Ted from Sealed Air is back on the slopes after reversing type 2 diabetes

By Ted, on Virta for 9 months‍

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 5 years ago, I started to manage my blood sugar levels with medication. Before starting Virta, I was able to control my type 2 diabetes with metformin and empagliflozin, but they caused my energy levels to drop and just feel generally lousy. Some days, my energy levels would quickly swing from high to low, especially while doing physical activities. I really enjoy skiing, and it became tough for me to muster up the energy to get out and ski as much as I wanted to.

I first heard about Virta in July 2020. I had been getting emails about Virta and thought, “Virta can help me get off medication? Let’s see what this is about!” My job as a Business Development Manager with Sealed Air involves a great deal of travel, so I wondered if that would be a deal breaker when applying. I quickly discovered that Virta personalizes my treatment in a way that would work for me even when I’m on the road 80% of the time. The way Virta explained how their approach to nutrition can teach my body to burn fat for energy and  lower blood sugar made so much sense to me with my background in nutrition. 

Starting on Virta was easy thanks to my Virta health coach Bobbie. She is extremely knowledgeable and has been doing this for years, so I knew I was in great hands. In the beginning, I would check in with her daily, and she helped me figure out my meals. One day she asked me what foods I missed the most, which was definitely ice cream. With her help, I was able to make a mint chocolate chip ice cream with heavy cream and half-and-half that tastes absolutely delicious! My wife loves it too. I easily adjusted my daily meals to make them Virta-friendly, like adding sour cream to my eggs and cream to my coffee. I grab the cobb salad with chicken, cheese, and avocado ranch dressing from Chick-fil-A when I’m on the road.

I saw results almost immediately. Right as I began the treatment, my Virta physician took me off of empagliflozin. I loved that a major focus of the Virta treatment was having me get off and stay off of medication. Now after 9 months, I’m officially under the diabetes threshold. My A1c is down from 6.7% to 5.4%, I’m off of all diabetes-specific medications, and I’ve lost 20 pounds! My blood sugar now averages around 100 mg/dL with no medication at all. The difference in my energy levels between now and before Virta are like night and day. With all the extra energy, my friends even noticed a huge difference in how I was skiing—I haven’t been able to ski like this in 35 years! 

My friends and family often ask how long am I going to stay on Virta. My response? Only for the rest of my life. I feel amazing, and I don’t want to go back on medication ever again. I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today without my Virta care team and Sealed Air for offering Virta as a benefit. I’m doing my best to spread the word about Virta to my co-workers, and I am constantly encouraging them to get started!