Betty Greiff has lost 30 pounds and five inches from her waist through the Medicare weight loss program, and she couldn’t be happier.

Throughout most of her life, Betty has struggled with her weight. At her low, she was 137, and at her high, she weighed 240. The pounds came on over the years due to having kids, the stresses of life, menopause, and emotional eating. She tried various diets and weight loss programs and would lose weight, but she wouldn’t keep it off.

“At 75 years old and still weighing over 200 pounds, I decided to try something different,” Betty remembers.

She heard about a free Medicare weight loss program that Perham Health offers, so she made an appointment with her provider to learn more.

The Medicare weight loss program is for patients who want to lose weight and have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. The year-long program involves meeting with a dietitian who teaches healthy eating and exercise tips.

Appointments are weekly for the first four weeks and every other week for the first six months. After six months, there is a check-in to ensure progress is being made and that a minimum of 6.6 pounds has been lost. If the minimum has been met, patients can continue once a month for another six months.

Betty qualified, so she met with Perham Health’s dietitian, Gwen Horter. Gwen helps people learn how to have a healthy diet to be healthier and lose weight.

During their first meeting, they talked about Betty’s goals, and Gwen measured Betty’s weight, height, and waist. Gwen taught Betty how to keep a food diary where she would write down everything she ate or drank daily. They would review the food diary at each meeting.

“Tracking is everybody’s least favorite part, but it is hands down the most effective. People don’t realize how much they are eating and drinking until they see it on paper,” says Gwen.

At each appointment, they start by weighing Betty and then learn different aspects of healthy eating and living. Gwen discusses an appropriate caloric intake, ways to add more fruits and vegetables, how to modify recipes to make them a little healthier, and how to incorporate activity throughout the day.

She taught Betty how to count calories and fat, and they set a goal to stay around 1200 calories and below 40 grams of fat.

“Gwen would share nutrition tips and provide handouts. One was a plate that showed how to divide up your food with some protein and some carbohydrates, but mostly vegetables and fruits. She taught me tips like drinking water or having some fruit when I feel hungry, or sucking on a mint can help take away craving sweets. Now I eat salad instead of fried potatoes, and when I make an apple crisp, I have one piece so I don’t deny myself. You have to reprogram yourself from the way you have been eating. She’s helped me a lot with that,” says Betty.

Gwen taught Betty that it is okay to have sweets but how to be more mindful of exactly how much she was eating.

The holidays are a difficult time for many people who are trying to control their weight. Gwen gave Betty tips on how to eat responsibly at parties, like how to pick out the less fattening foods.

“There’s always a party – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, summer barbeques with all those little goodies. There’s just so many, and Gwen helped me to know what to do,” says Betty.

Exercise is important too. Thankfully, Betty was already pretty active. She tries to walk two miles a day and is constantly going up and down the stairs in her house. When she and her husband golf, they walk instead of getting a cart.

“We live on 80 acres of land, so we have trails through our trees, and we go snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. I try to keep myself moving, which is very important,” says Betty.

When they got to six months of working together, Betty was making good progress and chose to continue with Gwen. “I wanted to continue with her until I couldn’t. I need accountability, and Gwen was that cheerleader for me,” remembers Betty.

Gwen agrees, “A lot of success is just the accountability of coming in and stepping on the scale in front of someone.”

By the one-year mark, Betty had lost 30 pounds and finished the program.

Betty is feeling more confident than she ever has. “Gwen got me there. I must stick with it because I want to lose ten more pounds. I weigh once a week on my little bathroom scale. It’s nice to see pants and shirts being too big.”

“Betty made all the right small changes, sustainable stuff. She lives a pretty active life, so making small changes with her eating habits led to her successful weight loss,” says Gwen.

Betty feels better, too. “My daughter and I just got back from two days in St. Paul. My energy level is up. The escalator was broken, and we climbed up the stairs, and it went well.”

People are noticing that Betty has lost weight. “A couple of people asked how I lost weight, and I told them about Gwen and how helpful she is and the Medicare program is free and great,” says Betty.

“I want people to know that there’s no out-of-pocket expense, so there’s no reason not to try. If you don’t like it, you’re not out anything. Make an appointment with your provider to get a referral”, encourages Gwen.

“I’m happy to share my story. If it helps one person, it is worth it,” says Betty.

Why not try it? After all, you have nothing to lose but weight.

Learn more about Gwen Horter and the Medicare weight loss program.

Gwen Horter, RDN, LRD, CDCES, Registered Dietitian

About Perham Health 

Perham Health is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with three primary care clinics, a 96-bed nursing home, home health care agency, adult day services, memory care assisted living, and senior housing.  The medical staff consists of 24 physicians, a nurse midwife, 14 advance practice clinicians, and three chiropractors. Visit perhamhealth.org to learn more.