By Barbara, on Virta for 4 months
Virta came to me right when I was desperate to find a solution to my type 2 diabetes. I was struggling with my weight and had been living with this disease for about 5 years. I was bouncing around between different medications, but none of them worked. Metformin made me jittery. Ozempic caused some stomach troubles, as did Rybelsus. It felt like an endless cycle without any of the benefits to show for it. Still, I tried them all in an attempt to lose weight and get my blood sugar under control.
Right before the COVID pandemic hit in March of 2020, my Florida Health Care Plans (FHCP) provider recommended that I attend some diabetes classes. I wanted to go, but given the health crisis at the time, I just didn’t feel comfortable. So I put it to the back of my mind, knowing that I needed to do something, but just didn’t quite know what.
I still remember the day I received an email about Virta’s type 2 diabetes reversal treatment from FHCP, which covers my healthcare through the Volusia County Public Transit System. My A1c was elevated at 6.1%, controlled with medications, and I weighed 276 pounds. When I read the email and learned that Virta could get me off those medications, help me lose weight, and show me how to get better control of my blood sugar naturally, I had no hesitations about joining. I was so excited to get started.
What has really made the difference for me is how Virta holds me accountable. Having tried multiple diets in the past, I never knew how to make them stick. With Virta, though, it is about more than sticking to a diet—it is a life change. Through working with my Virta health coach, I’ve learned so many different ways to enjoy the foods I love while working toward my goals. I can have delicious and filling salads. I can have a sandwich wrapped in lettuce. On the Virta treatment, my family and I are still able to go out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I just enjoy my fajitas on top of a salad instead of tortillas and rice.
Since starting Virta in May of 2021, I’ve dropped my A1c down to below the threshold for type 2 diabetes at 5.4%, and I’ve lost 30 pounds. And I am no longer taking any diabetes medications, including metformin. It is so great to not have to worry about those side effects now, while still maintaining healthy blood sugar levels! And because I’ve lost weight, the arthritis in my feet has improved, so it’s easier to move about and exercise, which in turn helps with more weight loss. Now this is a cycle I can get behind!
Having a Virta health coach also means I know that someone is looking out for me. When I step on the scale, log my numbers, or send a message through the app, I know that my Virta team will see it. Just the other day when my Virta doctor saw my lab results, she texted me just to say how proud she was of me and the progress I was making. I know that between my primary care doctor and the Virta team, type 2 diabetes can be a thing of my past.
What I tell people is that Virta is indeed a lifestyle change, but I also ask them this: “If there is something out there that can change your life for the better, why would you not try?” You simply never know what you are capable of until you give it a try, and when you do, you will have the full force of Virta behind you!
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