Teamwork is a vital aspect of winning in the sporting world, and it also can be important when losing weight is your ultimate goal.
Ari and Christina Buchanan have a typical American family: two young children, full-time jobs and not enough spare time on their hands. They decided that they needed to find the time to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. Their efforts eventually were rewarded because they worked together, with each other and with Dr. Loren Frankel at the Center for Medical Weight Loss in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
“I had enough,” Christina explained. “I’m over 40, and I was at the heaviest I’d ever been without being pregnant. I’ve struggled with weight my whole life, but this was my breaking point.”
Ari, meanwhile, was taking medication for high blood pressure and also felt the need to lose more than a few pounds. Teamwork kept them both headed in the right direction.
Christina and Ari wanted to lose weight safely, without worrying about sacrificing their health to drop a few pounds. Knowing that an experienced physician was directing their weight-loss efforts was a comforting thought. Under the six-week program, the Buchanans consumed 800 calories a day, replacing meals with shakes and protein bars. Each week, they visited Dr. Frankel, for positive reinforcement, as well as to make sure their health was not suffering.
“It was easy because he wasn’t fighting me about the food I was preparing, even while I was cooking full meals for our children,” Christina said. “We learned the strategies together, and we watched out for each other when one of us had the opportunity to cheat.”
“I have tried other weight-loss programs, but emotional eating was never discussed,” Christina added. “We needed a healthier lifestyle, and Dr. Frankel’s program took us in that direction. She helped us take food out of the picture, which is what we needed to accomplish our goals. ”
“We do a lot of face-to-face counseling in our weekly sessions. We meet with each patient and discuss everything from medications to shopping for healthier foods,” Dr. Frankel explained. “We have three programs patients can choose from, depending on their motivation and finances. Some of our programs are less intense. We have patients who have success with one program and then transition to another to reach additional goals.”
In addition to losing nine pounds during his first two weeks in the program, Ari was able to stop taking his blood pressure medication.
“I haven’t had to use medication since. Overall, I’ve lost 40 pounds and kept all of it off,” he said. “There are many reasons for men to consider a weight-loss program, even if they don’t have much to lose. The program is beneficial for the health reasons, but I also look better and younger.”
“The best part about having Dr. Frankel involved is she helps you better understand how your body can lose weight and possibly why it isn’t losing weight,” Christina added. “She also provides vitamin shots that help keep your energy up. You can’t get that in a non-medical environment.”
Seven months after the Buchanans completed their diet program at the Center for Medical Weight Loss, they continued to maintain their new weight. Teamwork, with each other and with their physician, was the key.
To learn more about the weight loss programs at Palmetto Women’s Health, call (843) 884-2206 or visit www.PalmWomensHealth.com.
