Shelley Sauter, director of capital and contracts at Hillcrest Medical Center, felt she was constantly trying new diets and health fads, thinking the next method might be the answer to sustained results. However, she continued coming up short. Sauter was stuck on the first page of her weight loss journey, having to rewrite the same chapter over and over again.
“Through the years, I watched the scale slowly increase, and each pound symbolized a new milestone,” Sauter said. “I kept asking myself, ‘What is the limit?’, but nothing ever changed. Every day was a new day with a new weight loss plan in mind. This was incredibly frustrating, and because I was not seeing the results I wanted, I would just move on to the next plan.”
Her hope was dwindling until she made an appointment with the Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute in December 2019. There, she was introduced to the HMR® (Health Management Resources) program.
“I knew this was going to work for me,” Sauter said. “It was at that point that I was truly able to begin my journey to get back to me. The program provided the structure and accountability I needed to be successful and took the guesswork out of what I needed to do to achieve results. It was such an easy program to follow, and with its ‘More is better’ concept, I never felt hungry.”
One of Sauter’s first assignments was to attend a meeting with veterans of the program. She felt intimidated upon arrival, but after hearing others share results of 60, 70 or even over 100 pounds lost, she left the meeting feeling inspired and encouraged.
That sense of encouragement kept Sauter motivated during challenges in her journey, like the onset of the coronavirus pandemic just a few months into her program.
“Once COVID-19 impacted in-person meetings, members of the staff were very accommodating in transitioning to video meetings and setting up online resources,” Sauter said. “Safety protocols were followed by the staff as well, including mask-wearing and temperature checks for weigh-ins and meal pickup.”
In addition to the meetings, protocols, programming and community support, Sauter accredits a great deal of her success to Sarah Roberts, her health educator at the Weight Loss & Wellness Center.
“Sarah was a constant source of encouragement and information while providing the gentle discipline necessary to hold me accountable,” Sauter said. “She was kind enough to check on me after the holidays and let me know she was there if I needed any support. For that, I will always be grateful.”
After achieving her goals and feeling healthier and more energetic than ever, Sauter concluded the program in November 2020 with a plan to use the knowledge and strategies she learned at the Weight Loss & Wellness Center to help her maintain her goal weight.
“I lost a total of 35.9 pounds on the program,” said Sauter. “I’m certain that while I have achieved my goal, HMR will always play a part in my continued journey.”
For more information on the Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute and the HMR® (Health Management Resources) program, please visit OklahomaHeart.com/wlwc.