Donna Butler has struggled with her weight since the fifth grade.
"I didn't think a whole lot of it then," Donna said "But as I got older people began to make fun of me. Middle school was the worst."
She tried a lot of "fad diets." She would lose some weight, as much as 50 pounds, but it wasn't sustainable for her or her family.
As the years passed on, her weight began to increase.
"It had just gotten out of hand," she said. "I just didn't see myself as a large person, even though I felt like it."
Donna had always told herself that she could stop her bad eating habits any time she wanted.
"I would always say that if someone would tell me that I developed diabetes, then I would just stop eating," she said.
Donna finally heard that word and more.
She began experiencing trouble with her cycles, which led to bloodwork and eventually a diagnosis. She was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes. Her primary physician wanted to put her on medication that would help her body by decreasing the amount of glucose absorbed by her liver.
Donna was convinced that she could do better.
"Just give me three months," she said to her physician. "He agreed to give me the time I needed, but I didn't change anything."
Donna continued to struggle with managing her Type 2 Diabetes.
"There was always an excuse to not change your lifestyle," Donna said. "First it was my daughter's wedding where I knew there would be cake, then it was Thanksgiving and Christmas."
A friend knew Donna was struggling with this new diagnosis, so she recommended a treatment program named Virta Health. Donna researched the program and thought it might work for her. She started her journey in 2019 with the help of a health coach and a whole community of people who were struggling with the same thing.
Donna logs her progress everyday by weighing herself and measuring her glucose and ketones levels. She keeps track of her blood pressure, her moods and physical condition. . She has real-time access to ensure she stays successful. She can look at her progress through an app on her phone, which is linked directly to her health coach.
Donna has lost 112 pounds since February 2019.
"I don't see it, honestly," Donna continued, "I feel a lot better. I would have been physically reluctant to do things like go to Walmart. Now I am able to do a lot of things without getting winded or my back hurting."
Donna has seen a lot of good results with her health since she started this journey. She experiences less pain, less trouble with her breathing, a regular cycle and a better state of mind. She has also reduced the dosage of her blood pressure medication by half in just one year.
Donna said that she has strayed away from her treatment plan on occasion during this process.
"I would tell myself that it is OK to have a cake pop because its my birthday," she said. "I would continue to go places and eat things that I knew I shouldn't eat, because I allowed my inner-self to tell me it is OK."
Donna's actions began to show their ill effects.
"I could see that I wasn't doing well. My weight plateaued and my glucose levels were not good," she said. She reached out to her health coach and told her that she was struggling. The coach responded by sending Donna a video to watch about being 100% committed to her health. Donna knew this is what she needed to finally get past this phase.
Donna still has a long road ahead of her. She knows there will be times that are harder than others, but with the support of her health community and her family, she will continue.
And while she said she doesn't have any final goal, she does have a few short-term goals.
"I don't have an end goal because there isn't an end to this. This is who I am now. Once I lose about 50 more pounds, I want to get a bike," she said. "I used to ride a bike when I was a kid all the time. I miss that."
She also wants to complete in a 5K run/walk and participate in the Alzheimer's Alliance Over the Edge fundraiser.
Her advice to others is simple.
"Find what works for you and commit to doing it 100%," Donna said. "Do what it takes to be the healthiest that you can be." n