Randy Lock used to spend countless hours behind the wheel of a truck and eat fast food and unhealthy snacks that he could take on the go. When he retired in January 2017 after 45 years of driving, he weighed 489 pounds.
“I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life and I just decided I was tired of carrying the weight,” he said. “I wasn’t active and I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do.”
Lock had read about Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Weight Management Program and he decided to give it a try after talking with his medical providers at the SBL Toledo Clinic. The program uses the HMR (Health Management Resources) method, the nation’s leading provider of weight management treatment services to hospitals. He especially liked HMR’s medically approved approach because it means, “it does things the safe way.”
Sadly, he had lost his wife of 36 years, Angel, just one year prior to his retirement, which gave him even more motivation to get healthier. “My focus was to take care of her because she was so ill for so long and I just let myself go,” the Toledo man said.
After a thorough medical evaluation, he started the Decision Free medically supervised weight-loss program in March 2017. However, initial tests revealed he had suffered a light heart attack that he knew nothing about, so he went through additional testing at Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Heart Center before starting the program. Lock learned that his heart wasn’t pumping the way that it should be and he was put on three different medications.
During that time he also lost 12 pounds while testing the HMR products, giving him added incentive to continue. The Decision-Free plan uses HMR’s nutritionally complete weight-loss shakes and entrees in place of store bought food, making it easy to follow. “I wanted to give it a try to see if I could actually do it before I made the commitment,” he said. “This is the most satisfying eating plan I’ve ever been on. I like all their products. It’s just so simple to follow. It’s the easiest diet I’ve ever been on and believe me, I’ve been on a lot of them.”
Lock monitors his progress by weighing himself daily and he’s pleased with his results. “I’m happy with the plan because it’s so easy to follow, but you have to have a mindset that you’re going to do it,” he said. He typically loses a few pounds each week, but he’s learned not to get discouraged if doesn’t. In 12 month’s time, he has lost 145 pounds, “but I still have a ways to go,” he adds. He is determined to lose 100 more and get down to 220 to 230 pounds, a weight he hasn’t seen in more than 20 years.
Lock said attending the weekly weigh-ins and classes for support and education have been crucial to his success. “The instructors are all very helpful and you get lots of ideas on different ways to fix the shakes and entrees from other members,” he said. “I talk to a lot of new people and they are afraid they are going to starve on this program, but I tell them I just don’t get hungry.”
In the year since he started, Lock has only waivered from the program twice – on Thanksgiving and Christmas days – mainly to appease family and to taste a few of his favorite dishes. “If you stick to the program, the weight comes off. The holidays were hard, but after the holidays I got right back on it and I still lost a few pounds,” he said. “I’ve gone down four shirt sizes and my pant sizes keep dropping too. It’s made a big difference. I have people that don’t even recognize me,” he said.
However, what he likes the most is the way it makes him feel. “When I started this program I could hardly walk. I couldn’t get around or do anything, and that’s not me. I’m an outdoors person,” Lock said. “I feel so much better.” Lock is also happy to report that he’s gotten off five different medications since starting the program and his heart is now functioning the way it should. “My cardiologist told me I’m on the right track and he took me off the medication a few weeks ago,” he said.
Lock has also recommended the program to friends and family, and his sister is having success with the program as well. He looks forward to continuing his journey is determined to achieve his goals. “I’ll never be 489 pounds again. I’ll tell you that right now. It will never happen,” he said. He looks forward to gardening, camping and being active outdoors again this spring and summer.
For more information about HMR, call SBL Weight Management Services at 217-238-4774 or go to www.sarahbush.org.