Doctors agree: Lifestyle change key to weight loss

MANILA, Philippines - Like ordinary human beings, doctors suffer from health problems, too. Because they cannot nurture others when they are sick, they take the extra mile in finding the safe and effective solution.

In the case of Drs. Debbie Ona and Emma Caringal, both of whom suffered from weight problems, the road led to the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program.

The Cohen program is a rapid weight loss and wellness solution through nutrition based on a person’s unique blood profile. It advocates lifestyle change, especially promoting the right eating and sleeping habits, to optimize the body’s metabolic processes.

As a doctor specializing in internal medicine with focus on hypertension, Ona frequently tells her patients to lose weight to improve their heart’s condition. At 178 lbs and with elevated blood pressure (BP) reading of 130/90, however, she realized that she herself needed to heed the advice.

“When doctors are healthy, patients are more inclined to listen,” she said. She then tried several diet programs, and intensive exercise. However, instead of losing weight, she gained more. “I had the wrong notion that since I’m exercising, it’s okay to eat a lot.”

In December 2012, inspired by another doctor-friend who lost weight, Ona entered the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program. In five months, she lost 48 lbs.

“The Cohen’s Lifestyle Program is based on scientific principles. For it to work, what is important is you are emotionally prepared to follow the program, and you have a supportive family,” she said.

Ona has since decided to continue to live by the Cohen program. Before, she would go heavy on carbs, skip meals, and gorge on junk food in between, especially when stressed. Now, she counts salad as a staple for her meals, and regularly brings yogurt and water when traveling to stave off hunger pangs.

She has also recommended the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program to some of her patients, to great results: some reported that they no longer need medication, and have normalized their BP.

Caringal, an obstetrician-gynecologist, relates a similarly successful weight loss story. Back then, she weighed 225 lbs, and admittedly was not keen on checking what she ate. She easily got tired, was prone to body aches, and had alarming blood chemistry results.

“When I finally decided that I should lose weight, I analyzed different diets. Of all the programs I tried, Cohen was the one that worked because I did not feel deprived,” she said.

Caringal said the difference is in the Cohen program’s lifestyle approach, which instills discipline and changes one’s attitude regarding food. “I am careful not to deviate from the eating plan, and I try to stay focused on maintaining my weight,” she said.

Now cutting a trim figure at 143 lbs only six months into the program, she is happier than ever before. Her 10-year-old daughter even chimes in saying, “She is now sexy and fabulous.”

With her line of work, the Cohen program has also become Caringal’s handy suggestion for women with fertility problems caused by hormonal imbalance due to obesity: “I specialize in reproductive endocrinology, infertility and menopause, and I have observed that being overweight is a risk factor for ovulation problems.”

For both Ona and Caringal, the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program has truly been an instrument for keeping their own bodies in peak physical condition, an important benefit for someone who nurtures other people’s health.

The Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre provides solutions for lifestyle change and weight concerns. It counts thousands of successful graduates, including doctors. To learn more, visit www.cohenlifestyle.com.ph.