Mary’s Patient Journey Story
“My weight has been an issue my whole life,” says Mary, a 54-year-old Central California resident who became a patient of Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness earlier this year. “It goes back as far as I can remember.”
She calls herself a “chunky monkey” of a child, born to Italian immigrants whose rich culinary culture migrated with them to the United States.
“My mother is the most amazing cook on the planet,” she says. “She cooked really healthy, but we didn’t learn that these are the carbs, these are the proteins, and so on. You just always had some pasta, and I always had more pasta.” Her weight gradually climbed.
Today, Mary is proud to say that she has taken control of her health and lost 70 pounds working with Dr. Young. The road to success was decades-long, and it began with a devastating loss.
A TURNING POINT
“My father passed away of cancer when I was only 15 years old,” Mary says. “For all these years, I’ve wondered why can’t they find a cure.”
Her search for an answer eventually led her to The China Study, a bestselling book that examines the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. She was intrigued by the book’s claim that a whole food plant-based diet offered the most health benefits.
“Studies done throughout China found that cancer rates are higher in people who eat meat, so I immediately stopped eating animal products,” she explains. “It resonated with me at the time — like, maybe I’m not going to get cancer.”
Mary took a relaxed approach to her new vegan diet. As long as she avoided animal products, she allowed herself to eat anything else she wanted. Sometimes that meant tucking into large portions of her favorite legumes. At other times, it meant “shoveling in” Cheez-It crackers at 10 pm after a stressful day.
“I wasn’t being a healthy vegan. All I was doing was not eating meat. I never paid attention to the calories I was consuming,” Mary says. “That showed year over year as I continued to gain weight.”
GAINING WEIGHT, LOSING JOY
Although Mary hadn’t adopted veganism to lose weight, she’d hoped it might be a perk. Instead, she sank years into trying various diets with no long-term success. “I basically tried all that’s out there,” she says. Some worked temporarily, “but I never understood that the work isn’t done after you lose the weight.”
Repeated attempts to maintain weight loss fell short. Mary grew disheartened.
“I felt like I was turning into a fat old lady,” she says with a short laugh. “I would go out and do things because I was trying to live my life, but I wouldn’t be excited. Getting dressed up wasn’t fun. I hated my photograph being taken. I would always be appalled by what I saw.”
Years of weight fluctuations passed. Mary found herself facing her 50s and a new set of health challenges. She began bioidentical hormone replacement therapy after reading that it could ease the symptoms of menopause, and considered taking probiotic supplements after she started experiencing digestive issues.
“Finally, I said, ‘Mary, you have to stop self-diagnosing. You need to get to the root of these things.’ So I googled ‘hormone specialist’ and I came across Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness.”
MEANT TO BE
“I truly feel that I was led to Dr. Young,” Mary says. “I made an appointment not knowing anything about naturopathic medicine. I just wanted to figure out how to feel the best I possibly could.”
Mary’s first interactions with Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness assured her she’d made the right decision. She loved everything from the convenient 7 am appointment availability to the enthusiastic greeting she received from Carla, the patient care concierge.
“My consultation was great. Dr. Young was very warm, compassionate and knowledgeable. She listened to me and fully understood where I was coming from. I felt super comfortable with her,” Mary recalls.
Dr. Young conducted a comprehensive health screening that included a medical history, physical examination and laboratory testing. With the results of this assessment, Dr. Young would have a clear picture of Mary’s genetic risk of disease, body fat, cardiovascular health, hormone levels, dietary deficiencies, inflammation and immune markers, and more.
That picture turned out to be dramatically different than Mary expected.
“She said I had markers for heart disease and that the single most important thing I needed to do for my health was lose weight,” Mary says. “It was eye-opening.”
CHANGING COURSE
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Millions of Americans suffer from cardiovascular conditions that are life-threatening but preventable. Despite the family history of cancer that worried her for decades and the interest in hormone replacement therapy that initially brought her to Dr. Young, Mary had a new battle to fight.
“Heart disease wasn’t on my radar. Cancer hit our family really hard, so I was focused on that,” she says. “I made my mind up at that moment — I had to lose weight.”
Dr. Young suggested trying the weight loss protocol, which is a daily peptide therapy along with a low-calorie diet. This powerful peptide therapy alters how the body reacts to hormones and helps maintain muscle while safely losing weight on a low-calorie diet. As a treatment for weight loss, this suppresses appetite and encourages the body to burn off fat while preserving muscle.
“She said, ‘I can give you the tools to drop the weight quickly, but you have to do the work.’ That was scary and exciting to hear at the same time.” Mary says. “It had gotten to the point where I couldn’t fix it alone.”
Fortunately, she was not alone. She had the expertise of Dr. Young, NMD., and Dr. Sana Chrystal, NMD., D.C., guidance from certified health and wellness coach Phaedra, encouragement from Carla and the loving support of her husband of 22 years.
It’s never too late to start making healthy decisions, and Mary finally had the right plan in place to ensure the changes last.
Part 2
“I’m on a journey. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and Dr. Young has probably got so much more I can learn from her. I feel in my heart that I was led here.”
After hearing about her risk for heart disease and the benefits Dr. Young’s weight loss protocol could offer, Mary was ready to make major changes for her health. But first, she would have to give up something she’d held dear for a decade.
Mary left her consultation with Dr. Young feeling invigorated. She was ready to make changes — big changes, if necessary — to reduce her risk of heart disease and get her health back on track. She wasted no time setting her new lifestyle in motion.
“I made one really big change the second I walked out of the office the first time,” Mary says. “I stopped being vegan.”
After 10 years of practicing veganism for its purported health benefits, Mary felt that returning animal products to her diet was the healthier choice for her. She says she has no regrets about her decision.
“I felt very comfortable following Dr. Young’s guidance,” she says, “and once I had my husband’s support, I felt like I could do anything.”
DIVING DEEP
Mary initially came to Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness seeking a “deep dive” into her hormones. She wound up with a much deeper dive than she ever could have imagined.
As a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Young takes a holistic approach to patient care. Rather than focusing on one specific symptom or bodily system, she looks at the whole person and considers all factors that comprise an individual’s overall health. This means genetics, lifestyle habits, diet and exercise, environmental exposures, social factors and more.
Mary’s consultation process included a series of tests that help Dr. Young assess all 12 systems of the body. Mary underwent tests for cholesterol, glucose and food intolerances, as well as a hormone panel and NutraEval. She also had her body composition analyzed with InBody, which would become a critical part of her treatment protocol.
“I did the InBody analysis on the very first day and then again each time I went in for my weekly check-in,” Mary recalls. “It’s really cool. It shows your body fat, your muscle mass, your water. I would go home with all the information and digest it, and come up with questions for next time I came in.”
Measuring body composition describes weight more accurately than a bathroom scale or BMI. By breaking the body down into its core components, InBody provides a better glimpse into a person’s unique makeup and helps pinpoint areas to work on to improve overall health and wellness.
Mary held onto her results and refers to them when she needs a boost of motivation.
”I kept every InBody printout and have them in chronological order. It’s super interesting to read back on it. It’s nice to watch your numbers improving. You feel better when you see that.”
TWELVE WEEKS OF TREATMENT
Dr. Young used the results from Mary’s tests and InBody analysis to create her personalized treatment plan: daily injections, a 500-calorie per day diet and weekly IV therapy.
“Your first two days on the protocol are load days. You give yourself the injections but you load up on fats and calories,” Mary explains. “After that, it’s a 500 calorie a day plan. It’s very restrictive, but once you eliminate all the garbage foods, it wasn’t hard to do. I didn’t find it difficult to follow.”
Mary did her best to maintain a routine during her treatment. “I would have a protein shake for lunch and I would eat dinner with my husband. I wanted to make it feel normal. Having dinner with him allowed me to do that,” she says. Her husband also helped with grocery shopping and food preparation.
“I think that was half the battle for me — just knowing that I had his support. There were hard days, but for the most part, it was very manageable.”
Once a week, Mary came into the office for IV therapy with the Fat Blaster infusion. This specially formulated IV blend includes ingredients that boost metabolism and energy, increasing the body’s natural ability to break down stubborn fat. Together, IV therapy and supported weight loss more effectively than either treatment individually.
Mary’s dedication to her treatment plan paid off.
“I did two, six-week rounds, and I continually watched the weight go down,” she says. 10 pounds down, 20 pounds down, 40 pounds down, 70 pounds down. “You’re actually excited to weigh yourself every morning. It’s still the first thing I do each day. I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”
A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS
Mary says things feel different this time. In previous weight loss attempts, she saw reaching a numerical goal as the end of a story — a story she’d later find herself repeating when her goal didn’t stick. Today, she sees this moment of success as a transition between chapters rather than an ending.
“I need to stay focused and keep doing the hard work. I have to stay accountable,” she says. “I want to keep a connection with Dr. Young because she has a plan for me. I feel in my heart that I was led to her.”
In this new chapter, Mary has much to be thankful for. She says she feels healthier and more confident, and has regained her love of trying on clothes and getting ready to go out.
“We’re all trying to get the most out of the years that we can and look the best that we can. I’m finally in a place where I want to be, but I still have a lot to learn,” she says. “I’m on a journey. That’s how I describe it — a journey.”
That journey now includes health and wellness coaching with Phaedra, a new hormone protocol with Dr. Young, IV therapy for immune support and incorporating strength training into her weekly fitness routine. Mary says discovering naturopathic medicine has changed her outlook on wellness and healthcare, as well as her faith in her own capabilities.
At a recent appointment with Dr. Young, she contemplated asking for three more weeks. With just 10 pounds left to lose to reach her goal, she knew she was entering one of the hardest parts of her journey, and that a final round of the protocol could accelerate her progress.
“But what I actually told Dr. Young is that I want to do it myself,” Mary says. “This experience taught me that I can. I’m capable. It’s empowering. And I’m very happy to continue working to reach my goal.”
Our deepest gratitude to Mary for sharing her story with us. We are honored to be part of her journey and wish her the best of luck in the next chapter. To begin a weight loss journey of your own, please reach out to Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness here or at 408-761-6781.
