Fernando Garza
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After being overweight for the last 18 years of his life and reaching his highest weight at 315 pounds, Fernando Garza knew that he “should” lose weight. It wasn’t until after his completion of One One Nineteen’s Executive Health Program in August of 2009 that he
recognized the gravity of the situation. After several failed
attempts to lose weight, Garza had begun to consider the lap-band procedure. However, he decided to give it one more shot on his own and make the positive changes needed to lose weight without
the lap-band.

Shortly after this wakeup call, Garza began One Nineteen’s OPITIFAST program, a medical weight management program
designed for people who need to lose 50 pounds or more. OPTIFAST includes meal replacements, medical monitoring, behavioral counseling, education, long-term management, and a one-year fitness membership. “OPTIFAST has shown me that I don’t need to overeat to be happy or to solve my daily stress issues,”
said Garza.

In addition, he exercises five to six days per week. “I have made exercise a priority in my life,” states Garza. “If I go to work, I go to the gym first and I also go on some Saturdays or Sundays. I made it part of my routine. One Nineteen makes this easy for me and enjoyable.” Garza attends spin class at least three days per week,
swims, and works out on machines. Twice a week he does strength training. He emphasizes that variety is the key to his consistency. Garza has gained muscle due to his exercise program, whereas many individuals lose muscle when losing weight. This has kept his measured metabolism at the same rate.

Garza now weighs 246 pounds, bringing his total weight loss to 69 pounds over the last 6 months. His HDL (good) cholesterol has increased from a high risk of 32 (normal >40) to 51. “Deep inside, I knew I could do it. One Nineteen has been a better tool than the lap-band, and has done wonders for my self-esteem,” said Garza. “I don’t need the lap-band to accomplish my goal; I am doing it myself with One Nineteen’s help.”

Mr. Garza’s final weight goal is 190-200 pounds. He believes that the hard work he has put forth to get where he is today is what will keep him focused on weight maintenance in the future. “One Nineteen is the perfect environment for me to meet my goal. The facility provides a great variety, including nutrition, an incredible pool, locker room, steam room, weights, and a great staff of trainers. The spinning instructors and Hannah and Jerry (trainers) have been key and I enjoy getting their opinion and support in helping me meet my health and wellness goals,” continued Garza. “Meeting these goals will directly affect my family, work, and self, benefits which have and will impact my life—not just my weight.”

Melissa Howard
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My name is Melissa Howard and I want to tell you about my experience with the OPTIFAST Program. In January of 2010, I was 105 lbs over weight. In addition I have type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sleep apnea and fatty liver disease. On Monday, February 1, I started the OPTIFAST program at St. Vincent's One Nineteen. I initially met with Donna Sibley, Registered Dietitian, who explained how the program works. The first twelve weeks of OPTIFAST is a total meal replacement program.

I was worried that I would be hungry but was pleasantly surprised how filling the food was. I began seeing Dr. John Farley every week initially and then every other week. Dr. Farley monitored my lab results to make sure that everything was running smoothly. I also attended weekly educational meetings with Donna one week and Jackie Talley, a behaviorist, the next to learn the right foods to eat, what amounts to eat and how often to eat. I also learned what would trigger me to over eat and how to modify my behavior to stop over eating. I began losing weight the very first week and then averaged 3 - 4 lbs in weight lose per week through out the program.

At the beginning of the thirteenth week, Donna began to transition me back to regular food one meal at a time. By the end of the eighteen week program, I had lost a total of 54 lbs. I then immediately started the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Weight for EveryBody program as a follow-up to OPTIFAST. The Healthy Weight program gave me some additional education on meal planning, portion control, physical activity in addition to many other subjects. We also took a field trip to the grocery store with a dietitian to learn how to make good food choices and what to look for in the nutritional information.

I have three weeks left in the Healthy Weight program and have lost an additional six lbs for a total of 60 lbs lost. In addition, my blood sugars, blood pressure and liver enzymes are normal and I have been able to decrease the pressure on my C-Pap machine. I used to think that it would be impossible for me to ever achieve a healthy weight again and I still have 45 lbs to go but now I know that it is possible. By participating in the OPTIFAST and Healthy Weight programs, I have been given the necessary information and tools to achieve my goal. Now it is up to me!