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| Did the holidays take a toll on your weight? Have you been carrying around some extra pounds for years that you’d finally like to shed? Whether you need to lose 10 pounds or 50 pounds, Diet Center at 5540 South St., Suite 105, can help you achieve your goals, says Owner Barb Johnson. Barb has lost over 50 pounds using the Diet Center’s plans. She was a client of Diet Center on and off for 10 years before she bought it from Sue Shamblin and Karen Van Abrahams last October. “I just decided, what better way to keep it off than to own it?,” she explains. Diet Center’s four programs are designed to meet a variety of needs. Each program combines sound nutrition, private counseling, and behavior management to help clients achieve their goals, she says. “It’s a lifestyle change. It’s not just lose the weight and go on your way.” “Food is a lot more than nutrition,” comments Barb’s colleague, Theresa Curtis, who also uses Diet Center’s programs to keep her weight under control. “It’s an emotional habit.” Barb and Theresa start the process by completing a personal information form for each client to determine which plan is best for them. They ask about any medical conditions, their health history, and evaluate their eating habits. For those looking for a less structured plan that allows you to do more of your own cooking and meal planning, the Exclusively You program may be the ticket. It focuses on healthy eating, behavior management, and exercise. Participants are allowed to eat fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as low-fat dairy products and lean meats. To determine a client’s appropriate food plan, Barb enters key information into the Diet Center’s software such as measurements, body composition analysis results, height, and weight. The plan states how much starch, protein, vegetables, fat, and fruit a client can have. The other three programs incorporate food replacements of one to three meals per day. Two of the programs are more strict and tell clients what to eat and at what time of day. “It’s for those who don’t want to take the time to pick their foods and want to be told what to eat. For some, decision making can put them over the edge,” Barb explains. With Instant Shape-Up, clients consume meal replacement drinks and bars that are portioned, calorie-, and nutritionally-controlled in addition to one plan of their choice. The Thermogenic Diet Plan and Diet Fast programs both incorporate fat-burning additives and appetite suppressants to help clients lose weight. All of the programs are designed to help clients lose at least two pounds per week, Barb says. On the Thermogenic plan specifically, patients may lose up to five pounds a week. “It just depends on how strict and motivated you are,” Barb adds.Chewable vitamin supplements are administered with all four plans to help curb hunger by stabilizing blood sugar levels. The Vitamin B-rich supplements also help metabolize protein, fat, and carbohydrates and provide needed energy while a client is on the diet, Barb explains. Diet Center has special plans for those who are vegetarian or lactose-intolerant and sugar-free dessert recipes as well. Most Diet Center clients are on a 1,000- to 1,200-calorie diet. Once they’re on a maintenance plan, clients can eat just about anything (with certain limits), Barb says. “They’re not deprived. We don’t hold anything back. They can have butter, margarine, sour cream, and mayonnaise; having learned how to incorporate these and all foods back into their food plan.” In addition to eating healthy, Barb and Theresa promote exercising daily for 30 minutes and drinking 64 ounces of water daily. Clients are not required to make appointments, but they are encouraged to check in two to three times a week. “Ideally, they come in three times a week when they’re on one of the plans and weigh in on Monday,” Barb points out. “They seem to do better on the weekend if they know they have to weigh in on Monday.” Those who have lost their desired weight and are on a maintenance program are required to visit monthly. “We encourage our clients to visit as often as needed for their success,” Theresa adds. One-on-one counseling is key to the success of the program, Barb says. “We become really good friends.” That accountability has helped her not only lose weight, but also lower her cholesterol and blood sugar levels. In the past, Barb was diagnosed as being pre-diabetic. Now her blood sugar is under control and she is off her cholesterol medication. In addition to their own experiences with Diet Center, Barb and Theresa have undergone specific training to become certified weight loss professionals/diet counselors. Theresa also brings nursing experience to the business. Whether their clients are in the process of losing weight or are on a maintenance program, the pair continues to offer support. “We make sure they stay on track because you can get off-track so quickly,” Barb explains. Theresa and Barb are buddy partners, which means that they support each other in their weight loss goals. Theresa says she and Barb encourage all of their clients to have a buddy partner. She adds that she’s not just motivated by how she will look when she hits her goal, but by how she feels. “We can tell that we feel better and we want to share, help, and encourage that for others,” Theresa explains. Another part of the Diet Center strategy is to have clients keep food diaries. Barb says the food diaries help her and Theresa offer encouragement. “We offer suggestions if they’re struggling and praise them if they’re doing great,” she says. This moral support is especially important for people who don’t have family support to change their eating habits. “It’s someone to talk to that understands,” Barb says. Some clients will switch from one program to another as it meets their needs. When clients achieve their weight loss goals, they go back to eating normally with much better decision making abilities. “The object is to reach their goal, stabilize, and maintain,” Theresa shares. To take that first step towards reaching your weight loss goals, call 402-488-5310 and schedule a free body composition analysis and consultation. |
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