Big loss: Lifestyle changes, medication help Essentia patient lose weight and keep it off

For a variety of reasons, Heather Davis of Waubun, Minnesota, struggled to lose weight.

Davis' hectic lifestyle was the biggest obstacle. The mother of four is a small-business owner — she and her husband, Christian, own and operate a resort on Hoot Owl Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. High cortisol levels combined with the onset of perimenopause also contributed to the struggles.

As did turning 40.

“In your 40s, your body basically says, ‘Well, I’m not going to cooperate anymore,’ ” she jokes.

In the fall of 2022, Davis reached out to the Essentia Health-Park Rapids Clinic and was connected with Brenda Norby, a physician assistant who helps weight-loss patients navigate an often-challenging path. Davis’ weight management plan, created by Norby and a nutritionist colleague, consisted of regular exercise, sufficient water intake and a balanced diet that featured three healthy meals a day.

Yet Davis wasn’t experiencing the kind of success she had hoped for. Seeing that she had made important and sustainable lifestyle changes, Norby was willing to prescribe Wegovy, a weight-loss medication. Two years later, Davis is down 80-85 pounds, from 230 to around 145-149. She zoomed right past her initial goal of 165, which was her wedding weight in 2008.

Davis had been on the weight-loss roller coaster since her 20s. The many programs she tried weren’t sustainable. Today, Davis is on what she and Norby call a maintenance dose of semaglutide (semaglutide is what Wegovy is made of; Davis recently switched to a generic form of it).

The medication has been helpful, of course, but it wouldn’t be effective without Davis’ acceptance of lifestyle changes. She also credits the education and constant encouragement Norby provides. Patient and provider connect about once a month to see how things are going and determine if any changes are needed.

“It wasn’t just about the medication,” she says. “It was about getting over the mental block that comes with trying to lose weight for 10 or 15 years and not being able to, no matter how hard you try.”

Norby agrees.

“Nothing is sustainable if you don’t make those lifestyle changes,” she says. “If you go right back to your old habits, the weight is going to come back.”

LEARN MORE: There are several options for weight management at Essentia Health. Talk to your primary care provider to learn more.

Prior to seeing Norby, Davis was worried that any plan would require her to cut sweets and fried foods out of her diet completely. She’s originally from Mississippi, where “sugar is a way of life.” But that hasn’t been the case. Davis can still eat the occasional fried food or Reese’s peanut butter cup, but — thanks to the medication as well as coaching from Norby — her interest is curbed. She understands the importance of moderation.

Davis has twin 15-year-olds; her other two boys are 9 and 6. They provided excellent inspiration to lose weight and keep it off.

“I feel like I can keep up with them a little better now,” she says. “I feel like I can be more active.”Davis no longer has to deal with regular hot flashes, heart palpitations and aching joints — all of which she attributed to being overweight.

“A lot of those things that piled up, I just got sick of it,” she says.

“She was highly motivated,” Norby says.

Davis knows that, for some, there is a stigma attached to weight management plans that incorporate medication. Indeed, that’s part of the reason she wanted to share her story. Davis’ journey, and the improved quality of life that’s come with it, could look much different if Norby hadn’t introduced medication. Davis was stuck in neutral and needed a boost to resume her progress.

“It’s not a crutch,” she says. “It’s something that has helped me get where I need to be. I think the important thing is that sometimes weight loss is almost an addiction. Sometimes, people need that extra help, that extra kick in the butt to realize this is not just me failing.“Has this been an easy process? No, but I think it’s important to know there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel for those who are willing to put in the work.”