Becky Letcher

HMR Participant Since 2010

Becky2

Since she lost 70 pounds, Becky Letcher says shopping for clothes is a different experience – and not just because she’s wearing smaller sizes.

Before the weight loss, she says, “I had a lot of trouble with my feet and ankles hurting. When I’d go shopping, after a half-hour I’d be limping. My feet don’t do that to me any more.”

And that’s not the only improvement in her health. “I’d had daily problems with heartburn, and I haven’t had any trouble with that since I started on the program. My cholesterol has dropped 100 points, too.”

Starting down the right path

Becky joined the weight-management program at Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center in March of 2010. Known as Healthy Solutions®, it’s a supervised program of Health Management Resources, or HMR®.

In less than a year, she was able to reach her goal weight and complete the first phase of the program, in which participants organize their meals around a choice of HMR® entrees and snacks, plus fruits and vegetables.

“That’s one of the things I liked about the program,” says Becky. “I knew what I could eat and what I couldn’t. That gets you started down the right path, thinking more about what you eat, and how to get full without all the calories.”

Motivation and accountability

After reaching her goal weight, Becky plans to continue participating in the second phase of the program to focus on maintaining her weight loss.

One component of both phases that she found helpful is the weekly meeting with other program participants, led by a Milestone Health Educator.

Going to the weekly meetings “keeps you motivated and makes you more accountable,” Becky says.

“Knowing that there’s other people like me in the class keeps me going, too. We all have problems with our weight, although the causes may not be the same. So we share ideas and support each other.”

Physical activity is an important component of the program as well, and Becky has participated in a variety of activities at Milestone, including swimming, Zumba dance classes, a “Kettle Cross” class with kettle bells, working out with weights, and using an elliptical machine.

“Well worth it”

“There is a cost involved with the program, but to me the benefits of the program outweigh the cost,” says Becky.  ”It’s well worth it.”