by Caitlin H,
Jan 9, 2023
Name: Lorrie Mills
Age: 57
Occupation: Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance at a pharmaceutical company
Meal Plan: Balance-Diabetes
Favorite Meal: Turkey Sandwich with Fruit Cocktail
Start Date: May 2022
Starting Weight: 197
Height: 5’10”
Pounds Lost: 15 pounds
Activity Level: Walk 2-5 miles, four days a week
When I get a craving, my go-to trick is: Everything sweet I eat is sugar-free.
My favorite app for tracking weight loss is: Fitbit.
Lorrie Mills is a giving person. During the holiday season, he sponsors families in need by fulfilling their wishlists and providing food.
“[It’s] one of my greatest joys in life,” Lorrie said. “I sponsored two families in 2021, including a single mom. I was able to get them everything they wanted this past year. I even got the single mom a laptop.”
When his nephew graduated high school in June 2022, he committed to paying for his college tuition to help him avoid costly loans.
“I spoil them and take them under my wing as my own children,” Lorrie said of his many nieces and nephews. “I didn’t want him to have to pay.”
But in April 2022, Lorrie learned some troubling news that meant it was time to give something to himself, too.
“My last physical was in April, and my doctor was not happy with my blood work results,” Lorrie said. “My A1-C level was 8.4, my glucose was elevated, and my cholesterol level was elevated.”
Lorrie’s physician started plugging his numbers into laptop software.
“I said, ‘Doctor, what are you doing?’, and he said, ‘I’m putting these numbers in my laptop because two years from now, you may have a stroke or heart attack or be deceased,’” Lorrie said. “He put the fear of God in me. That’s when I took him seriously.”
Lorrie said he went home and found Diet-to-Go on the internet, ordered his first week of meals, and found a nutritionist, who he now meets with monthly.
“When I shared with my nutritionist I was using [Diet-to-Go] … she was very impressed with the meals and the amount of protein with each meal,” Lorrie said. “She said, ‘Lorrie this is great, you made a great selection here.’”
Lorrie’s commitment to the Diet-to-Go program paid off in spades. He shed 15 pounds in three months, and his A1-C levels dropped from 8.4 to 6.6.
“When I went to [my doctor’s] office in August, he didn’t even recognize me,” Lorrie said. “He said he noticed my weight loss in my face.”
Lorrie said his favorite thing about the Diet-to-Go program is its convenience and that the meals leave him satisfied but not uncomfortably full.
“You feel like you’ve had enough to eat, but it doesn’t weigh you down,” Lorrie said. “Not to mention the convenience…you just pull off the plastic and stick it in the microwave.”
He said that is especially helpful when it comes to his work.
“Sometimes I work a long day, sometimes a normal 8 hours, sometimes 10-11 hours,” he said. “It’s convenient knowing I can go home and settle down for a bit, and 5 minutes later, dinner is on the table. I don’t have to worry about cooking a meal for 45 minutes.”
Lorrie added that sticking with the program has never been a challenge for him.
“People say, ‘Well you’re eating all this diet food; don’t you crave a bacon cheeseburger?’,” he said. “I say, ‘Of course I do.” And I do that every once in a while. But I take my Diet-to-Go meals with me. Everyone knows how serious I am.
He also said the cost is comparable to how much he used to spend on takeout and restaurant meals each week.
“I used to spend the same amount of money eating out,” he said. “I pay $150 a week, I get 10 meals. That’s about $15 a meal. You’ll spend more than that eating out four or five times a week. The price isn’t a factor for me. I know it’s what I need to do to stay healthy and stay fit.”
Lorrie also started exercising, taking long walks at least four times a week.
“I used to use the excuse, ‘I don’t have time,’ but it only takes 20 minutes a day,” Lorrie said. “I think most people can sacrifice 20 minutes a day if it means being healthy.”
Lorrie believes sharing his story and spreading the message of how easy it is to get healthy to friends, family and his community is critical.
“It’s just important to share the message with one another to stay as healthy and fit as we can,” he said. “We have to continue to encourage one another [and] partner with one another when it comes to these things.”
Lorrie’s success also propelled his giving spirit. He champions Diet-to-Go by sharing it with friends facing medical issues.
“One friend struggles with her A1-C levels too,” Lorrie said. “I said, ‘You can’t put a price on being healthy.’ I told her to get started today. I planted that seed because I’m just floored by how this turned out for me. I’m just happy.”
Do you have a success story to share? Email us at [email protected] with “Success Story” in the subject line. We’ll give you free meals in return for sharing your photos and story!
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Author: Caitlin H
Diet-to-Go Community Manager
Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about engaging with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key, and people will have the most weight loss success if they engage in common-sense healthy eating and fitness.
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