By KERRI BARTLETT
For Brentwood Home Page
Although many people try to lose weight on their own, others decide to forgo going solo and opt instead for the help of medical professionals.

Just driving down the road, new weight loss clinics seem to pop up every day, but does what they offer really work?

Although each situation is different, some insight can be gained from former clients who have sought the help of dieticians, physicians, nutritionists and/or kinesiologists as well as other healthcare professionals.

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Over the course of the next few months, BHP will dive deeper into the specifics and costs of different weight loss programs. If you have an experience to share, please contact us by emailing your story to news@brentwoodhomepage.com. Please put Be Healthy in the subject line.

Many reasons can be attributed to one’s decision to obtain professional or medical help to shed extra pounds. Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, serious health issues that demand a lifestyle change and even monetary issues can be motivating factors.

Cost of health care too expensive

Economic concerns led Rhonda Latham, 63, to seek the help of a Brentwood weight loss clinic.

“I lost my job and was on four different medications for diabetes and high blood pressure, which cost hundreds of dollars. I thought, ‘I can’t keep this up,”’ she explained. After trying to get healthier by working out using a treadmill on her own, Latham realized that she wasn’t losing any weight and had to do something else.

Going in a new direction, she decided to enlist the assistance of the physicians and staff at Medi-Weightloss, 5548 Franklin Pike.

Going to a “physician-supervised weight loss” clinic doesn’t necessarily mean going on weight loss medications, Dr. Richard Adkins of Medi-Weightloss said. Medications, such as appetite suppressants, are only prescribed if determined to be safe for the client, Adkins explained.

At the clinic, extensive blood work is performed to check the client’s physiology to determine overall health. Thyroid and hormonal tests are performed if necessary. Each client goes through a 3-phase program: (1) Individualized plan to achieve weight loss (2) Maintenance (one-month supervision) and (3) Wellness (maintaining health forever).

“Many of our clients are 40 and over. Around the time of the late 30s, the body’s physiology begins to change which affects weight loss, and many people do not understand how to best allow for those changes,” Adkins said. “Also, sometimes people are not aware of underlying medical issues such as diabetes or thyroid problems, and trying calorie restriction or starvation diets can negatively affect the pancreas and thyroid, making their condition worse.”

“I really didn’t know what I had gotten myself into at first,” Latham explained. When Adkins took her off all of her medications except for one, Latham was very apprehensive. However, she continued with the program, followed his instructions, began eating better and began feeling better.

“Now, I don’t take any medication because I don’t need to. In the end, I couldn’t be happier with the results,” she said. After six months in the program, Latham went from 209 pounds and a size 16 to 142 pounds and a size 6, Latham said.

“When I see people from 40 years ago who knew me when I was young, they tell me that I haven’t changed,” Latham laughed. 

 “Many patients try everything by themselves first,” Adkins said. “Just having structure, moral support, and some help problem solving lead to success. And success breeds success.”

Latham shared that some of the most important things she learned from the experience  were how to eat better, how to read food labels and “that I don’t have to exercise extensively to lose weight.”

Couple goes it together

Jim Crockett, 48, pastor at Bible Baptist Church in Hendersonville, and his wife Joy, 45, wanted to find a healthier life style for themselves as well as set a better example for their three children by placing more emphasis on healthy living.

In the past, Jim had tried other weight loss programs, which worked for a while, but he was unable to maintain his progress. He lost 55 pounds by following the format of a popular national weight loss program but eventually gained 30 pounds of the weight back.

The Crocketts decided to do something different. “At 48 years old, I wanted to live to see my grandchildren and spend time with my wife,” Jim said.

After speaking with a friend involved with New Life Physicians, a clinic that focuses on health, beauty and vitality located in Maryland Farms, Jim and Joy decided to give the clinic a try. Physicians, nutritionists, a nurse practitioner and other licensed health professionals are available at the clinic. Extensive tests are run to determine one’s overall physical health and appropriate course of action.  Hormone replacement therapy is also available.

After completing five weeks of the program, the Crocketts said that the experience has already been invaluable. They work with New Life’s transformation specialist Stephen Ashcraft who pours out the education, motivation and accountability that they need to reach their goals.

Ashcraft has spent his career in the health and wellness industry. A kinesiologist by education, he has also owned health clubs and trained trainers and athletes.

At New Life, his transformation program lasts for 90 days and is designed to stick – for life. “I do not consider it to be successful if clients do not make lasting changes forever. By the time they complete the 90 days, they will have the tools necessary to lead a healthy life forever.” It’s a one-time offer. Ashcraft doesn’t allow former participants to repeat the program.

Personal responsibility and accountability are important in making changes, according to Ashcraft. “The most important factor in making a change is you. Change has to happen on the inside to set up a lifetime of success.”

He recognizes that the changes must be “livable, sustainable and simple, or the likelihood of an individual doing it forever is nonexistent.”

Ashcraft helps to individualize each plan according to a client’s unique needs by focusing more on health rather than just losing weight. Ashcraft does not refer to the program as a “weight loss” program, but a process of transformation.

The Crocketts bought into the concept.

“We knew we needed a program that promoted a lifestyle change, not just a ‘do it and quit’ diet,” Jim said. “I feel like the way that we eat now is a way that we can eat for the rest of our days.” That way now centers on lean meats and lots of vegetables with minimal carbs and a focus on portion control.

The Crocketts also have learned to eat certain foods during certain times of the day, which seems to work for their bodies. For example, they do not eat carbs after 2 p.m.

And Jim shared that they are not required to eat a low-fat diet, which was a relief.

“I was glad to learn that butter and eggs are not bad for you. Breakfast is my most favorite meal of the day,” he said.

 The pair also has come to enjoy exercising in the morning as a way to jump-start their day several times a week, including walking on a treadmill, using resistance bands and doing push-ups.

In the first five months of the program, Jim has lost about 52 pounds and 10 inches in his waist.  Joy lost 26 pounds and dropped several dress sizes.

“Being able to do this with my husband has given me the added support needed to keep going. It must be a life change,” Joy said.

There are additional benefits to the program, said Jim, who noted he not only feels good, he’s sleeping better.  
“I feel proud of what I have done,” he said. “There is certainly physical, mental, emotional and social satisfaction.”

Needed healthy get-away to focus on self

Mark Cook, a retired Navy veteran who now works in the entertainment business in Nashville, decided that he needed a break from work to concentrate on physical fitness. He Googled “fitness resorts” and Fit-Rx, 204 Ward Circle, came up in the search.

Shelly DeMarcilis, a licensed professional counselor and the center’s director said that the unique program teaches the overweight and clinically obese to reclaim their health through an intensive retreat that lasts anywhere from one week to three months.

Participants usually stay at the nearby Residence Inn in Maryland Farms and attend training and educational sessions on fitness and nutrition each day at the retreat center. They meet for healthy meals, train with a personal trainer and consult with a physician as part of the plan. A psychiatrist, nutritionist, therapist, nurse and a physiologist are available to extend services.

The group goes on grocery outings to aid in meal planning and trains on fitness machines such as elliptical and rowing machines. Participants even attend special classes such as water aerobics at the nearby Maryland Farms YMCA. DeMarcilis explained the program contains an important behavioral health piece, which helps participants break negative patterns and deal with emotional issues that might arise during the transformation.  

Cook lost 19 pounds in two weeks during his stay and says he is continuing to lose even now that he is back to his regular schedule.

Due to heavy traveling and commuting, he used to eat out a lot and had little time to plan healthy meals. Now, he has an electronic ice chest in his car in which he can reach over at any time to have a healthy snack or meal. He uses what he learned during the retreat to better plan healthy food choices using “whole foods” (unprocessed foods) such as homemade trail mixes with nuts and dried fruit as well as lean protein with plenty of healthy greens. He also drinks lots of water – his body weight divided by two, which gives him the number of ounces ideal for his size.

Cook said that he learned that flushing the system with water keeps him hydrated and helps to eliminate toxins from the body. He hasn’t eaten a regular piece of white bread in three weeks, instead he’s eating the multi-grain brand Ezekial 4:9 bread, which is low in sugar.

“I have eliminated the stuff that literally slows your body down. I don’t feel sluggish any more during the day. I have energy,” he added. “I feel better now than I have in 10 years.”