This is a guest post from Shelley Tessmer, a patient of Dr. Sam’s who he successfully helped lose weight.
Hi, I’m Shelley, a 47-year-old woman who has been married for 25 years and has a 17-year-old son. I’m a finance professional who works 40+ hours a week and volunteers five days a week at our local animal shelter.
I first came to Dr. Sam’s office on August 26, 2009 weighing 171.5 pounds with a body fat percentage of 38.6. At that time, I was 43 years old. Today I am very proud to say I weigh 118.5 pounds with a body fat percentage of 22.4.
Here are my before and after photos. One taken when I started with Dr. Sam and one taken recently at the Zac Brown concert with my son and his girlfriend. Big difference, right?
Before:
After:
The secret to my weight loss success is due to Dr. Sam and his staff. I find that being held accountable is how I have achieved my continuous and steady weight loss. Along with checking in with Dr. Sam, regularly using the weight loss/maintenance products he prescribed is how I maintain my weight.
Each day, I rise at 5 a.m. and exercise. This is key, everyone must exercise! I have always exercised. I have run 19 marathons in my lifetime and competed in several half ironman competitions, yet I let my weight get out of control through my obsession with hanging out with my friends and drinking too much wine over time. I learned that no matter how much you work out, bad habits will continue to add pounds, as evidenced by my beginning weight when I went to Dr. Sam in 2009.
As I mentioned, I start my day at 5 a.m. and exercise by running with my two golden retrievers or on the treadmill. Then I drink an Optifast 800 shake at my desk as I work. I eat a healthy, light lunch, which is well balanced. Throughout the day, I snack on protein bars or fruit. My favorites are the Chocolate Almond and Peppermint Cocoa Crunch. I drink three quarts of water a day at my desk, as well. I used to drink several Diet Cokes a day, but now I don’t. This is the result of adding Topamax to my diet regimen.
A huge contributor to my weight loss success has been the addition of Topamax. Topamax has made the taste of wine horrible. Like I said, I’m a fan of wine. I also have a large network of friends who drink wine and socialize. The first time I took Topamax and had a glass of wine, I could hardly stomach it. The taste was literally unbearable, so much so that I poured out the bottle thinking it was bad. I tried a different bottle the next day, and the same thing happened.
A few days passed, and the desire to drink wine was gone. By adding this medicine to my weight loss program, I have lost the last of my “back fat”. You know what I mean, the fat that is “old fat” – the fat that hangs on until the bitter end.
Now, I have no more fat left on my body to lose. I am down to a size 2. None of my clothes fit. My friends cannot believe the transformation! People who haven’t seen me in years or even months are shocked at my weight loss. I have always been a size 12, or at times in my life, even bigger.
Now, look at me! I will never go back to what I was. I have learned what it takes to lose weight in a healthy way thanks to Dr. Sam and his staff.
I still go out with my friends. I still go to the bar and out to dinner, yet I do things differently now. You can, too.
I am a regular 47-year-old with a full-time job. I am also a mom, a wife, a volunteer and super busy with a full schedule that keeps me on the go constantly. If I can successfully lose weight with limited free time, anyone can.
I am a huge proponent of Dr. Sam’s work and owe him my life. He has saved me from a life of obesity and ill health! Thank you, Dr. Sam!