Lori: From considering bariatric surgery to shooting hoops

Growing up, Lori was an athlete. “I was always slightly heavy, but it was muscle and I was very in-shape,” says the 55-year-old. Then with pregnancy, 26 years ago, came weight gain—up to 283 pounds. “From then on, I just kept on eating,” says Lori.

When she started Virta on May 2, 2017, Lori weighed 300 pounds. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. “I could hardly walk,” she recalls. “I thought, the MS is getting worse, I’m going to need a wheelchair. I sat in a chair all day, at work and at home, and I was getting depressed. I was looking into doing bariatric surgery.”

“Virta has been a godsend!” says Lori. “I think heavyset people, especially, look at Virta and say, ‘Really?’ People don’t believe it’s not a gimmick or just another wellness program. But people on my team who see me say, ‘Lori, the weight is just melting away from you,’ and I just tell them to explore it, that Nielsen covers the cost, and it’s amazing.”

Lori, before Virta and 6 months after starting

“The best part of Virta has been my health coach—being able to talk to her on a daily basis,” says Lori. Because Lori shares her home with extended family, few of whom understand the lifestyle changes recommended by Virta or the science behind them, Lori faces non-Virta meals frequently and requires support and encouragement from her coach. “I talk to my coach at least four times a day, and it makes all the difference,” she says.

Lori has been on Virta for 6 months and has lost almost 50 pounds.

“When I lost my first 10 pounds in one week, I said, ‘Whoa, this treatment is going to work for me.' The energy level I have is incredible,” she says. “I can see the light at the end of the tunnel—I’m going to play sports again. I love to play basketball, and I’m going to join the rec center and run around and shoot the ball. My work has improved, I’m making my metrics where before I wasn’t,” Lori says.