Success Stories 

Kim Garner Listen to Kim's podcast (mp3)	Roux-en-Y Bypass Surgery Date of Surgery: 3/21/07 131 pounds lost Resolution of: Joint pain Hypertension GERD (gastroesphogeal reflux disease) Shortness of breath Wows: Brings along workout clothes on vacation Gets excited about hiking No aches and pains anymore
Pat Nichols Listen to Pat's podcast (mp3)	Gastric Banding Surgery Date of Surgery: 2/15/08 72 pounds lost Resolution of: Joint pain GERD (gastroesphogeal reflux disease) High blood pressure improved Wows: Has started race walking Can shop in regular misses clothing department
Ann Armstrong	HMR Began Program: 2006 140 pounds lost Resolution of: High blood pressure Wows: Can walk the stairs at work Perform military style pushups More energetic and self-confident

Ann Armstrong, 46, is very well acquainted with the startling statistics for obesity in America. For Ann, the pounds packed on slowly over a number of years until one day she found her doctor recommending she start taking blood pressure medicine. “I was shocked. My blood pressure had always been lower than average,” says Armstrong. She also suffers from degenerative osteoarthritis, and knew if she didn’t lose some weight she wouldn’t be able to put off knee replacement surgery much longer. “I remember thinking, I’m a young woman. I don’t want to live my life this way.”

Armstrong’s doctor recommended she enroll in the HMR® Weight Management program at the SSM Weight-Loss Institute at DePaul. “I chose the most stringent, medically-supervised program because I wanted to lose significant weight to improve my health,” says Armstrong. She was put on a nutritious meal replacement program that also includes daily exercise, weekly visits with a doctor and a weekly support group. “The food is very low-calorie, but I can honestly say that I was never hungry, even from the beginning. And everything tastes good.” 

The program takes discipline, but Armstrong says the support group is a big help.

“We encourage each other and share recipe ideas and new exercise routines. It’s important not to get bored.” Armstrong spends 30 minutes on a stationary bicycle every morning, but she likes to mix it up in the evenings. “I like to do a lot of different workouts like aerobics or Pilates or even Tae Bo. My workouts have gradually gotten longer and more intense.”

A little over a year after Armstrong began the HMR Program, she lost 140 pounds. “I never thought I would feel this good again. It’s beyond my comprehension,” she says with a sigh. Armstrong is off of blood pressure medication and doing things she never would have before. “I climb the stairs at work every day now. I can do military-style push-ups. I’ve never in my life been able to do those. And I’ll actually put on a bathing suit. I get in my sister’s hot tub every weekend and I don’t turn down fun social things like float trips anymore.” 

When asked if she feels like a new person, Armstrong answers with a big smile, “I get asked that a lot. I guess I feel like myself, but even more so. I’m more energetic, more self-confident. I would have never done this if it weren’t for the program, but I’m so glad I did.”

Armstrong says her knees are still painful, but she believes losing the weight will buy her more time before she needs knee replacement surgery. She also feels strongly that she was headed for many more health problems if she hadn’t acted when she did. “For me it’s all about being healthy. I don’t ever want someone else to have to take care of me because I didn’t take care of myself.”