Steph uses Omada and persistence to achieve health goals.
"As I continued to age, I just kept adding weight. No matter what I tried (tracking meals, increasing exercise), nothing seemed to work. I was invited and accepted to participate in Omada's program. At first, I was going to ignore the invite, but I thought, "What the heck, I've got nothing to lose." I started the program at the beginning of February. For the first 6 weeks all I did was gain weight or stay static, but I stuck with it and I'm still going strong. I'm down 20 pounds and would like to lose another 20 over the next couple years. I've completely changed my eating habits, and the best part is that I haven't had to eliminate any foods from my diet. I just make adjustments to portion sizes. I walk a minimum of 7500 steps a day (a program target). There are times where I plateau, but I know if I stay on track the weight will start dropping again. I also know that I could see weight drop faster if I upped my exercise game but I'm fine going slow and keeping a program that is sustainable for me. My energy level is much better, as well as my self-esteem with regard to body image. My blood pressure is back into the healthy range consistently (it had been pushing up against the high end). The Omada app allowed me to track everything in one place. There are weekly lessons, and it provides feedback each week. They give you a scale for daily weigh-ins that transmits automatically, which greatly simplifies tracking while upping accountability. There are no diet gimmicks, just guidance on how to make better choices and focusing on appropriate portions. It took me a long time to figure out the "right" proteins and the timing of meals and snacks to keep hunger pains in check, but I got there and it's virtually a non-issue now because my body and mind have adjusted to my new habits. If I have an off day because of some special occasion, I just get back on track the next meal and try to get a few more steps in. I feel as though everything I'm working on is realistic and sustainable because it has become habit."