As a benefits leader, Irma wanted to put Virta to the test

By Irma, 8 months on Virta

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I have been heavy for as long as I care to admit— certainly more than 20 years. It has almost become a part of my identity. And as such, I allowed myself to accept too many of the things that being heavy was costing me. In addition to my weight, or perhaps because of it, I also suffer from painful arthritis in my knees. Walking even small distances had become incredibly difficult and in the last few years, I had become dependent on a cane to get around, then a walker. If a grocery store didn’t have a scooter for me to use, I would literally limp back out to where my husband would wait in the car to either go somewhere else or try back another day.

Before discovering Virta, I was taking insulin for my type 2 diabetes four times a day as well as medication to control my blood pressure. It all made me feel a bit trapped. And while my husband never complained about needing to tie my shoes, always dropping me off at a location’s front door, or not being able to do things with me that require much walking, it was something that bothered me.

Finding Virta was a bit of an “a-ha” moment for me. During our benefits enrollment meeting, Virta was introduced as a New Benefit for the upcoming year. The word “reversal” is really what caught my attention. In addition to helping naturally reduce weight, the description for Virta also claimed to reduce, if not eliminate, the need for prescription medications. “Okay,” I thought, “let’s put that to the test.”

I have been on Virta for 8 months, and it has been a wonderful journey. I have already lost 77 pounds! I no longer need my fast acting insulin, which I was taking three times a day, and my nightly dose of insulin has been greatly reduced from 77 units to just 15. In addition to my diabetes medication reduction, I have also been taken completely off my blood pressure medication.

Nothing else I’ve tried has ever been able to get me these kinds of results. I tell everyone who asks that Virta is not a diet or weight loss program. It is a lifestyle that I am happy to commit to for the rest of my life. Even my husband is enjoying some of the recipes my Virta health coach has shared with me.

Beyond the weight loss and medication reduction, I give credit to Virta for giving me my independence back.

I no longer need or want to use a scooter in the grocery store. In fact, not only can I now shop on my own two feet, I can do it without a walker or even a cane. Virta has truly transformed my life.

Originally, I set out to put Virta to the test and see if it was something I could actually do and stick with. The last couple of months have shown me that I can indeed. Professionally, I have transitioned into a new position within Baptist Health, and personally, I have had family issues that have cost me sleep and challenged both my patience and my willpower. But with the support of my Virta health coach, I have always been able to self-correct and find my balance on this health journey.

So, to my colleagues at Baptist Health South Florida, I say with full sincerity that I have put Virta to the test, and it is the real deal. Virta can change your life. I am living proof, and I hope my story can help others find their way to a healthier version of themselves too.

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