Common wisdom suggests that losing weight helps manage diabetes. According to Johns Hopkins, even losing just 5% of your body weight contributes to lowering blood sugar levels. We can help with diabetic weight loss, read on to learn how.
Profile Plan has helped many people take control of their diabetes and aid in diabetes prevention for those at risk. Recently, Sanford Health Plan (SHP) and Profile partnered to evaluate the effectiveness of Profile’s standard programming in reducing the costs for individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Other participation criteria included having an overweight or obese BMI, taking metformin, and being prescribed at least two additional anti-diabetic agents.
Average weight loss was 14.4 lbs. with an average BMI reduction of 1.8 points. Program engagement was high, with participants attending on average 29.4 coaching appointments. Read more about this intensive diabetic lifestyle intervention program.
If you are a Type II diabetic or pre-diabetic, Profile may be able to help you beat it. Keep reading to hear the inspiring diabetic success stories of three real Profile members.
Fifteen years. That’s how long Alex Verburg was on medication for Type 2 Diabetes. After making healthy lifestyle changes on Profile Plan, his doctor took him off all seven of his medications. With a new lease on life, Alex is all smiles.
After his remarkable transformation, he has much to be happy about. “I’m down 61 pounds, off all of my medications, and bought clothes in sizes I haven’t worn since high school*. Most importantly, I’ve learned that I can have a healthy relationship with food.”
Growing up, food meant a lot in his life. Through appointments with his Profile coach, Alex learned that he would have to change the way he viewed food if he wanted to make a lasting change.
“That was the most difficult part of my journey. I needed to be able to separate the food from the memories. I recognize it was my friends and family spending time together that was special – not just the food.” Many of his fondest childhood memories revolved around food. “Food was an important part of my family. Holidays and special events where we gathered around the table will always be something that I cherish.”
“Profile is not a diet – it’s so much more. It’s a lifestyle change. It’s a journey. Profile has changed my life. I now have the tools to overcome years of bad habits. When I started this journey I could not have imagined where I am today.”
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When his weight peaked at 372 pounds, Dennis Adams was ready to make a change. “I was a Type II diabetic with an insulin pump giving me incredible amounts of insulin each day. I felt inhibited, so I said, ‘This is enough.’”
He was headed for gastric bypass surgery when his doctor suggested Profile. “My wife said she would do it with me for eight weeks. Eleven months later, we both hit our goal.”
He lost 127 pounds, going from a 56-inch waistline to a 38. “My goal was never to be skinny. My goal was to be healthy. I consider that a victory.” His number one motivator was to attend his granddaughter’s college graduation. She’s in elementary school now.
“I realized I would have to live to be 84 and I wasn’t on track for that. I want to be there.”
Dennis then ran a 5K with his wife’s encouragement. Eleven years ago, their 27-year-old son passed away from genetic colon cancer. Their daughter had run a 5K in Washington in honor of her brother. Now healthy and able, Dennis joined her. “I was able to honor my son in a way I had never been able to. Crossing the finish line was euphoric. I can’t begin to describe it. It felt like such an accomplishment and my son was there with me the whole time. He would have been proud.”
One of the most poignant things about Profile, Dennis said, is how it dealt with his heart. “You deal with some realities,” he said. Dennis grew up relating food with love. “My mom would comfort me or celebrate with food – here’s a Coke, here’s ice cream, here’s a cookie. Breaking that relationship was really hard. It’s the emotional part of the journey.”
Jennie Hoefer felt like a ticking time bomb. With a mother, grandmother, aunt, and uncle all living with diabetes, she worried that it was only time before the disease caught up with her too. The seriousness of her health became more real when she thought about her 8-year-old son Kasen and her husband Benjamin. “I want to be here for my son. He is the joy of my life. And I have the most wonderful husband in the world.”
Jennie made a commitment to her long-term health and joined Profile, a decision that has changed her mentality and outlook for the future. “I am no longer obese. I have great blood pressure and I’m being more active and enjoying my life. It’s amazing how I feel.”
Prior to starting the program, Jennie witnessed the medical implications of obesity firsthand. As an administrative assistant in the Sleep Lab for Sanford Health, Jennie saw overweight patients begin to use C-Pap machines to assist their breathing at night. She knew it wasn’t something she wanted for herself. “It scared me as my weight was going up and I could see myself in the future going on one of those machines. One of the causes of sleep apnea is obesity. Both of my parents are on the machine. I felt I had a huge target on my back for both sleep apnea and diabetes, and I didn’t want to be one of those people.”
We’re here for you – get started on your weight loss journey with a Free Health Consultation.