Hi, I am Michelle. I joined the Institute for Weight Management on March 2010. I have lost 84 lbs. since then. I am so happy with my progress and intend to continue the program. My lifestyle has changed completely since I started. I stick to my diet and have been walking every day! I come for weekly weigh ins and enjoy my visit with the doctor and find it very helpful to talk with her and the staff.
I chose to start the OPTIFAST “diet” on Dec. 4, 2011 after celebrating my 30th birthday and realizing I was at the heaviest I have ever been. I can honestly say this was the best decision I have ever made. The first two weeks were difficult but I found maintaining a schedule of my meals (I only ate the meal/ snack bars and the shakes) and exercise helped a great deal in keeping me motivated. Now, 9 months later, I have lost 75.5 pounds and have never felt better!
Picture yourself riding along a railway track countless miles long. Though the sights you see from the track gradually change as you move along, the track itself is always the same, never widening or narrowing. Just as the track has no starting point, it also has no end, no greater goal to attain—to run along the track is itself the purpose.
Pets do wonders for our health. Caring for any pet can reduce allergy problems for children, decrease anxiety, increase socialization and even improve heart health, but dogs top the list of furry companions when it comes to health enhancers. In fact, your dog can even help with your weight loss program. New Jersey dog owners are more likely to be up and about doing tasks and spending time with their canine companions than are those who go home to a quiet house.
Richard came to see us in May of 2012 when he was referred by his primary care doctor for weight management. At that point he suffered from excruciating knee and back pain (having undergone 12 back surgeries) and was walking with a cane. He could hardly move around without being in a lot of pain. He was started on a partial Optifast diet which he followed very well.
Coming to terms with your weight is a struggle for all of us, but at least most of us have the benefit of not having our weight loss struggle broadcasted on the evening news. This can’t be said for our Governor Chris Christie. All politics aside, Christie’s very public battle with weight loss makes him a relatable figure for many people, especially those participating in a weight loss program. The New Jersey Governor has had the unfortunate experience of being the butt of many political satirists’ jokes—Jimmy Kimmel even poked fun at Christie’s weight this past April at the White House Correspondent’s dinner as cameras zoomed in on Christie’s face to capture his reaction.
How long do you spend driving to and from work every day—thirty minutes to an hour or more? Your long commute could be detrimental for your efforts towards medical weight loss in New Jersey. New research from Brown University found that for every hour spent each day commuting, the average person has 16.1 percent less time for exercise, 30.6 percent less time for sleep, 5.8 percent less time to eat as a family and 4.1 percent less time to prepare food. Sacrificing time for healthy behaviors like the ones above could put your waistline at a disadvantage.
It might sound like something out of a comic book, but researchers at Harvard Medical School think they might have found a way to boost exercise through medication, which might make for an interesting addition to programs for medical weight loss in New Jersey in the future.
Despite our best efforts lose weight by shopping healthy at the grocery store, it can be easy to get tricked into buying foods that aren’t as good for you as they might seem. This is especially true when food manufacturers add misleading labels that may not be telling you the whole story, causing you to believe that a product is healthier than it actually is. This kind of marketing is dishonest, plain and simple, and can wreak havoc on our best dietary intentions.
Binge eating due to stress can always derail your diet plan, while lack of confidence or a negative outlook may prevent you from following through with a weight loss plan or keep you from beginning one at all. To help keep up with your weight loss in New Jersey, here are some tips on avoiding the mental anguish and self-deprecation that can help keep you on track with your weight loss goals.