Successes

Meet Jennifer ...

Dramatic weight loss is possible for some obese people without drugs and without surgery. Jennifer Logan has lost over 115 pounds — more than a third of her original weight — and is confident she can continue to lose and reach her goal of 165 pounds.

Even now, however, she says she is very different person. "My outlook has changed. My personality," says Jennifer. "My friends notice the difference in me, how I'm more positive."

A financial analyst with a major firm in Boston, Logan arrives in town each day by train and walks about 35 minutes across town to work as part of her daily exercise regimen.

When she started with the NEMC Obesity Consultation Center program, Logan was offered a wide range of options, including surgery. At the time, she had just started a new job, and taking time off for  surgery and recovery was not appropriate. She considered the drug program, but worried about side effects.

Her initial counseling helped her understand more about her behavior patterns and motivation. "First I thought I was going to do a liquid diet plan. The staff at the Obesity Consultation  Center convinced me to show a commitment first to regular exercise and visits to the Center. Now I  look forward to the visits," she says.

Part of Logan's motivation for losing weight was to help with her sleep apnea condition. "I was falling asleep at the wheel and at work," she reports. "I still have the CPAP machine, but I don't use it as much."

Ultimately, Logan went on a liquid diet for two months to get over a plateau. When she phased back into regular foods, she did not gain weight. "By that time I had changed my habits well enough. I used to do a lot of fast food. One day I went back to a fast food restaurant'I ate the food and I felt awful. That showed me I had changed. I can't tolerate the amount of fat," she said.

Logan still watches fat and writes down everything she plans to eat and decides if she really wants it.  But now she is also involved in country line dancing, and is dating (it may even be serious, she says)!