Weighless MD Pete’s Testimonial

Pete first came to Weighless MD on Jan 7, 2019 after years of struggling with being overweight and was at a high weight of 308 lbs.  It was a wake up call when he had gone over 300 lbs and knew he was getting unhealthy and needed to do something.  He had gotten into some habits like drinking sugary coffee and eating fast food daily. He works unusual early hours and fast food and sugary treats like donuts and cookies were a staple at his office.

When he started with Weighless MD he began working with Cheri to change his mindset and make simple changes. He knew he needed to start at square one and replacing unhealthy foods with healthier options and navigating the grocery store seemed to work quite well. He started nutritional counseling with our RDN’s to develop healthier habits that revolved around food choices and balance with his work schedule.  At this point in his life, he did not exercise, maybe some inconsistent walking, but he knew it was just not enough. Per Pete “I had to get the mental aspect of eating down before I could tackle the food part of it”.    

During his first 10 months with WLMD Pete lost a staggering 90 lbs!  He was focused on clean eating and developing an eating schedule that fit with his work and life. Intermittent fasting became an important part of his regimen.  July 1 of 2020 Pete joined Crossfit at the encouragement of a friend.  In the beginning, he was nervous that he couldn’t really do the workouts, but his friend encouraged him to stay and learn how to do the workouts.  When he started he only did 1-2 days a week, but currently is going 4-5 days a week.  He has finally found exercise and a group that he enjoys working out with!  He has re-prioritized his health and knows that exercise needs to be a part of his life. He really enjoys the powerlifting and “makes it through” the cardio.

In 2021 Pete did genetic testing and worked with Cheri to uncover some underlying issues regarding sleep and exercise efficiency.  The testing also showed that he had methylation issues that limited his ability to utilize B vitamins which are crucial for your body to methylate.  He also learned that he was a poor metabolizer of caffeine and Pete was drinking coffee most of the day!  When it came to exercise, Pete learned that high-intensity exercise was a stressor on the body and it was recommended that he mix his high-intensity with lower-impact workouts.  We were now asking Pete to bring it down a notch on his workouts! 

Pete’s journey has not been without its ups and downs as we all know life can hand us along the way.  He acknowledges that it takes effort and focus to keep the healthy eating habits.  He has continued to come in for his weekly appointments, even if it is for a Lipotropic Injection or a quick weigh-in and nutrition counseling.  Since 2021 he has slowly gained a bit of weight back, but in May 2022 he has rejoined a specialized program with WLMD and is back to focusing on his intake and intermittent fasting.  Currently, Pete continues with WLMD as over the past 4 years he has learned that he needs reminders, support, and guidance as he continues to balance eating, workouts, work, and life to maintain his weight loss.

A few of his quotes:

• “I had to get the mental aspect of eating down before I could tackle the food part of it”  
• “You realize the behaviors that you are doing without really realizing it.”  
• “It’s a matter of breaking free of the excuses that we all use to turn to food for comfort.”  
• “Pick one thing a week to work on, don’t overwhelm yourself with too many changes at once.”  
• “Whatever you think you know, maybe you don’t. “ 
• “I thought eating healthy was going to be no fun, and that is just not the case.”  
• “Keep an open mind and be ready to learn new things, let the people who know what they are talking about give you advice.”
• “It all goes back to the positive mindset.”

I have been working with Pete Serzant for over a year now and want to share his remarkable journey of self-discovery that he started with WLMD 3+ years ago.  Pete works for a media company and hosts “Wake Up Kenosha” on AM 1050.  With his unusual work schedule hosting a radio program, he had become set in his lifestyle habits that included his eating, sleep, and sedentary job.  It was a wake-up call when he had gone over 300 lbs and knew he was getting unhealthy and needed to do something.  He had gotten into some habits like drinking sugary coffee and eating fast food all the time.

On January 7, 2019, Pete came to WLMD at 308 lbs and was ready to transform his life.  When he started with us he began working with our staff to change his mindset and revamp his eating habits. He knew he needed to start at square one and get a meal plan and a grocery list and head to the store. He began with nutritional counseling and working with our RDs to develop healthier habits that revolved around food choices and balance with his work schedule.  At this point in his life, he did not exercise, maybe some inconsistent walking, but he knew it was just not enough. Per Pete “I had to get the mental aspect of eating down before I could tackle the food part of it”

On Eating: “It’s a matter of breaking free of the excuses that we all use to turn to food for comfort.” During his first 10 months with WLMD Pete lost a staggering 90 lbs!  He was focused on clean eating and developing an eating schedule that fit with his work and life. Intermittent fasting became an important part of his regimen and worked well with his work/sleep schedule.  So often people think that cleaning up their eating will be boring, but per Pete “I thought eating healthy was going to be no fun, and that is just not the case.”   Pete has learned to avoid sugary treats like donuts and cookies that are staples at the office, over time he has learned that he does not feel optimal when those things creep back into his life. 

On Exercise: In July of 2020 after losing 90 lbs with his eating,  Pete joined Crossfit at the encouragement of a friend.  In the beginning, he was nervous that he couldn’t really do the workouts, but his friend encouraged him to stay and learn how to do the workouts.  He only did 1-2 days a week, but currently is going 4-5 days a week.  He has finally found exercise with a group that is supportive and he enjoys working out with!  He has re-prioritized his health and knows that exercise needs to be a part of his life. He really enjoys the power lifting and “makes it through” the cardio.  He no longer worries about what other people may think when he’s working out, he knows he is there for himself and he listens to his body.  He makes the workouts productive for himself. 

On the Mental Aspect of Losing Weight: “Pick one thing a week to work on, don’t overwhelm yourself with too many changes at once.” During the past 4 years, Pete has learned when trying to change a behavior it works best to work on one thing at a time.  Life will always be throwing curveballs and everything will not always be perfect but you need to put in a little effort and refocus on your choices around positive health choices. There will be setbacks and sometimes weight gain when we lose our focus. “It all goes back to the positive mindset.”  Pete’s journey has not been without its up and downs, he acknowledges that it takes effort and focus to keep the healthy eating habits.  He has continued to come in for appointments, even if it is for a Lipotropic Injection or a quick weigh-in and nutrition counseling. 

On “Trusting the Process”: “Keep an open mind and be ready to learn new things, let the people who know what they are talking about give you advice.” Pete learned quickly that what he thought were healthy eating habits weren’t always the best choices.  He learned how to grocery shop and label read until these tasks became easy and he knew exactly what to buy at the grocery store.  He also took time to process different aspects of him getting healthier, for example, first he tackled the food, then he began to exercise and get into a routine.  Once he had those things established he started intermittent fasting to add a new element for his body and finally he moved on to testing.  He took each piece and learned and put into practice these new skills before trying to incorporate more new things as to not overwhelm himself.  “Whatever you think you know, maybe you don’t. “ 

On Overall Body Health:  In 2021 Pete did genetic testing to uncover some underlying issues regarding sleep and exercise efficiency.  The testing showed that he had methylation issues and processing things like caffeine and B vitamins.  The test also showed that Pete needed to focus on effort vs intensity when working out.  What this means is that at Crossfit he can give it his all, but he is only working out to a 60% “intensity” so that his body can benefit from the workouts instead of the workouts fighting his body.  This was yet another big step in his overall health and well-being and unlocked some mysteries about his body.  Taking a deeper look into genetics or gut health or hormones can be a game changer!

Thank you so much Pete for sharing your journey with us! Hear more from him directly on this WLIP Radio Segment.