Michele Burrows
BEST PART OF THE JOURNEY: I feel like a different person inside and out. I’ve released the negative out of my life and replaced it with positive. I have more confidence and more energy. Better habits are allowing me to enjoy life again. I love being able to shop in different sections of the store instead of just the plus size section. I love the way exercise makes me feel at the end of a great workout. Of course, I love hearing people say, “Wow, look at you!”
LIFESTYLE CHANGES: I make different, better and healthier choices. Exercise is now a daily routine. I make sure to get plenty of sleep, and water is my beverage of choice. In the past food called my name, but now I have more control to say “no” or sometimes even “yes.” Learning portion control has been key.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES: Forgiving myself is important. I realize this is a lifelong journey and there will be challenges. Now that I am armed with good information, it helps me make better choices. I try to be prepared and plan ahead so that I can stay in control. Before this program, I didn’t have the self-confidence to do something about [weight loss]. Regaining my self-confidence also affected other areas of my life, which helped me to make better choices for myself and my son.
WORDS OF INSPIRATION: You will wish you would have done this program much earlier. You will say, “I never knew how bad I felt.” Most of all, do it for yourself. You are important and worth it. A major turning point occurred for Michele Burrows when her doctor said, “Enough Michele, you could die!” She recalls sitting there in shock and then began to cry. With her weight spiraling out of control, blood pressure sky rocketing and self-esteem at an all-time low, Burrows was determined to change. She wanted to be there for her 10-year old son and she wanted to regain a sense of self.
“Food became a comfort,” Burrows says. “I didn’t get a lot of support in my marriage after having a baby, going back to school and moving into a high-level management position. Of course I had my friends and other family, but it wasn’t enough. Stress levels were high, and food was a sort of consolation. My major weight gain happened over a period of time with most of it after my son was born.” It was advice from her sister that prompted Burrows to contact JCMG Weight Treatment Center to make an appointment. She knew immediately during orientation that this attempt at weight loss would be different.
“I was going for me and my son and no one else.” she says. “I was drawn to the JCMG program because it’s medically supervised and provides education for eating and exercising the right way. It works for me because I learned exactly what I needed. Weekly meetings gave networking opportunities with others like me, and the professional staff provided education and support as well. It helped me develop a game plan, or rather a life plan, on how to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Four months into the program, Burrows lost 60 pounds and then another 20 over the course of a year. “I personally knew many people that did the program with success,” Burrow says. “I wanted fast weight loss under medical supervision. I felt [quick results] would help keep me motivated and help my self-confidence to continue. Any program is only as good as you allow it to be.”
Looking back, it’s almost hard for Burrows to remember life before her successful weight loss venture. “Carrying the extra weight affected my life in many ways,” she says. “My attitude was poor, my health was in bad shape, and I basically had no energy to do anything. I didn’t have the self-worth or mental strength to stand up for myself and make changes to better my life and that of my son. The JCMG program has been nothing but a positive experience for me. They helped me to identify what caused my overeating and bad habits. I don’t want to allow [weight gain] to happen again. I enjoy being a happier and stronger person.”
To learn more about the JCMG Weight Loss Treatment Center, call 573-556-5774.
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