JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

Yesterday was my birthday, the 55^th one to be exact. And I am feeling stronger, healthier, and fitter than ever. This was not always the case. Yes, I had focused on a healthy lifestyle from a young age, but sometimes life throws you a curveball. 

I graduated medical school at the tender age of 24. I knew I was going to make a difference in people’s lives. I was going to teach them how to take care of themselves and help them achieve optimal health. I was also going to be the shining example, practice what you preach, right? Soon reality hit, I was not making the difference I was hoping to make. Why? Because I did not really know how to guide them. All I learned in medical school was to tell them to eat less, move more. So, the reality was that I was prescribing more and more pills to no avail. The people were getting sicker.  

Being at a healthy weight and young and fit I did not understand how people could struggle with staying healthy. It seemed so simple. So, I did some research and came across a website for Medical Weight Loss professionals. This opened a new world for me. I was finally learning about nutrition, but also about obesity as a disease and that it really did not always have to do with willpower. I changed my approach and had many success stories with patients. But the way healthcare is set up, as a physician you do not really have time to dedicate to patients’ wellbeing. We have just enough time to cure when what the patient really needs is to heal. I had programs where I did one on one or group coaching, but this was not covered by insurance so having to pay out of pocket was one of the main reasons for people to drop out. 

I had big plans, wanted to set up an obesity center with multi-disciplinary team, had corporate wellness programs and plans for wellness retreats. Then it happened… in 2012 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My world crumbled, suddenly I was sitting on the other side of the desk in the consultation room. The doctor became the patient. Med school did not prepare me for this… I felt lost. It was expected that as a doctor I could handle this. Plus being a mom, I had to be strong. I never felt more alone. I will share more about this journey in a separate post. 

So here I was, after 2 pregnancies (one with twins), chemotherapy, anti-hormone therapy, multiple surgeries (including double mastectomy and removing my ovaries) and being forced into menopause at the age of 43 I found myself in an unfamiliar territory. I was struggling with my weight for the first time. In the meantime, I kept learning about nutrition, medical weight loss and now a new interest in integrative medicine. Not just for myself, but also for my patients. My body was tired from all the chemicals and the side effects of medication. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying medicine is not necessary, it’s just that if there are alternative ways to reach a healthy state, I was open for it. But as the years passed and nothing seemed to work, I got increasingly unmotivated. I was not really focused anymore. I accepted where I was and tried to be as healthy as I could with my new weight. The pandemic did not help. Working on the forefront of the pandemic was incredibly stressful, which then translated itself into eating more and less healthy, moving less (even though we had a group doing fitness classes via Zoom) and being more sedentary. 

I was in denial, had not weighed myself since my last surgery in 2016 so I had no clue how bad things had gotten. Of course, I could feel it in my clothing, saw it in the mirror (and yes people reminding you in case you forgot that you gained weight), but I never expected to be in the obesity category. Being tall (1.76 m/5’8” ft) I just looked overweight.  

Sometimes solutions come to you when you are not looking… a friend of mine sent me a detox program mid 2022. At this point I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, was wearing a knee brace due to pain and swelling and was at the cardiologist due to shortness of breath. I was about to travel and was not really interested in following any program.  She said OK, there will be more sessions. Then she sent it to me again after my vacation. I decided to look into it and thought, what do I have to lose? 1 year and 20 kg (44 lbs.) later I can say the loss was only the weight. I got my health back. My blood pressure went back to normal; I lowered my cholesterol medication and had no more pain and swelling in my knee. I have more energy and I do not get out of breath anymore. I went from a BMI of 30 to 24, size L/XL to S/M.  

I now feel motivated and better equipped to help others achieve their health goals. Every person is unique so there is no one-size-fits-all approach. I believe in the integrated approach where we look at the person as a whole. Mind, body, and spirit. We tackle the 8 pillars of wellness so you can reach a healthier and happier life. We got this!  

As I marked my birthday, I found myself embracing fresh adventures, fresh challenges, new opportunities, and upcoming milestones to conquer. Here’s to the beginning of what promises to be the most remarkable chapter of my life. Stay tuned… Cheers to the first day of the BEST of my life!