Last winter, Dan and I became concerned about our health problems.

We are in our early 70s, and had started dealing with high blood pressure and Type II diabetes. We realized being overweight was at the root of our problems. We knew we would feel better if we each lost 50 pounds.

We decided to lose weight together through the Sparrow Weight Management program. Dan had never dealt with eating habits. However, I had yo-yo dieted many times. We liked the concept of weight management, rather than dieting since we were looking for a long range solution that could change our lifestyle. We feel we made a good decision, making the OPTIFAST program and our participation a top priority in our lives.

Dan and I started on the OPTIFAST 12-week program and quickly became immersed in group classes, weigh-ins, blood draws, exercise sessions and individual consultations. As we progressed, we found all this activity very beneficial, enhancing the support we received and increasing the knowledge we gained. Best of all - it was working for us!

Dan and I were amazed that we did not feel hungry or deprived of food because our bodies were receiving all of the nutrients they needed. Supervision by medical staff and professionals made us more comfortable with our program since the liquid diet concept raised a lot of questions and comments from friends and family.

Then we started the 12 weeks of transition back to eating, cooking and making decisions about meals. With all the information and help from staff and classmates, this was much easier to do than we had anticipated. Emphasis on exercise, along with weight loss, helped us gain strength and balance, which sadly been missing in our everyday life prior to attending Sparrow Weight Management Center's classes.

We now are in the maintenance phase of our program. Dan has lost 70 pounds. I have lost 50 pounds. Dan no longer takes three medications and is feeling well. I would like to lose more weight, but I think it will happen over time as we continue to emphasize living a healthy lifestyle. We are eating, shopping and cooking differently, and our portions sizes are much smaller. We also make it a priority to work out for at least one hour, four days a week.

Dan and I plan to keep participating in the maintenance program offered by the Sparrow Weight Management Center. Our health and mobility are greatly improved, leaving us much more satisfied with living life at our age and activity level.

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