My Life-Changing Story - U.S. Air Force Veteran Gilberto Pinela lives Whole Health at VA St. Louis Health Care System, loses 60+ lbs As I approached my sixties, I began to lose hope of losing weight, wearing sizes I wore in my forties, having the energy and stamina I desired to continue an active life, and keeping an exercise routine to match my health goals. Then came the pandemic, and everything went downhill. My exercise routine stopped, my ankle injury flared up, and I gained an unprecedented amount of weight that I could no longer control when I turned 59. In early 2023, with very little hope but a strong desire to not start my next decade of living in an unhealthy state, seeing a future filled with meds to deal with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other weight-related issues, I joined a gym. I started doing my best to return to a healthy weight, mind, and outlook. After months of trying, I turned the big SIX 0 and had no luck - I was 60 Lbs overweight, frustrated, depressed, and hopeless. Frustrated and depressed with no energy, I asked my VA Whole Health coach, Raymond, to help me find programs to alleviate the pain in my ankle.One of the recommendations was to do Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) with Dr. Monu Khanna. During my visits with Dr. Khanna for BFA, we began discussing the Metabolic Health program that Whole Health at VA St. Louis offers to help improve one’s health. Following Dr. Khanna’s advice, I did a blood test to find out how my internal systems were working with the extra weight - the moment of truth happened when the results came back showing I was entering the pre-diabetes stage, my body was inflamed, and some of my organs were working overtime to keep up. I remember the feeling of dread and desperation, especially knowing that if I did not do something radical, I would soon be incapable of having the active/healthy life I desired in my sixties. Under Dr. Khanna’s guidance, I started focusing on my metabolic health and have been on a low-carb/no-carb weight management program through Whole Health. I changed my eating habits, eating a heavy protein breakfast, drinking black coffee, water with plant-based electrolytes, and nothing else during work. I will not eat solid food again until around 7:00 p.m. when I enjoy another round of protein, no-carb veggies, and water.
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