A big loss for a healthier life

“It is about your mindset and your determination to meet your goals,” said Laraine Kemery, an advocate for weight loss. Laraine is a wife and a mom of four. All four of her children are active in sports, so she and her husband are constantly on the go. With her busy lifestyle, Laraine determined she wanted to become a healthier version of herself physically, mentally and emotionally. With her efforts and the help of the Genesis weight loss program, she is down 51 pounds and is not stopping. 

Change in lifestyle

Laraine wanted to make a change in her lifestyle. “I wanted to be healthier, and I knew the journey involved changing my lifestyle and re-learning what I already knew,” said Laraine. Kelli M. Gevas, M.D., Board-certified in Obesity Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) helped change Laraine’s life. Dr. Gevas has an advanced knowledge of weight loss treatments. Every plan she creates is personalized to that individual and their goals. Laraine’s plan involved re-learning nutrition, specifically what foods are made of and the impact they have on the fat and muscle in her body and including what and when to eat. Dr. Gevas also provided diet tips and goals to set in place to achieve success. 

“People often do not understand nutrition,” said Dr. Gevas. “If you are starting your weight loss journey, start with small changes. For example, add more healthy foods into your diet that you enjoy to replace unhealthy foods you used to eat. It is important to enjoy eating and not feel deprived to have long-term success.” 

Along with nutrition, Laraine has also changed her lifestyle through exercise. “To stay in shape, my husband and I run, and our children bike alongside us,” said Laraine. “This way of exercising involves our entire family and gets everyone outside. My husband and I also weight lift three to four days a week to help build muscle.”

“There are a lot of long-term benefits to exercising,” said Dr. Gevas. “For weight loss, there are simple exercises you can start with, such as 10 minutes of cardio band workout or chair strength exercises if you have back pain. The key to seeing weight loss is strength exercises, staying consistent and a mindset change to stay active.”  

Striving for more

“Everyone’s journey to getting healthy is different,” said Laraine. I had to take action to fully enjoy the fun times I have with my family.”

Laraine has also implemented this new lifestyle she learned from Dr. Gevas into her family’s life. She mentioned that her children are active in sports, but now they also know the importance of eating healthy and staying active. Laraine mentions that her husband is also learning from her lifestyle and has also lost over 20 pounds. “Weight loss is a touchy subject for some people,” said Laraine. “I want to bring awareness to this topic and let people know there are so many solutions for them to try.”