Shared by DeniseM
Seven years ago, my life took a turn that I can only describe as miraculous. When I first joined Virta Health as a patient, I was at a crossroads, struggling with my health in ways that felt overwhelming and unmanageable. Today, as I look back on these seven years, my heart overflows with gratitude for the journey that has not only transformed my health but has quite literally saved my life.
How do I sum up these seven years? One word comes to my mind and it’s-SUSTAINABILITY. Is anything really ever going to benefit you for a considerable amount of time if you can’t sustain it? I think not. I had tried and failed at so many things, for my whole entire life, trying to lose weight and improve my health, but never anything I could sustain for very long. This is how the only treatment I have ever been able to sustain got started.
When I found Virta Health on Facebook 7 years ago I was so sick, I couldn’t understand why all the medication I was taking for diabetes wasn’t helping me, in fact I was to the point I thought I was going to die soon. I was in a place of uncertainty and fear. My health was slipping away from me, and I didn’t know where to turn. But then I saw the Virta ad and I never even dreamed my diabetes could ever be better and certainly not reversed! I thought I was doomed to a life of insulin and so many other medications. I know God sent me this lifeline.
I contacted Virta right away and for the first time I had hope. That was seven years ago and it’s very difficult to even look back to the way things were because it was a very painful desperate time.
From Day One things got better and my body started responding with much better blood sugar control and I began losing the weight I had so diligently tried to lose and failed at. All those medications gradually were reduced and eliminated. I remember feeling so victorious when one more medication bit the dust. Things just continued to get better and better.
The sustainability of this change is what stands out most to me. Virta didn’t just offer a quick fix or a temporary solution; it provided me with the tools, guidance, and support to rebuild my life in a way that is lasting. For the first time in years, I felt like I had a path forward, one that I could trust and one that was rooted in a deep understanding of my needs and challenges. This isn’t just a change—it’s a new way of living, one that I now know will carry me through the years to come. Maybe I will eat Cheetos and Ice Cream in the nursing home! Ha! But for now and many more years I hope, Virta is what I need to be doing if I want a better life.
There were times along this journey when I felt overwhelmed by the immensity sometimes of it all, but Virta was there every step of the way. The small victories—like seeing my blood sugar levels stabilize, losing weight (over 100 pounds!😲) or feeling more energy each day—built upon each other until I could look back and see just how far I had come. I am profoundly grateful for the patience, the encouragement, and the empowerment I received from everyone involved in my care. You have given me my life back.
I hope the Virta coaches never, ever doubt the impact they have on the people they watch over and care for every single day. I absolutely know I could not have done any of what I have accomplished by myself! To my coaches Todd, Carolyn, Brent, Kelly, Bobbi, and my amazing present day coach Esther, who is so sweet and supportive and never makes me feel alone, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Over the years, you’ve celebrated my victories with me, no matter how small, and you’ve helped me navigate the challenges with compassion and care. You’ve been there for every high and low, always ready with a plan, an explanation, or simply a kind word when I needed it most. Your dedication has not only improved my health—it has given me my life back.
I lost my husband six months after joining Virta. There is NO WAY I could have gotten through that without my first coach, Todd. I not only got through it but I stayed on track the entire time. I refused to lose all my progress and return to the way things were! The gratitude I feel is immense and deeply personal.
I also have had amazing Virta providers with Dr. Michael Scahill, Nicole Recine NP, and my present Virta doctor, Dr. Jeff Stanley who has been there for me with all his words of wisdom and continuous encouragement, I’m so deeply grateful. Knowing that I had each of them watching over me has been a source of immense comfort. Their commitment to my long-term health and the personalized care they have provided have made this journey sustainable in ways I never thought possible. They have shown me that with the right support, real change is not just possible but achievable, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
To the founders and entire team at Virta Health, you gave me hope when I was running out of it. You believed in my ability to reclaim my health even when I wasn’t sure I could. Your unwavering support, your commitment to my well-being, and your belief in a sustainable approach to health have been the foundation of my recovery. I am eternally thankful for all you have done and continue to do!
But what truly makes this journey special are the people I’ve had the privilege to walk alongside. To everyone in the Community you help me each and every day! The camaraderie, the unwavering support, and the shared passion for what we do—it’s these connections that have turned you into friends and friends into family. I am profoundly grateful to each of you for the countless ways you make my life better and make me feel I’m not alone!
As I look ahead, I am filled with hope and confidence, knowing that I have the tools and the support to continue this journey. But more importantly, I know that I have all of Virta in my corner, and that gives me the strength to face whatever comes next. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your dedication, your compassion, and for being the extraordinary company that you are. You have truly made a lasting impact on my life, and I am forever grateful for the last seven amazing years!
With deep appreciation and gratitude,
Denise♥️
These are just a few photos of my miraculous 7 year health journey!
There are very few pictures of me at my beginning Virta weight! But here’s one. Poor Santa was probably very afraid! (Actually he’s my brother-in-law, so hopefully not that afraid! I don’t even know who I am looking at with this person!)
This was my first photo after losing 50 pounds. What a difference 50 pounds makes and I’m wearing my Virta Ambassador jacket. I was so proud and honored to be a Virta Ambassador for several years and share my belief in Virta being the very best thing we all can be doing for our health! Also being asked to speak at the Virta Annual Meeting in California was one of the greatest thrills of my life!
During the pandemic in 2020 I was so thrilled to be invited to participate in a Virta webinar about diabetes and COVID. What an uncertain time that was and especially for those of us with diabetes because we were some of the ones most susceptible! But I did not snack my way through COVID, but I did wear a t-shirt and leggings 24 hours a day, but I felt much more secure during that time knowing my blood sugar was under control with Virta!
My son Christopher and I at Christmas a few years ago after the 100 pound weight loss. I was so thrilled to actually have some boots that would fit!
This is what happens when you do keto for seven years, you accumulate A LOT of keto ingredients. This is my low carb closet! Also there was a pandemic, there could have been a keto food shortage at any moment! I needed to be prepared! 😄 I have pared things down since then, but I have considered keto cooking such an amazing adventure! To use the power of food to heal is a thing to behold that’s for sure!
Just a small glimpse into seven years of keto cooking! Ha!
My way of giving back and hopefully helping as many people as I can on Virta and on Keto is with my website virtaworks.com Please check it out. There are Recipes I have made and of those in the Community, Book Reviews, Blog Posts, Product Reviews, Shopping, and all kinds of Resources!
And during these seven years I’ve made so many wonderful friends through Virta. A few have even come to Texas for a visit and I was so thrilled. My door is always open, so if you can make it to Dallas I will treat you to some AMAZING Texas BBQ! (We probably will go over our protein allowance though! 😄)
Here’s my very fun interview with another Virta friend, Steve Wood from the Blue Collar Keto Cook Channel on YouTube! Definitely check out his channel, he’s doing an amazing job sharing his journey and helping everyone on Virta with his keto cooking!
But the main reason I am so very grateful to Virta is I’m still here and with my precious family. My son told me one Thanksgiving, “Mom, if you weren’t better and something had happened to you if you didn’t find Virta, we would have to have Thanksgiving every year at Applebee’s!” Oh my heavens, that would not be good! 😂 So my family is very grateful to Virta too!
My sweet mama and my amazing great-nephews Eli and Jude, whom I love so much!
Last year Christopher and I had the most amazing time at the Texas State Fair! This was such a milestone for me because my whole entire life I have loved the fair so much. For the last several years, before joining Virta, I had been too sick to go. So since joining Virta I had been telling myself to get well, so I could go to the fair again, and last year I made it! That day was such a happy, beautiful, wonderful day! And it was because I had found Virta!
Here’s the story about Keto at the Texas State Fair!🤠
It seems like everything is a keto adventure since joining Virta! If you think about it, everytime we step out the door we have to think about where we are going and what we need to do to stay on track and be healthy! But I have learned that being on Virta doesn’t diminish my life. I still get to do all the same things, but in a different way. A way that won’t make me sick and for that I am very grateful.
Here I am at a wedding last year and I remember thinking how wonderful it was just to be there and not feel so inhibited and not worry if I was going to break those darn folding wooden wedding chairs! I remember always being so petrified of them. I know that seems kind of insignificant, but when you are living life in such a difficult way, a small victory of feeling comfortable at a wedding is actually a huge victory!
Here’s my Texas Keto Wedding Story! 👰🏻♀️ 🤵🏻♂️
And now for the most THRILLING of all! A sweet grandson due in October this year! I’m so thankful to Virta, because I actually know for sure I wouldn’t even be here to see him if it wasn’t for Virta!
That’s seven years in a very long nutshell! Ha! Thank you to those who braved reading this very long post and THANK YOU Virta! ♥️
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