The Halls: Gaining Life with Harbin Clinic Weight Management
As of July of 2019, Millennials have overtaken Boomers as the generation with the largest population. But there’s a concerning habit plaguing this aging generation. Millennials are not regularly visiting healthcare providers. Even before COVID-19, fewer Millennials regularly visited primary care providers. Surveys cite their reasoning for fewer doctor visits as inconvenient, concerns about cost, and believing they have healthier habits than other generations, but many people forget that having a relationship with a regular internal medicine physician can be a life-saving habit.
Take, for example, the story of Ahmad and Tamara Hall. While visiting his internal medicine provider, Dr. Poonam Singh of Harbin Clinic Singh Internal Medicine, Ahmad discovered that he had become pre-diabetic. After listening carefully to Dr. Singh about what this meant, he was determined to stay healthy enough to enjoy life with his wife and son. He knew this would probably mean a significant lifestyle change, and Dr. Singh was ready to walk through it with him. She suggested Harbin Clinic’s Weight Management Program.
In an interview with the Halls, Tamara described the day Ahmad came home from his visit with Dr. Singh. There was a packet for each of them to fill out immediately so Dr. Singh could begin personalizing their plans. Tamara assumed that they would turn it in the next day, as asked, but didn’t really expect much in terms of feedback. But to her surprise, they were taken care of right away. “The accountability was immediate. We heard from Harbin Clinic the next day, and they were like, ‘Here’s your plan. Get started on Day 1 of your program tomorrow.’” Tamara and Ahmad also mentioned being grateful for how clear and easy the plan’s instructions were to follow right off the bat.
An important and unique feature of Harbin Clinic’s Weight Management Program is the range of personalized and clinically-backed approaches available to patients. Because obesity is not solely the result of poor choices, but rather a complex disease resulting from an interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, social, economic, and cultural factors, both Dr. Amar Singh and Dr. Poonam Singh, alongside registered dietician Cala Dittmer, focus on meeting the individualized goals and medical needs of each person. After assessing the patient’s thorough medical evaluation, the team curates a personalized plan that incorporates meal replacement shakes, a meal plan that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods, and easy-to-follow physical exercise routines. In every situation, the approach is holistic. Their main priority in this program is helping patients add years to their lives.
But Ahmad and Tamara would argue they got more than years added to their lives. They experienced all sorts of benefits from their visits with Dr. Singh and the Weight Management Program. As Tamara began to lose weight, she recounted how pain she had experienced for years began to disappear. Her feet and back no longer bothered her on a daily basis. Sleeping was easier, focusing on work was easier, even cleaning her house was easier! Likewise, Ahmad said that if he started naming the parts of his life that were better after the program, “we would be here all day.” To this, Tamara added, “And he snores less.” They even joked about Ahmad’s driving, saying he has moved his seat really close to the steering wheel now because there has not been so much space between his body and the wheel since high school.
Along with all the ways their lives had been affected, Ahmad and Tamara talked endlessly about the structure and the support they received from Harbin Clinic staff. They went once a week to see their doctors and meet with the dietician, and they described the whole staff as invested in helping them succeed. Tamara even admitted to being nervous that Dr. Singh might “get onto her” if she did not lose weight. Instead, Dr. Singh celebrated all she had achieved and encouraged her to keep on. Their son, who was not even a part of the program, ended up adopting a healthier lifestyle as his parents changed the way they lived.
They will tell you that the first two weeks of change took determination, but experiencing life with 135 pounds lifted from their combined shoulders, even the hardest days were worth it. Ahmad also wanted to make sure this was included in his story, “I’m not pre-diabetic anymore, and it really is all thanks to Dr. Singh.”
Maybe you are living a healthy lifestyle, but you have not seen a doctor in a very long time. Make this month the month you commit to building a relationship with a medical professional who can keep you on track for years to come. Or, do you need the accountability of a medical professional to help you gain life like Ahmad and Tamara? Check out Harbin Clinic’s Weight Management Program to jumpstart a balanced, customized weight journey that’s guided by medical professionals you can trust. Get to know your doctor today, so you can enjoy more of your future tomorrow.
