LEAF® Weight Loss Journeys

LEAF ROOT® Program Patient Journey

Jane proved that weight loss success is possible even with her busy schedule.

Jane is a successful professional in her mid 30's. Her career is her number one priority, which means the demands of her job have pushed out any chance of a healthy work-life balance. 

She is very busy - sometimes too busy even to eat. 

It wasn’t always that way for Jane. In high school and college, she was very active and played a lot of sports. These days, Jane is not feeling like her old self and wants some help to get back to the body shape and size she remembers feeling good in. Plus, her weight has been creeping up. Her cholesterol is higher than before on her last blood test. Jane is concerned that her unhealthy habits and weight gain might put her at risk for heart disease like her parents.

Joining the LEAF ROOT® Program made change possible for Jane.

Jane discovered that building healthy habits is possible - even when life is busy.  She learned that progressive eating and activity improvements are key.  Jane started with meal replacements once a day which made meal planning less overwhelming. Jane found that starting the day with a nutritious and filling shake helped her to stay on track through the day and even helped to manage evening cravings.

NOTE: Jane is not a real LEAF patient, but a fictionalized account based on several LEAF patient stories.

LEAF STREAM® Program Patient Journey

Joe decided that it was worth it to get his weight, health, and wellbeing under control.

Joe is in his mid 50's and has been living with type 2 diabetes for more than 5 years. Joe diligently works at managing his sugars. He follows his doctor's guidance but despite his efforts had to start insulin more than a year ago.  However, since starting insulin, his sugars have improved but he's concerned about the amount of weight he's gained.  He has gained so much weight that he finds it difficult to enjoy activities with his friends and family. Joe feels stuck and it's only getting worse. His doctor says weight loss would help but he just can't seem to manage his sugars and his weight. 

The LEAF STREAM® Program made achieving a healthy weight possible for Joe.

In the first 12 weeks of the LEAF STREAM program, Joe was on full meal replacement (four Optifast®900 shakes a day) and immediately was able to reduce his insulin and lose weight. During this period, Joe uncovered his problematic eating triggers, had “ah-ha” moments of self-discovery, and learned how to take back control of his health habits. He was able to turn his mind to addressing why he eats the way he does during this “food-decision break”.  During the last 12 weeks of the LEAF STREAM program, Joe reintroduced food and learned how to plan meals that suited his needs and built the skillsets to maintain his lower weight. Now he is at a lower weight, requiring less diabetes medications and finds that he has broken the cycle that he had been caught in originally.

NOTE: Joe is not a real LEAF patient, but a fictionalized account based on several LEAF patient stories. 

LEAF® ACTIONS Program Patient Journey

Nancy was looking for support to keep on track and build a better relationship with food.

Nancy is a nurse and considers herself knowledgeable about health and nutrition. She has participated in weight management programs before with some success but always finds herself getting off track. Her family doctor started her on a weight loss medication which helped initially but doesn’t seem to be working for her anymore. She also feels tired all the time. 

Joining LEAF® ACTIONS helped Nancy be more consistent with her health habits and regain control of her health behaviours.

Through the behavioural skill set building in LEAF ACTIONS and talking with her peers, Nancy learned how to keep on track and develop flexible thinking. She was able to let go of her “all or nothing” approach. She is making progress because she is developing a plan suited to her. She also realized that she had been under-eating while on the weight loss medication and improved her nutrition through LEAF ACTIONS.  She now reports more energy and confidence. 

LEAF BUDS® Program Patient Journey

Frank was overwhelmed by all the different diets and supplements that he saw on social media.

Frank wants to improve his nutrition and health. But he doesn’t know where to start. He is looking for a solution that fits his unique needs. Why does it have to be so complicated? 

Frank meets 1:1 with a LEAF® Registered Dietitian and discovers that he can control food and that food doesn’t have to control him.

Frank learns that there is no one “right way” to eat and that using strategies that fit his needs is the key to success.  Frank stops jumping from “diet” to “diet”.  With the help of his LEAF Registered Dietitian, he develops his own customized eating approach. He now structures his day to meet his nutrition needs, stays satisfied, and handles cravings more effectively. Frank has developed more confidence and consistency in his food decisions.