After her successes on Virta, Laura never wants to go back to a life of diabetes medications

By Laura, on Virta for 3 months

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes back in 2014. No matter what I did, my A1c and weight kept going up. At first, I was just given metformin to help control my blood sugar. But after a while, I added Jardiance and glimepiride as well. Before I knew it, I was taking more pills than I knew what to do with. I was tired of managing so many medications, especially when I went out of town! I knew it was time to take control of my health and lose some weight. I wanted normalcy back in my life.

In early July, a nurse from my health plan called to check in with me. She asked me how I was doing and told me that Virta was now available to me for free through my health plan. She told me that Virta could help me decrease my A1c and need for medication, while also helping me lose weight. Since it was free for me, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. At first, I was worried about my willpower to go through with it. I had tried programs like Weight Watchers before, but I mostly ended up trying to lose weight on my own. I quickly realized that Virta comes with a huge amount of support. Virta’s care team includes Leah, my health coach, and she helps me understand what I’m going through so I can stay on track.‍

I’ve been on Virta for about 3 months now and my A1c has dropped from 6.9% to 5.9%. That’s the lowest my A1c has been since I was diagnosed back in 2014! I’ve also lost about 30 pounds and am now off of Jardiance and glimepiride. It’s a relief to now have less medications to juggle.

I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and I don’t cook a lot. So I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to follow a lower carb diet. While the first month was tough, I’m used to it now and it’s gotten a lot easier! My Virta health coach Leah helps me make easy changes when I go out to eat, such as ordering grilled meat instead of fried, or lettuce wraps for my burger. I also add more vegetables to my plate. One of my goals now is to start making quick and easy low carb meals on my own. Leah is helping me find ways to do that!

I thought diabetes would always be a part of my life. But Virta has helped me work to reverse my type 2 diabetes. I don’t want to go back to how things were before I started this treatment. Virta gave me a support system which made adjusting to this lifestyle so much easier, and that encouragement got me to where I am today! I also appreciate that my Virta care team works with my primary care provider to keep her informed. I’m so grateful to my health plan for reaching out to me and telling me about Virta. I never would have done this on my own, and I’m very glad I did!