Commercial for UnityPoint Clinic | Weight Loss Leads to Lasting Change
Posted: February 13, 2013
Provided By:
UnityPoint Clinic
A little over a year ago, Lori Wildeman fell on the ice, causing her then 275 pound frame to hit the ground hard. Fortunately, Lori was not severely injured, but she did visit a doctor, who informed her if she did not do something about her weight, she would need double knee replacement. It was upon leaving that appointment and hearing a commercial for Iowa Health Weight Loss Specialists (the former name of UnityPoint Clinic | Weight Loss) that she decided to make a change. Lori met with Dr. Brady for the first time of March 3, 2011, and since that day, her life has never been the same.
Initially, Lori was overwhelmed at the thought of losing 150 pounds. But, as she started to make dietary and exercise changes, Lori started seeing the weight come off. After seeing the number on the scale go down quickly at the beginning, it was difficult for Lori when her weight loss became more gradual.
"The hardest part of the journey has been hitting the plateaus. Everyone will hit a plateau at some point when losing weight. It's inevitable because your body takes time to adjust to the changes you're making," said Lori.
With the support of her husband and Kelsey Ermels, health coach, Lori was able to preserve and continue making progress toward her weight loss goal.
"Kelsey gave me good advice about switching things up with my workouts and my food choices," said Lori. "She reminded me that when your body gets used to something, it will stay that way. She suggested I do different types of exercises and eat different foods. Sure enough, I did slightly different workouts each week and changed my food patterns a bit more and I started losing again."
"I have lost nearly 100 pounds by learning to modify my behaviors and my attitudes about food and exercise with the help of these healthcare professionals," said Lori.
Lori is a big proponent of strength training. For the past six months, Lori has been doing TRX suspension training and loves it. She also started taking a kettle bell class at her local YMCA in addition to water aerobics and Pilates. But, Lori's favorite physical activity is being able to actively play with her granddaughters.
Looking ahead, Lori's short-term goal is to lose 50 more pounds before October, when she and her husband will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Jamaica. Long-term, Lori wants to keep exercising on a daily basis, so she can continue to improve and maintain the healthy benefits she has experienced since losing weight.
"No matter how you approach weight loss, you still have to be the one to do the hard work necessary to succeed and reach your goals."