By Craig, on Virta for 6 months
I am a biostatistician for Syneos Health®, so I rely on research and data to make my decisions. That was how I came upon Virta. I have lived with type 2 diabetes for the last 10 years, and my A1c has always been a few points above the diabetes threshold. Still, I didn’t stress too much about it since I did not feel any symptoms. I was prescribed a couple of oral medications, including glipizide and pioglitazone, and I tried to keep up with a diet and exercise routine, but nothing worked to get my A1c to a normal range.
Then Syneos Health announced that Virta's type 2 diabetes reversal treatment was being added as a covered benefit for employees. I immediately began to do my research and learn what it takes to reverse diabetes.
The more I read, the more excited I became. Though I was still a bit nervous about it, the thought of being able to use food as medicine for diabetes instead of pills sounded amazing. My A1c at the time was “controlled” at 7.5% with medication. Virta’s research showed how I could bring that down, and do it without medications. I read as much as I could, and Virta was able to provide me with all the information I needed in order to feel confident in the science behind the treatment.
That education continued during the first few days after I became a patient. Even before I made any adjustments to my diet, Virta showed me how to prepare for them with step-by-step guidance. I still remember how excited I was to go grocery shopping in preparation for my first few days on the treatment.
Within just the first week on Virta, I saw meaningful changes. My blood sugars, which regularly sat above 200 mg/dL before, came down, and the weight loss began—I dropped 20 pounds in 2 months, and over the course of 6 months, I’ve lost around 40 pounds and counting! My Virta doctor was also able to see that I no longer needed glipizide or pioglitazone to control my blood sugar, so he stopped those prescriptions. All the while, my A1c has dropped over 1 percentage point. I started at 7.5%, but my most recent labs came back at 6.2%, putting me officially under the diabetes threshold. All of this in only 6 months of treatment!
Virta has a way of helping me maintain this new lifestyle—and making it feel easy. I have even been able to integrate Virta into eating routines with my family, who do not eat the same way I do. I enjoy cooking, so I’ll make a separate side of things that they like, and keep options for myself that fit with my plan. When I need advice, I turn to my Virta health coach, Jennifer. For example, when I told her I have something of a sweet tooth, she recommended berries, sweet peppers, or even some dark chocolate in order to curb the craving.
In addition to the improvements in my numbers, I also feel an increase in energy. In the past, I’ve had house projects that I would put off because I didn’t have the energy to get to them, but now, I have enough energy to spare, even after I get all of my chores done. In this way, everyone in the family benefits!
This is such an incredible thing for Syneos Health to offer their employees; I would encourage anyone with type 2 diabetes to learn more about it and apply. Talking to someone at Virta will show you just how easy the treatment is and what kind of results you can see for yourself. I’m so glad I did!
.jpeg)
