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Former marathoner regains confidence to live healthy life after weight loss

When you train your body to be in great shape, you not only look better, you feel better.

Ted J. remembered how great he felt years ago when he was a marathon runner. But now, with a BMI of 31, Ted needed to lose weight and keep it off.

Thanks to a fraternity brother, Ted found a good way to lose weight and live a healthy life again.

“I was at a college reunion at my fraternity and introduced myself to someone there,” said Ted. “Turns out that I knew him, I just didn’t recognize him because he had lost more than 50 pounds. Since I needed to lose weight, I asked, ‘How did you do that?’”

An introduction to HMR

Ted’s friend told him about the Health Management Resources® (HMR) program that is offered at The Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute.

“He told me about HMR and how easy and structured it was. If you follow the plan and stayed ‘in the box,’ he told me, you will see results,” said Ted. “Since I knew him and I saw his results in person, I knew the program was not one of those TV gimmick diet programs, but one that obviously worked.”

His friend put him in touch with Sarah Roberts, a health educator at Oklahoma Heart Institute, with whom Ted met to discuss his weight loss goal and the expected schedule to meet his goal.

“I also learned a very important concept: The HMR program is not a diet, but rather a weight management program,” said Ted. “You lose your weight during Phase I, but the majority of your time will be spent in phase two of the program, which is when you learn to manage your weight loss. In my case, I was in Phase I for 10 weeks and reached my weight goal. However, I expect to be in Phase II for 12 months, developing and creating new lifestyle changes that will prevent gaining the weight back, which happens with most of the other diets.”

A change for the better

“As a former marathon runner, I know how good I felt, not only physically but mentally, when I was maintaining both a healthy weight and lifestyle,” Ted said. “Also, as someone who 10 weeks ago had a body mass index (BMI) on the borderline of overweight and obese, I know how disappointed I felt and how it not only affected me but people I cared about. Now that I have lost almost 35 pounds, I have regained the self-esteem and confidence that I strove to get back. HMR allowed me to do this in a very structured way that also stresses accountability to not only myself, but to others too.”

Ted said the program’s structure was essential to his success. “Sarah’s guidance and the peer accountability of my Phase I & Phase II group members helped me surpass my weight loss goal and do it much quicker than I expected.”

Ted saw great success in both his weight and his overall health.

“Not only have I dropped three pant sizes, but I have also been able to stop taking medications for cholesterol and high blood pressure,” he said. “My cholesterol dropped by over 40 points and my blood pressure is now well within the normal target range for my age. My BMI also dropped from 31 (obese) to 23.5 (very healthy). It’s been nice to hear the same words that my fraternity brother heard, such as ‘You look great!’ and ‘How did you lose the weight?’ I tell them all about the program. Make sure you have a good blender!”

More information

The Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute offers videos you can watch to understand more about the program.

  • Video #1 – Program overview and a preview of what to expect
  • Video #2 – A Day on the HMR Diet and the healthy solutions it offers

For more information on the Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute, please visit oklahomaheart.com/wlwc or call 918-579-3444.