Dr. Kelly Shuler, a family medicine physician at Utica Park Clinic in Sapulpa, knew she wanted to make changes to her health but was unsure of the route she should take. It wasn’t until learning about the Health Management Resources (HMR) program offered through the Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute that she felt like she had found a program that would cater to her needs. 
“I decided I needed to lose weight when I was talking to a patient about how obesity was affecting their health,” said Shuler. “The patient blatantly called me out and said ‘you talking to me about my weight is kind of like the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it?’ At that time, I was obese and I realized that I needed to work on my own health so I could help my patients improve theirs.”
Deciding on the right plan was a challenge for Shuler. “Over the years, I talked to a lot of patients about how they had lost weight and what they had done to keep it off,” said Shuler. “So many of them had done different programs that helped for a time, but they ended up gaining the weight back. I knew I wanted to participate in a program that would help me keep the weight off. A few years ago, someone came to the office to talk about a new program that was being offered at Oklahoma Heart Institute. I vividly remember them talking about how this program had a second phase that would not only help you lose weight, it would teach you how to not gain it back.”
Hearing that the program had a maintenance phase was a major selling point for Shuler. “I didn’t need to just lose weight, I needed to learn how to stay healthy after the weight was off,” said Shuler. “I attended one of the information sessions and learned about the changes I needed to make to my diet during phase one and also the amount of physical activity I needed to commit to every week. That almost kept me from doing the program because at that time, I would walk from my house to my mailbox and would be out of breath. I also had a busy schedule so I was worried about the time commitment. They explained that the physical activity portion could be completed in several short workouts throughout the day, which made it seem possible.” 
After much consideration, Shuler finally signed up for the program in 2015. “Once I signed up and began the program, the weight started coming off,” said Shuler. “I lost a total of 65 pounds. Phase two was really where I learned how to maintain the weight loss. Incorporating real foods and not gaining the weight back was my biggest worry, but they work with you to make sure you know how to do everything correctly. I think that is really the key to the program.”
Shuler’s exercise of choice is walking. So far in 2018, she has walked 25 half marathons and one full marathon. She also follows a healthy diet. “I make sure I eat lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and drink plenty of water,” said Shuler. “I do have my occasional cheat meal but that just means I compensate with more physical activity.”
If you would like to learn more about the HRM program, call 918-579-3444.