Story:Lose weight and keep it off
By Jean Hansen Advertorial writer Sioux City Journal
Posted: Thursday, October 21, 2010 12:00 am
Charlie Miles of Sioux City has been overweight most of his life. It started when he was a child.
His mother, the youngest of nine children, grew up in the Great Depression. Because of her experience, it was important to her that her children be fed well. She encouraged Charlie to finish his plate, have seconds and eat the "little bit" that was left.
During his childhood, Charlie went up and down in weight, depending on the amount of physical activity he performed. After he got married in 1982, he tried a popular weight loss program, and lost 50 pounds. He slowly returned to his former eating habits and gained back the 50 pounds, plus, weighing in at 302 pounds in 1990.
Wanting to slim down to be a healthy, responsible father for his children, he went back to his former diet program and again lost some weight. This time he went down to 183 pounds. He even participated in the maintenance program to keep it off longer. But as soon as the novelty wore off and he felt he was no longer receiving the positive reinforcement from other people, he resumed his old eating habits.
In late December 1994, his mother died at age 70 after a long two-year battle with breast cancer. Charlie, who was 35 at the time, gained half of his weight back from his loss in the 1990s. Within six months, he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure, acid reflux and clinical depression followed soon after.
Seven years later, on his 20th anniversary with his wife, he was admitted into the hospital for pericarditis, a condition in which the sac-like covering around the heart becomes inflamed. He had open heart surgery to drain fluid from the sac and was hospitalized for three weeks. His weight crept up to 305 pounds.
He returned to his former weight loss program three more times between 2002 and 2007, and went up and down in weight, then he decided, why try? Tired of feeling like a failure and being embarrassed for putting weight back on after everyone had seen him thin, he decided not to do anything about his weight anymore.
After a rough year emotionally through 2008 and early 2009, Charlie hovered just under 350 pounds. Due to his stress, he had no interest in losing weight. Then his doctor who had been taking care of him for 20 years suggested he go to the Mercy Weight Loss Center, a physician-supervised nonsurgical weight loss program for people who want to lose anywhere from 10 to more than 200 pounds.
In May 2009, his doctor said something that rocked Charlie's world. After discussing Charlie's current medical needs and his astronomical weight gain, his doctor looked into his eyes and said, "Charlie, I love you and I want you to get better."
Charlie was rendered almost speechless! The words stunned him so much that he never forgot them.
At his next doctor's appointment in September 2009, Charlie received a packet about the Mercy Weight Loss Center. He agreed to look it over, but he stuck it in a drawer and procrastinated some more.
Then something happened again to get Charlie's attention. Last winter, when there was heavy snowfall, Charlie tried to walk through his back yard, got tripped up on his own feet, and fell in the snow. He had difficulty getting himself back up again. With no one to help him up, he bargained with God that he would start up a conversation with his doctor about the Mercy Weight Loss Center if he would help him up. Somehow Charlie was able to put his left leg underneath him and lunge up. But again he managed to put his bargain in the back of his mind.
In January 2010, he went back to his doctor to get his prescriptions filled and have his diabetes checked. Toward the end of the visit, his doctor asked him again about the Mercy Weight Loss Center. Remembering his bargain with God, he said he was planning to attend one of their meetings. The doctor asked him when, and he said he didn't remember when they had their meetings for sure.
The doctor scheduled Charlie for the next meeting on Feb. 2. "God poked me in the chest and reminded me of the snowdrift bargain," said Charlie in his blog, http://www.heavythoughts-lightliving.blogspot.com. "So I went."
At the orientation meeting on Feb. 2, he learned that Mercy Weight Loss Center offered a different approach to weight loss than he had encountered in the past.
"It was medically supervised and it looked like the results could be astonishing," he wrote. "Safe and effective weight loss? Yes!"
Charlie said he "was pretty nervous" at his first visit because he realized he would have to face the reality of whether he was going to do something about his health or live in denial.
"Knowing I had to face reality and taking further steps was intimidating and very scary," he said.
When he got to the meeting, he found that the staff at Mercy Weight Loss Center was very nonjudgmental and informative.
"They were waiting to be a partner in my corner to lose the weight and keep it off," he said. "After the orientation meeting, I decided. I was 75 percent convinced to do something. If not then, it was within a few short days. Between the way I felt and encouragement from family members, I was determined to get out of denial and give Mercy Weight Loss a try."
He was impressed that the program was medically supervised because he had health issues that needed follow-through with a physician.
"It made sense to me," he said.
When Charlie first joined Mercy Weight Loss Center on Feb. 19, he weighed 379.4 pounds. Today, he weighs 105 pounds less, thanks to the weight management tools he received and the accountability of having to weigh in weekly.
The first 10 weeks of the program, he was losing weight as rapidly as if he had had bariatric surgery, the staff told him.
He started in Phase 1, which is the aggressive weight loss phase of the program. During this phase, the participants lose their weight by using highly nutritious meal replacements.
"The meal replacements make sense," said Charlie. "You get the nutrition you need, and you eat less calories to help you lose weight. It's astounding."
He was able to eat until he was satisfied, so he didn't feel like he was denying himself, and it took the emotional edge off.
"I never felt abnormally hungry," he said.
Currently, he is in Phase 2 and gradually adding fruits and vegetables, lean meat and whole grains to his diet. The Mercy Weight Loss Center recommends that participants stay in Phase 2 a minimum of 18 months.
"The Mercy Weight Loss Center is with you every step as you make the transition back to grocery foods. You're experimenting to see what works for you," he said.
Charlie said Mercy Weight Loss Center is different from other weight loss programs he has tried in the past because it has given him the tools and the strategies to lose the weight and change his lifestyle so he can keep it off. He called it a type of intellectual, emotional and physical boot camp.
"Between the diet, nurses and health educators, the whole package is designed to give you the tools to lose weight and make it a lifestyle. I realize that it takes work and effort so you don't sabotage yourself. I'm looking at this long term. It's a lifelong struggle. They teach you to manage your weight for the rest of your life," he said.
There are times when Charlie eats something that is off his diet. Whan that happens, the staff at Mercy Weight Loss Center helps him come up with strategies to make better food choices.
"It's better to avoid making a mistake in the first place, but the staff at Mercy Weight Loss encourages you to get right back on track. You can do this by becoming more aware of what you are doing," he said. "You're giving yourself feedback and asking, 'Why am I eating this?'"
Being accountable is necessary and very healing for Charlie. He remembers that he has to be at Mercy Weight Loss Center and stand on a scale once a week.
"The scale isn't going to lie," he said. "And midweek I put in a call to a dietitian to report what I eat. It helps. The dietitian is nonjudgmental and helps you strategize for social situations where you would be likely to eat more than normal, such as eating at a restaurant or going out with friends. They encourage you to eat before you go to an event so you feel mostly full and to concentrate on the enjoyment of being around people instead of the food. They will stay on the phone with you and strategize. They want you to get it out there and deal with problems. They're solution oriented. They ask, "How can you solve this problem so it happens less frequently?" I'm learning skills over time."
Charlie also has to write his name on a chalkboard and write down his food choices, meal replacements eaten, and exercise amounts in front of a group. Wanting to be in compliance with his peers, he makes an effort to stay with the program. He calls it "subtle peer pressure."
The most important thing he learned? "Losing weight is a mindset. I always knew if I was going to lose the weight and keep it off, I had to change my lifestyle," he said.
Charlie also had to adjust to the idea that he had to add exercise to his routine.
With the weight loss that Charlie has attained, he has gradually been able to "get his life back."
When Charlie started the Mercy program he was taking 204 units of insulin; today he's down to 65 units a day. In addition, he was on two high blood pressure medications, and now he is only taking one.
Since he feels better, he is walking and going to the gym regularly with his wife, "who has a brand new husband and is very happy."
"I'm very happy," he said. "I'm toned up and looking better physically than I have in a long time."
Mercy Weight Loss Center specializes in helping clients learn and apply the skills needed to successfully lose weight and keep it off for a lifetime! It offers the HMR program, which is the No. 1 physician supervised nonsurgical weight loss program in the nation.
Their staff includes registered dietitians and nurses specializing in weight loss and weight management. They can structure a weight loss plan tailored to your specific needs.
Positive coaching, mentoring and friendly accountability all combine to offer a complete package of tools for safe and sane weight loss with results.
If you need help with weight loss and management, call Mercy Weight Loss Center today to get started on your journey to better health!
Sign up in November or December and receive your first month of classes free (an $80 value).
For more information, call Mercy Weight Loss Center at (605) 217-4567.
Copyright 2010 Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
.Posted in Healthwise on Thursday, October 21, 2010 12:00 am Updated: 4:35 pm.
Tags: Mercy Weight Loss Center, Charlie Miles
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