Weight Loss in a Group: The team was my family

Stacie’s story:

Two years ago I decided I was tired of how much I weighed and how I felt.  I’m a former athlete, so I’ve worked with coaches and trainers, but I was missing something.

In an Internet search, I found seven nutritionists in my area, and I settled on Kerri Hawkins because of this wellness group.  It was spring, and the group started in the fall, not summer, because people would miss a lot then, and you have to be committed to it.  I started meeting with Kerri individually.  And then I began with the Wellness Group in September 2013.

There’s one caution about the Wellness Group:  you have to be comfortable talking in a group.  Group settings have always been very positive for me.  My team was my family in high school and college.  Having that support around you when you have setbacks, that’s what I got when I came here. 

They set up an e-list for us.  We met 15 times over 20 weeks, once a week for ten weeks, then every other week.  At each meeting we received a new challenge.  Keri and Dr. Altman encouraged us to talk via email about the challenges.  For example, one challenge was, “No added sugar or artificial sweeteners.”  You’re suddenly looking at all the ingredients.  I had to give up diet soda, which, it turns out, is worse for you than sugar.  For women especially, artificial sweeteners are linked to the risk of stroke, and it triggers cravings in the brain for more sweets later.  I still have popcorn with butter and soda with my husband whenever we go to the movies.  We now share a regular soda. 

The “no added sugar” challenge was really hard for everyone in my group.  We received emails that informed us about people’s success.  These really kept me going; otherwise, it would’ve been easy to get lost in thinking, “I wish I had ___,” etc.

The e-list also let me do one of the things I like most:  to cheer for people.  I made a point to respond to every email that came through, which was helpful for me.  I loved celebrating my group’s successes.

And that’s where the team component comes in.  One woman in the group realized it wasn’t the right setting for her, since she did not feel comfortable sharing like the rest of us.  You have to talk about things that are hard, e.g., being a national level swimmer, with a controlled diet.  When I was no longer a competitive swimmer, my unhealthy relationship with food came out and I put on weight in my 20s and 30s.  I had the support of my group, their encouragement and sometimes a hug (when needed).

This program helped me to develop a healthier relationship to food.  It’s not like a 12-step program with alcohol.  You have to have food every day, so I had to establish a healthy relationship with my food.  I’ve even shared this healthy relationship with my dog Jordy.  He loves sharing a bowl of raspberries or splitting a banana.  I lost 48 pounds in 20 weeks.  I made enduring friends and have the lasting support of a team.

Read another story about weight loss in  a group.

Thanks to Stacie for sharing her story, and Kerri Hawkins and Dr. Wayne Altman for connecting us.