1. What brought you to Med*Thin? I was referred to Dr. Liao by my surgeon, Dr. Christopher Bell. I had seen Dr. Bell with what I thought was a hernia. He diagnosed my condition as Diastasis Recti. The solution was either to have surgery or lose weight. We opted for the latter, which is how I ended up meeting Dr. Liao.

2. Did your goals change at all once you met with Dr Liao? My motivation changed from addressing my health-related issues (primarily being overweight) to realizing that it was a lifestyle change that was needed. The information provided by Dr. Liao on how the body processes different types of food was a “game-changer” for me at the beginning of the process and helped me to stay focused. I had to re-learn everything about my relationship with food.

3. What was the hardest part about the journey? Initially, the intermittent fasting; though this has become more manageable over time and is now part of my everyday living. I also reduced the number of times I would eat out during the week. Now I cook my own meals and eat out infrequently. This was difficult too (it is so much easier to order take out after a day’s work than having to worry about preparing dinner when you get home). Meal preparation and planning advice (from Dr. Liao) was a great help with this.

4. What were your biggest victories? Losing so much weight, which resulted in being able to wear 'normal' sized clothes. It gives me great joy to no longer have to do the 'walk of shame' to the Big & Tall section at the store when shopping for clothes. I have also come to realize that it is not a matter of doing ‘without’ certain foods, but more of a conscious choice each day about what foods I eat. When I started seeing Dr. Liao, I was a size 46 waist and wearing XXXL shirts; I am now wearing size 34/36 and XL shirts.

5. How much weight did you lose over how much time? When I started with Dr. Liao in November 2019, I weighed 260 pounds. By November 2020, I weighed 175 pounds, a loss of 85 pounds. My current weight (as of May 2021) is still around 175 pounds, give or take a pound or two on any given day. The goal now is to maintain my current weight for at least a year before donating the 3 closets of clothes that I have that I can no longer wear. (What a great thing that is!!).

6. What would you tell someone who is thinking about starting this journey? Jump in with both feet! Also, do not think of it in terms of having to do without, but think about the overall goal, and decide for yourself how you can get there. Having Dr. Liao as a guide who is so affirming, positive, and uplifting has helped me through some of the minor setbacks during the process. Dr. Liao is a great believer in looking at overall progress, rather than focusing on the little things.

John's Success Story