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Trotting into the kitchen for dinner is not considered exercise anymore for Earl Eues Jr.
“I was at 268 pounds, way overweight,” said Eues, who is a client of Terrebonne General Medical Center’s new Ideal Protein weight loss program and Terrebonne Parish’s Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness director. “I’m jogging now, and I had never jogged before in my life. The only jogging I did was to the table for supper and back to my chair in my living room. Now I do my jogging on the road.”
TGMC began offering the program in June, and the program’s 40 clients have already lost a combined 624 pounds, including Eues’ 41.6 pounds.
Ideal Protein is a four-phase program that combines prepackaged and regular foods with weekly consultations with one of TGMC’s registered dieticians. During Phases 1 and 2, the dieticians assist clients with setting a weight loss goal and discuss how to reach that goal. In Phases 3 and 4, the emphasis of the program changes to weight stabilization and post-diet living, mainly habits to avoid gaining the weight back.
“An employee at the hospital had told me about the program,” Eues said. “I researched it and learned about people who had lost 100 pounds in six months. My goal weight is to be under 200 pounds, and I hope to reach my goal weight by the end of December. I feel great.”
Since joining the program July 1, Eues has dropped two pants sizes and lost a total of 28.5 inches from his body.
“They give you a ribbon to show how many inches you have lost since your last visit,” he said. “It’s very impressive to me to see that each time. I want to hang them on the fridge, but they do me just as good seeing them on the dashboard of my truck.
“Get a friend involved, too. That helps. Set a goal and work toward that goal.”
For now, Eues is looking forward to sharing his weight loss story at the upcoming Ideal Protein social luncheon. He also intends to run in the Heart and Soles Half Marathon, Relay & 5K Run/Walk in November.
Like Eues, fellow client Louis Watkins is also pleased with his 37-pound weight loss.
“I was overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle and not very physically active,” Watkins, who has been on the program eight weeks, said in a printed statement. “Since my weight loss with Ideal Protein, I am back to running and exercising and I have much more energy and feel so much better. I would recommend Ideal Protein to anyone who wants to lose weight quickly, easily and be able to maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime.”
Holly Dufrene, Ideal Protein program director and registered dietitian at TGMC, is pleased with her clients’ progress.
“It’s such a thrill to see how happy a client is throughout the weight loss process,” she said. “People who had never even exercised now have the self-confidence to improve. Some have gone from being sedentary to jogging three times a week.
“It’s great for me as a mentor to see their healthy attitudes and healthy lifestyle changes.”
According to Dufrene, the Ideal Protein weight loss program does not have a maximum limit for how much weight a client can lose through the regimen. Most of her clients want to lose an average of about 30 pounds and, so far, clients are averaging a weight loss of 3-7 pounds per week. Clients’ ages range from 30- to 60 years old, and the majority of Ideal Protein participants are female.
“Ideal Protein is a science-based diet that allows the body to lose fat mass while maintaining lean muscle weight,” Dufrene said. “Our program at TGMC focuses on behavior modification to produce lasting results. We are seeing great success rates with this program.
“What makes this weight-loss program different is that there is a registered dietician working with you. I can talk to a client and focus on maintenance throughout the entire course.”
Dufrene meets with each of her clients for a weekly weigh-in. During the visits, the dietician and her client review food journals clients must keep and discuss any weight-loss successes or hurdles faced during the previous week.
“We talk about maintenance and motivation from the beginning and what caused them to reach their starting weight,” she said. “We get to know the client and talk about adopting healthy habits.”
Once a client begins the program, the first goal is to get the person’s body into ketosis, where the body will burn fat for fuel, with low-carb foods. This allows the body to maintain muscle stores while losing fat stores.
“Each packaged meal has the ideal amount of protein so that the body can maintain its muscle stores,” Dufrene said. “Clients are also allowed to consume 8 ounces of lean protein and 4 cups of veggies, and they can have an unlimited amount of lettuce.”
Multivitamins and supplements are also available through the program, and the program’s milk shakes are the most popular item.
Even though exercise is not required with the Ideal Protein program, it is encouraged, and Dufrene said walking and bike riding are two of the more popular ways her clients choose to exercise.
“Most did not even exercise before they joined the program,” she said. “We conduct body fat analysis to make sure clients are losing body fat if they are exercising.”
Once a client reaches their goal weight, they transition into the program’s maintenance phase.
“Ideally, we would still like to see clients at least monthly after they have reached their goal weight,” Dufrene said.
To schedule an Ideal Protein consultation, call 985-850-6014.
Holly Dufrene, left, Ideal Protein program director and registered dietitian at Terrebonne General Medical Center, weighs client Earl Eues. Eues has been on the program since July 1 and has lost 41.6 pounds.
