes and no longer has the aches and pains in her feet, knees and back that she once thought were arthritis. Her sleep apnea is gone and she has reduced her cholesterol by 50 points.
"My husband and I worked so hard to get to our dream of retiring here. Now we have a great outlook for a longer and healthier life so we can truly enjoy doing the things we want to do," said Austin.
"New classes are starting soon, and we have a special offer for couples or families - if members of the same household join HMR together, they receive 20 percent off the class fees," said Trapp.
For more information, call the Marshfield Clinic Minocqua Center's HMR Weight Management program at (715) 358-1036 or 800-347-0673.
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