Patient Stories

Chubby, tubby, plump, baldy belly, thunder thighs…just some of the names that can really do a number on a child’s psyche. I have been overweight most of my 58 years. It didn’t bother me much as a child, as I was athletic and had many friends, but as an adult, married with children, it felt, sometimes, as if part of me was lost with no idea how to get me back.

I’ve tried, with success and failures, MANY different diets over my adult years. Atkins, fads, WW, but always, the weight kept creeping back.

Being a mom was my greatest accomplishment in life. Our 2 children were the center of our lives. We had the best time while they were growing up. We traveled for sports and vacations, and every thought and all our energies went into our kids. Along with the fun came poor eating habits. Quick meals of high carbs and too much fat with little knowledge of a truly balanced diet. Eating at fast food places on the road became all too common. The weight took hold, and wouldn’t let go.

Then the stress of being empty nesters when most of your life you focused on others came. Maybe it was an excuse…saying it was stress. Excuses became way too common instead of focusing on becoming healthy.

Then the real life-changing events started to happen. My mother got sick. The stress eating was out of control. Late night snacks, untimely eating due to trips to the hospital. Then when it was over, the sadness was controlled by food. Six years later we do it all over with my father.

I guess you can say I was depressed from being overweight and I had no idea how to change it. I knew I needed to do something. I felt like I could not walk up my driveway without being out of breath. I finally felt like I hit bottom.

I’m a talker, always have been..but this time, it worked in my favor. While talking to my cousin about the cancer she had just beaten we got on the subject of our weight. We are the same age and grew up more like sisters than cousins. She mentioned that her sister-in-law was having issues with weight for the first time in her life. She told me she had gone to Medical Weight Loss of New York. I talked about it with my sister, who was doing an online weight loss program with success, and she tried to talk me into doing it with her. I told her that I needed to have a program that told me what to eat. Some place where I can go and actually talk to a doctor face to face and for the first time be totally honest about my weight depression. We talked over the course of a few weeks about my issues and she said to me that she felt that whatever I decided to do, what program I chose, she would be there for me to talk to. She said that she felt that I would be successful this time because I was being so honest. I talked it over with my husband and my sisters in law and a couple of my closest friends. I felt that I was ready.

I made the first move with a call from Brian. He told me all about the program at Medical Weight Loss of New York. He told me all about Dr. Scinta. He told me all about the staff and how wonderful and encouraging they all were. And…..he was more than right! I walked in the door on June 16, 2021. Immediately I felt at ease. From the girls at the front desk, the nurses, and all the doctors I have seen…I felt comfortable and safe.

They did a battery of tests from bloodwork to an ekg. My numbers were all BAD. I was unhealthier than I had even imagined. I was border line diabetic, my cholesterol was not good, and I had a fatty liver (which ultimately was what caused my father’s passing). But the word that got me was OBESE. I have always been OBESE!

I met with Martha, the nutritionist, and we set up a program. I chose the partial meal replacement plan. She was truly excited for me. I could feel her encouragement. I had my first appointment with Heidi. It was amazing! I laughed, cried and was totally honest with her. It was all downhill from there…Literally DOWNHILL! My chart was a downhill line of weight loss. Every other week from June 16, 2021 until December 14, 2021 my chart line went down. 6 months and I was at my goal weight. My daughter said she had never seen me look so fit. I found myself. I was shocked when my next set of blood test results came back. Dr. Scinta read me the report. All my numbers were perfect. My fatty liver was no more. my cholesterol levels were spot on and I was no longer close to being prediabetic, along with all the other issues I was so close to experiencing being so overweight. But…the best thing was seeing on my paperwork that I was no longer OBESE. I was Standard Muscular for the first time in my life. I was never so happy to be STANDARD in my life!!!

With all the encouragement I get EVERY TIME I walk in the door at Weight Loss Center of New York, I cannot wait for my next appointment. I am on maintenance now. I’m not going to lie, it is and was hard work. With all the issues I have had with food over the years, sometimes it feels like if I eat too much at a meal, I will instantaneously be at my start weight again. Thank goodness I have an incredible resource at my fingertips. This was the best thing I have ever done for myself. And….that is the key to success. You really need to do this for yourself…with the knowledge and guidance of Dr. Scinta and her incredible staff at Weight Loss Center of New York.

-Maria