Ms. Kopanos after completing Mather’s Medical Weight Management Program
Ms. Kopanos before
After gaining 50 pounds, Elefteria Kopanos of Holbrook was at a point in her life where she felt like she had tried every weight-loss program out there with no success. She was caught in a cycle of losing and then gaining the weight back due to emotional eating triggered by stress and negative self-talk. At the recommendation of a co-worker who had seen her struggles, Elefteria tried Mather’s Medical Weight Management Program.
“I used to beat myself up about my weight. I would monitor the number on the scale and if I didn’t see that number drop, I would be so disappointed. The support I received from the people in this program has been so helpful. Everyone is completely non-judgmental. They have really helped me to stop being so negative with myself and start focusing on the positive changes I’ve made. Just when I would start to think that I wasn’t getting anywhere with my weight loss, the staff would come up with different ways of showing me that I was still making progress. Now I know that the number on the scale doesn’t mean everything. It’s not just about how much weight I’m losing, it’s also about the non-scale victories and the positive lifestyle changes I’ve made to ultimately better my life,” Ms. Kopanos said.
Mather’s Comprehensive Medical Weight Management Program utilizes simple, sound principles to help individuals achieve optimal health and maintain their best personal body weight. Each participant receives a full nutrition evaluation, weekly support, follow ups and metabolic testing along with a customized meal plan that is developed to meet their individualized lifestyle and health goals.
“Another great part of this program was learning to exercise properly. Mather’s Outpatient Physical Therapy Department taught me different exercises for the target areas that I was concerned about, along with a combination of weight training and cardio exercises. I do have some lower back pain. Every time I had worked out in the past I would hurt my back and then I wouldn’t be able to exercise for about a month. I would have to start all over from the beginning. Now I know how to exercise properly without injuring myself.”
Ms. Kopanos began exercising regularly, cooking new healthy recipes and learned how to be mindful while eating and listen to her body’s hunger signals. Today she has lost more than 50 pounds, has lowered her cholesterol to a normal level, has more energy and is sleeping better.
“I would like to lose more weight, so I decided to continue with the maintenance program because the support this program provides is just so incredible. The last two years of my life have been overwhelmingly stressful. I am an emotional eater, so normally I would have eaten to deal with that stress, but because of this program I haven’t. I used to be my own worst enemy when it came to my weight loss, but the people in this program are my biggest cheerleaders and I’ve come to learn that it’s not just about the weight loss, it’s about maintaining my overall health and I feel much healthier now.”