Gordon Gauss wanted to lose weight to ensure that he would be around to see his two-year-old son grow up, but from his past struggles with weight loss he knew something about his methods had to change. When Gauss made the commitment to lose weight in January of 2018, he was at 437 pounds.
Throughout his life, Gauss’s number on the scales has risen and fallen. According to Gauss, he weighed about 220 pounds when he graduated high school, and by the end of his first year at college he had gained about 50 pounds more. With the ups and downs of college, Gauss began experiencing depressing. By 2010, when Gauss was 26, he weighed about 385 pounds.
At this point, Gauss felt he needed to make a change. By following a calories in and calories out diet, Gauss got himself down to 290 pounds. However, he lost motivation to go to the gym and track meals as his depression kicked in. Gauss gained the weight back and then some, but in that time he also gained a loving wife and wonderful son. That brought him to his predicament at the beginning of 2018, when he couldn’t get up and down stairs easily or walk from room to room.
That January also marked the 10 year anniversary of his father-in-law’s death by heart attack, making Gauss realize he had to lose weight for his son. In this iteration of his weight loss journey, Gauss knew he couldn’t lose weight on his own. He joined the 66% of Americans who are on a diet. Gauss then sought the help of a trainer to help in the gym, a mental health professional to help manage his depression, and inspiration from his wife and son.
In about 10 months, Gauss has lost 165 pounds. He says that his energy levels have drastically changed and that he even ran a 10k recently. These improvements would not have been possible without his support system. According to a report recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, intensive weight-loss interventions were found the be the most successful method of losing weight. The report did exclude surgical interventions from its study and instead focused on methods that could be derived from a primary care facility.
The study showed that when a “village” of professionals offered a variety of services to a person trying to lose weight, they were the most successful. This village could include dietitians, exercise physiologists, behavorial therapists, and life coaches. Having a support system that includes these professionals as well as trusted family and friends will not only enhance weight loss, but also maintain it for the long run.
