Participant Testimonial

Paula M. Savastano
Weight Lost: 58 lbs or 26.6%

When I began the Jefferson Program, I tipped the scales at 218 lbs, and the only thing I could only think of was losing the weight. Like so many, I had tried one thing after another to lose. But I continued to gain. I was frustrated, angry and had basically given up on ever reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.

When I first heard about Optifast, I thought it seemed extreme and was hesitant to try it. However, when my doctor explained that that my weight was triggering my many health problems that would possibly kill or disable me within a few years, I enrolled in the program. I was not ready to die at 39. And, after all, I thought, I can do anything for 12 weeks.

The first nine days on the program were difficult, as I learned to live without the comforts of foods. I wasn’t convinced I’d go through with it. At my first weigh in, however, I dropped below 210 and that gave me motivation to push through another week. By the end of week two, I was convinced! I was finally dropping weight, and I felt good. I also started to understand, through attending my weekly group, that weight loss and management is much more than a 12-week program; it’s a lifetime commitment. When I realized that, my anger and frustration started to fade and I began to accept that this journey would be a positive one.

Don’t get me wrong—it wasn’t easy. No weight loss program is, if you truly stick to it. But I was 100% committed and stuck to the program 100% for 12 weeks. By the end of week 12, I was at a 19% loss (the goal of our program was 15-20% loss in 12 weeks – so I was right on track). I had a renewed sense of health and a better understanding of what it would take mentally and physically to continue success through transition.

I believe the key to my success was not focusing on the bigger picture, but rather taking the program in chunks. I never expected to continue to lose once I started eating, but I did. I transitioned at 177.4 and continued to lose to where I am now – 160 lbs. I even lost weight during maintenance. What I learned through this process was that I could eat and lose; that once I learned balance, my relationship with food could be positive. Food has become fuel for my body to perform, not a friend or foe any longer.

As I lost weight, my health showed great improvement. Today, I no long suffer from sleep apnea, fatigue, or Metabolic Syndrome. My pre-diabetic tendencies have decreased significantly, as have my blood pressure, cholesterol, Triglycerides, and resting heart rate. And my HDL has increased.

As difficult as it is can be at times, this journey has probably been the best learning experience of my life, and, guided by all of the lessons I learned about myself and my relationship to food, I look forward to the rest of it. The staff and support of the Jefferson program make this all possible. Without their guidance, supervision, and support – along with the friends I made along the way – the journey would not have been what it is today.