1707 Gold Drive,
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Nickole 75 pounds lost and counting
Before I found Dr. Hella and his team I was a plus size, overweight women, dreaming of the day of becoming skinny again! After high school I started gaining 10 pounds a year, and after three kids my weight was out of control. I spent my entire 20's being overweight and being self-conscious of the way I looked. One evening I went out with friends and a photo was taken of me that was later posted to Facebook. I saw the picture and it was of me walking with another friend, but I honestly didn't recognize myself. I immediately deleted the picture and prayed nobody else saw it. Not long after, I started to hear about a friend who was battling the bulge, and had started her journey of weight loss through Dr. Hella. I didn't waste any time calling her to find the answer to the question of "What's your secret". Our conversation that day changed my life. I told myself if she can do it, so can I. I was so sick of being fat…I was so sick of shopping in plus size only stores, I was sick of wearing elastic waist pants because jeans made me feel even bigger. I called and made an appointment with Dr. Hella, and it was the best thing I've ever done. I lost 75 pounds in 7 months using the tools Dr. Hella and his team gave me. I can't thank them enough; I never thought I'd see the day where I can finally see myself again. I really didn't think I would ever get the chance to look in the mirror, and actually like the reflection that was staring back at me. I can't begin to describe how that feels. I have so much more energy now, and I actually ENJOY exercising. Where before I dreaded it…I hated it! Life really couldn't be any better. I am so blessed to have finally found something that works, and that has changed not only my life, but my family's as well. Thank you to everyone at Valley Bariatric Clinic you truly changed my life. Jen 70 pounds lost and counting
I'm sure you've heard every excuse in the book, and may have even used them yourself; telling yourself things like: I'm too busy; there are just not enough hours in the day! Clothing sizes are getting smaller! I'm really not that overweight! Well, if these sound familiar, you are stuck in the mind-set I was stuck in for many years. For some reason, over the course of the last 15 years, my attitude and sense of self took a back seat to career and family. And those excuses, plus many more were repeated to myself day-in and day-out, year after year. It wore me down physically and it wore me down emotionally. I lost my sense of worth, but became a master at disguising that I had. One day, sitting in a staff meeting, I caught my reflection in the mirror - and I just stared. Seeing myself in the mirror at that moment was different from the thousands of times prior. I didn't recognize the woman I saw. At that very moment, I knew I'd be calling Dr. Hella and his team at Valley Bariatric. So - I called and began Medifast on January 6th. I was dedicated and began to see instant changes. One thing I clearly recall is the first time I met with Kristina, my dietician. She said when I reached my goal; I'd be in a size 9/10. Even though I was dedicated, a size 9/10 seemed to be a pretty grandiose idea. (I'm now a size 7/8 and not far away from a 5/6!) Within the first 2 weeks my complexion was noticeably improved. Not that I had a poor complexion, but it got even better. I also noticed that my stomach was less "bloated and gassy." I have struggled with tummy upset almost as long as I can remember, even being tested for things like irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease, both of which were negative. And here, a few weeks on Medifast did the trick. As the weeks progressed and clothing sizes dropped, people started to notice. Hearing such positive feedback was an additional "ingredient" for success, one that I hadn't even considered in the beginning. I just knew I was doing this for me and that I was going to be successful. I didn't mind the 5 supplements every day, and my grocery shopping became much easier. My husband didn't mind the changes in my cooking habits either. I went from butter, mayo, pasta, red meat, garlic toast and frozen pizza types of meals to ground turkey, chicken, veggies and cottage cheese for meals. My cholesterol went from 240 to 180. My husband has gone down 3 pant sizes too. I'm thrilled to report my energy levels are crazy, I feel truly wonderful and have re-learned portion control and how to read labels. I enjoy shopping for clothing more than ever! Thank you to Dr. Hella, Kristina, Brenda and the entire team for guiding "me" back to "me." It's been just shy of 10 months and I've lost 70 pounds. I think turning 40 in two years is going to be pretty darn fun! Jen H. Dave 68 pounds lost and counting
My name is Dave. I am 46 years old. I am married and have two beautiful daughters. I have struggled with my weight for years. I have always been a very active person, so activity has not been my problem. What I was eating and how much I was eating was my problem. A friend of mine recommended that I try Medi-Fast through the Valley Bariatric & Wellness Clinic. I started the program in early May and I was hoping to lose 20 to 30 pounds. When I started the program I weighed 251 pounds. I currently weigh 183 pounds, giving me a total weight loss of 68 pounds. When I graduated high school I weighed 190 pounds. I never dreamed that I could weigh less than my high school graduation weight. This program definitely works. It is easy to follow, the food tastes great and the staff at Valley Bariatric & Wellness Clinic have been fantastic. One of the best benefits of losing the weight has been getting rid of my sleep apnea. I no longer need to use my CPAP at night. It is amazing just how good I feel. This is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made!! Gail 79 pounds lost and counting
I knew I had put on weight, but never realized how much or how I REALLY looked until I started to drop the pounds. I was so heavy that when I was asked if I would do this, I had a hard time finding a "before" photo that was a full body shot because I never let anyone take any! Due to the nature of my job, there are physical standard requirements. Beginning in October 2009, these standards were changing and were going to be much tougher for me to pass. Passing them is critical to keeping my job. A friend of mine had lost weight and looked awesome. She told me her secret. She had done the Medifast Program through Dr. Hella at Valley Bariatric Clinic in Fargo, ND. My career and my family medical history were enough incentive for me to check it out. This "before" photo was taken in June 2008. I finally made the commitment to myself to lose weight and I started the Medifast program on April 2, 2009 tipping the scale well over 200 lbs. This "after" photo was taken in December 2009 and now here I am today, well below the initial goal I had set for myself, 79 lbs. lighter, and wearing pants half the size I was wearing when I started. The Medifast Program was easy, I actually like the majority of their food options, and I have never felt deprived. I have never been able to drink the diet shakes you buy at the grocery store or eat the protein bars from the nutrition stores. The Medifast shakes are great and the protein bars taste so good even my kids like them. Michael 65 pounds lost and counting
What can I say; this is a program that works. When I made the decision to lose weight, I wasn't sure how. But with a little research, I found the program at Valley Bariatric & Wellness Clinic. I'm 47 and like most, my weight did fluctuate year to year. But with hitting the late 30's, I got lost in raising the kids and working 40+ hours every week. Needless to say, I really didn't take care of myself. With eating way to much unhealthy foods, cleaning off the kids left-overs and not preparing quality & portioned size meals, I found myself starting this program at 273 lbs. The staff at Valley Bariatric & Wellness Center exceeded all my expectations. Special thanks goes to Dr. Brent Hella (Medical Director), for having the understanding and compassion of the struggles most people have with weigh-loss. Susan Hanson (P.A.C.), for having that same understanding and motivating attitude. their not just treating the patient, but most importantly, the whole person. Laura Alderman (Behaviorist), for giving me the tools in helping me make good lifestyle choices. And finally, Kristina Smith (Registered Dietitian), without her knowledge of all foods and how they truly affect us, this program would have be a waste of my time/money and theirs. There are no foods that you are not allowed to eat. They are committed to helping you finally get the weight-off and keep it off. From beginning to end and the maintenance phase, the staff is always there to encourage and motivate you. I started Feb. 2009, ended June 2009. In five months I lost 65 lbs, solid pounds. It takes a little work at first, but its all worth it. Thanks, again to everyone, for helping me gain back my life and my family thanks you. Michael Charles: 409 pounds lost and counting
This is not a typical weight loss story by any means, but we want to share this extraordinary journey with you to show what is possible with desire, determination and skilled medical care. Charles is a 35 year old man who walked into our clinic in June 2007 weighing 730 pounds. Charles knew that he needed to do something about his weight fearing he would stop breathing in his sleep. Charles wasn't using his bed a lot. He said his sleep apnea worsened with his weight gain, so he tried to stay up all night watching television. In May 2007 Charles was admitted to the hospital in Fargo for congestive heart failure. He was being treated with diuretics and pills to help his kidneys get rid of excess fluid. Several doctors had already talked with Charles regarding having bypass surgery, but he was too heavy for the procedure. Three weeks after Charles was released from the hospital Dr. Hella re-admitted him back into the hospital for congestive heart failure. Charles had refused the bypass surgery but knew that it was the only way he was going to be able to stay alive. Dr. Hella admitted him into a nursing home. Charles was restricted to a 2,000 calorie diet compared to his usual 5,500 calorie intake that he had been consuming daily. Charles ended up losing a pound a day during his five months in the nursing home. He was able to drop his insulin dose from 500 units to 150 units per day. Charles was able to continue to come into the clinic after his was released from the nursing home to visit with our dietitian, Kristina Smith who kept him motivated to drop his weight down to 530 pounds. Charles was able to have his gastric bypass on January 22, 2008. He weighed in last month at 321 pounds Congratulations Jim for losing 50 pounds
I joined the Optifast program for two reasons. First is because of the convenience of the program. You do not have to weigh out or measure certain amounts of food. You are asked to take a certain amount of shakes per day and eat a full meal replacement bar once a day. This was very convenient for me with my work schedule. In fact after the first week I found sometimes that I was not hungry, I had to remember to keep taking my shakes every two – three hours. Second, I know the key to successfully lose weight and keep it off is that you have to exercise. But with other programs I could not get the weight off by exercising because of osteoarthritis of my right knee. With the Optifast program you are not required to exercise the first 10 weeks or so of the program. I was able to take off over 50 lbs and know am able to get back into an exercise program without effecting my knee as much now. And there is a third reason, which I discovered after being in the program. The support of the staff at Valley Bariatric and Internal Medicine is fantastic. They are very interested in every client’s progress and any questions you may have. And with a lot of programs that I have tried, once you are done with the program, you are never asked to come back again. At Valley Bariatric, they encourage you to keep coming back to monitor and review your progress. This is called there maintenance program. This is very encouraging to have that feeling that you are not on your own once the program is over. You have that continued support. Congratulations Shelly for losing 40 pounds
I know that I am going to sound like everyone else when I say that I have tried every diet program and nothing has worked for me. I got started with the Medifast Program and have now been involved for approximately 7 months, I have lost 40 pounds, with reaching my 30 pound point at about 4 months into the program. Noticing not only the physical changes that I have experienced, I am now also craving all healthy foods and have learned and incorporated the appropriate portion sizes. Which was the easy part of this program, it is all there, ready in a couple of minutes and portion controlled. -Shelly |
