A longtime member of the "yo-yo" dieting club, Emily has been in constant battle with her weight since grade school.
In her early thirties, a string of hardships led her to become complacent about weight loss. In 2008, Emily suffered from post-partum depression following the birth of her son, Ethan. In 2012, she tragically delivered a stillborn at 19 weeks whom she named Elijah Joseph. Her weight climbed to 206 pounds.
As Emily watched Ethan play outside, she noticed she lacked the energy to actively play with him and decided it was time to graduate from the “yo-yo” dieting club and make a real lifestyle change.
Moved and inspired by her maternal responsibility to care and set an example for Ethan, Emily started the OPTIFAST® program. Since May 2014, she has maintained a weight loss of more than 50 pounds†.
As an active emergency department nurse working nine-hour days, Emily no longer has to take breaks in between shifts – she has the energy to power through the work day. As a full-time nurse and mom, she still finds time to work out at least four times a week. She regularly walks with Ethan, now age 7, who was recently awarded a cub scout medal for logging 100 miles.
In June, Emily completed her first Esprit de She Triathlon in Naperville, Illinois – a .5 mile swim, 13.3 mile bike ride and 3.1 mile run in 2 hours and 8 minutes.
†The success stories of these OPTIFAST®; New You Contest winners are representative of these individuals only and do not represent all OPTIFAST® patients. OPTIFAST® patients who actively participate in a 26-week program typically lose approximately 50 pounds with weight loss related improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.