Last year I decided I wanted to get myself together for good. I had lost weight off and on for years, but it was by fad diets and crazy exercise routines. It was also always for a trip or event. You know just a little temporary change for pics.

If you know my story, you know I’ve always wanted kids but struggle with infertility. We learned that infertility treatment was covered by our insurance a few years ago but decided we would pursue it in the near future.

This was my motivation. Infertility treatments are not guaranteed to be successful and there’s a lot of the process that is out of your control. So I was determined to do everything in my power to be successful whenever that day came. This meant becoming the healthiest vessel to bring life into this world.

From my previous experience in healthcare, I knew that bariatric patients had rigorous plans they had to adhere to before they were considered for surgery. I knew surgery wasn’t the way for me but I knew I needed the structure and accountability of a plan. I contacted a bariatric doctor and enrolled in what is called medical weight loss. Through this program, I worked with a doctor, nurse practitioner, and dietician to create a plan that would get me the results I wanted in a realistic timeframe.

I met with my doctor twice a month and the dietician 1x a month then attended group classes. My exact plan was 1000 calories and 50 carbs a day. Prior to this I had cut all meat out of my diet, started a dance class, regular workouts and had already lost some weight on my own.

So although this worked or me, I’m aware that it is a difficult program and it can also be costly, since it is considered medical treatment. I had a huge goal and I had tried so many other plans with temporary success but nothing that resulted in a lifestyle change which is what I needed.