Ellen's Success Story
1. What brought you to Med*Thin and Dr. Liao?
Frustration with my body and frustration with my insurance company led me to Dr. Liao and Med*Thin in the spring of 2023. Before I walked into Dr. Liao’s office, I had lost about ten pounds with the help of a nutritionist and tracking my food and reducing my heavy cardio training. I had the correct tools, but my body weight hit a plateau. Having experienced many weight plateaus in my life, I wanted to try medication. My insurance would not cover it even though I was pre-diabetic, and I had a history of diabetes in my family, and I had a very high BMI. My OBGYN recommended Dr. Liao and Med*Thin, and I am ever so grateful for the recommendation that changed my life.
2. What was the hardest part about the journey?
The hardest part of my journey was changing my mindset that heavy cardio was not the answer to weight loss for my body. I’ve trained for half-marathons, marathons, and a Half-Ironman, and I was killing myself with the cardio training in a high heart rate zone. Believe me, I was a heavy runner and cyclist. When my nutritionist, who I still see, told me that the cardio was burning out my body, I didn’t believe her until I started taking medication. I had to stop the high cardio because when I hit a high heart rate, I would toss my cookies. Not pleasant.
3. What were your biggest victories, including non-scale victories?
Since I started taking medication, I’ve lost forty pounds. I’m now in Maintenance. I never thought there would be a point in my life where I would not only be happy with my weight but maintaining it. Even as a kid, I have always struggled with weight. I’m 58 years old now, and I still can’t believe I’m at peace with my weight. I’m also not pre-diabetic, which is a huge victory in my family. I understand what foods can trigger my eating and what foods work with my metabolism. I eat 95 percent of the time clean, and the other 5 percent is usually Tex-Mex. I’ve also put aside the competitor’s ego and bought an electric road bike so that I can cycle with my very fast husband and his very fast cycling group. I stay within my fat burning zone rather than a high heart rate zone.
4. How has your perspective changed?
I am no longer a member of ‘The Clean Plate Club.” I eat until I’m satisfied and full. Taking the medication helped me recognize that feeling. The medication also stopped the food noise in my head. It was constant ever since I was a child. Through therapy as an adult, I learned to tolerate the food noise in my head, but I never thought it would just stop. Sure, the food noise pops its head out when I’m stressed, and that’s when I really concentrate on my food tracking and eating cleanly and spending time outside.
5. What would you tell someone who is thinking about starting this journey?
Listen to Dr. Liao and her recommendations. Dr. Liao recommended that I take medication, but she told me that it was not a magic shot. It is one of the many tools in a toolbox. In my case, the medication was the missing tool I needed to work with other tools: my nutritionist, food tracking, and sensible exercise. Even though I am in Maintenance, I have not abandoned my tools. I still meet with my nutritionist every six weeks. I still track my food in MyFitnessPal. I still exercise but sensibly. I also take a very small dose of medication. It’s work for all of us that want to lose weight, to get healthy again, and to experience some peace. It’s also brave.