12/26/2021
It was a carousel of trials with at-home weight loss diets and supplements before Meryl Glasser of Bethel, Connecticut, visited Dr. Stephanie Ortiz-Page and team at the Metabolic Medical Weight Loss Center at Danbury Hospital.
Glasser, who is program administrator for Danbury Hospital’s general surgery residency program, says her weight woes led to brain fog, lack of energy and constant fatigue. “No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to tip the scale downward,” she said. “When my partner voiced concerns for my physical and mental health, I realized I needed to find an alternative to surgery.”
Nuvance Health encourages employees to improve their lifestyle through its wellness program. It’s here that Glasser opted into a seminar on techniques and strategies to reach your health goals without surgery. Soon after, her primary care clinician provided a referral for a metabolic weight loss consultation with Dr. Ortiz-Page.
“We look at each patient as a whole and take into account what they and their body are comfortable with,” Dr. Ortiz-Page said. “We focus on small shifts in your diet and exercise to maintain steady progress over time. For Meryl, intermittent fasting was a sustainable method to curb stubborn cravings while we rebuilt her daily diet and habits.”
Glasser would meet with Dr. Ortiz-Page almost monthly. Seven weeks after her first visit in February 2021, she lost a total of 25 pounds through proper nutrition and increasing her daily activity. “I was more alert, averaging 12,000 steps a day from walks, mowing and gardening. I also realized healthy diet was not difficult to create!” she said.
Today, she’s lost 40 pounds, just shy of her personal goal.
With renewed energy, Glasser also trained for and completed her first 5K race on Thanksgiving Day. “I told myself I’d walk and finish in an hour to meet my husband at the end. Little did I know I’d find the motivation to run almost a third of the course and cross the finish line in 44 minutes and 31 seconds. I beat my husband to the end and had to call him!”
With knowledge and tools to continue her success, Glasser encourages others to learn about non-surgical metabolic weight-loss options, especially those who may not qualify for surgery. “My journey is ongoing, but every day I wake up feeling the best I ever have,” she concluded.
Learn more about Nuvance Health’s bariatric and metabolic weight loss programs. Request an appointment at the Metabolic Weight Loss Center or call at (203) 852-2111 (TTY 800-842-9710).
This story is one patient’s experience, recounted here for educational and general informational purposes only.