Week 9
Presenters: Lynn Bolduc
and Pete Loiselle

Lynn Bolduc, MS, RD, CDE

I am a dietitian with 16 years experience, 11 of those focused in surgical weight loss and has been coordinator of the Surgical Weight Loss Program for 5 years.  I saw Peter a few months before I took this position and though seeing patients for non-surgical weight loss was not in my new job description, I chose to keep seeing Peter once a month as he was showing such success early on. I am an avid runner and biker. I am married with 2 kids aged 13 and 10.

Key points for Peter’s success (in my humble opinion)

• Began to eat breakfast everyday within being up for a few hours—did not have to be the minute he got up
• Monotony of diet—as opposed to a dietitian’s usual message of variety—having nearly the same breakfast or lunch daily took the choice out of the equation and made it simpler for Pete. He varied what went into his salad and what fruits he ate but kept it pretty much the same otherwise.
• Allowed for dietary excursions—for the same reason that Pete wanted to avoid gastric bypass, this new lifestyle was not a diet per se. We started with a calorie level but modified it to fit his life/work quickly and frequently. Holidays came and he could enjoy some extras. Most dieters can’t do this as their thinking is too black and white—on or off the diet. Pete did compensate with extra activity to balance out the calories. This is the real reason for his success.
• EXERCISE—I believe this was way more important to his long term success than what he did or did not put in his mouth.

Peter Loiselle

I have been married to Christine for 15 years and have no children and one cat. I graduated from Brewer High School in 1982 and from UMaine in 1985. I spent the next four years teaching at St. Mary’s School in Houlton and then the past 15 years at Surry Elementary School. Some of the things I enjoy in life include UMaine football and hockey, NASCAR, walking, biking, hiking, and swimming.

Five years ago I was in the hospital for my third of four visits for cellulitus. It was during that time it was recommended I begin the process for gastric bypass surgery. Following several meetings with a psychologist and my primary care physician I was referred to the person I feel changed my life forever.

I was scheduled to visit a dietician at Eastern Maine Healthcare in Bangor. The meeting was to take 1 ½ hours! On October 1, I met Lynn Bolduc. Those of you who have heard me speak in the past, I call her my Goddess. She listened to my needs and helped me learn how to lose weight in a healthy way and encouraged me to begin an exercise regimen.

Three years later I had lost 500 pounds, and five years later my weight is still the same. I have been able to maintain my weight through continued exercise and watching what I eat. My diet has not changed since I met my ideal weight, but I have allowed myself to enjoy treats (i.e. food in the teacher’s room or lunchroom, going out to eat). I still enjoy my daily salads for lunch and 4 fruit a day. I learned how to eat healthy and that has allowed me to make smart decisions in what I eat and how much.

Moderation plays a key part in my life now, something I never paid attention to 5 years ago. I exercise daily. Walking 4 miles a day 7 days a week, weights three days a week and arm bike 75 minutes a day four days a week. There are days when I enjoy my walk more than the food I eat. Something I never would have imagined.

Other important factors for long term success with dieting and weight maintenance:

• Mindset—not thinking of weight loss as “on a diet” but changing how you think about food and how you incorporate more activity into your life.
• Journaling—research shows that recording what you eat plays a key role in loss and maintenance of weight
• Extras add up!—100 extra calories a day is 10# a year or 10 extra calories a day is 1# a year and over time it really adds up. What are the extras in your diet?
• Meal timing—not just not skipping meals but looking at timing to prevent long delays in eating which set up a pattern of eating too quickly and more than is necessary.

Healthy Hancock's Lose and Win teams gathered at The Grand in Ellsworth this week and received excellent motivation from Lynn Bolduc, EMMC Dietitian and Pete Loiselle who lost 500 pounds.

The top winners this week were both from Deer Isle/Stonington. The "Northern Lights" were number one and the "Southeast Shedders" came in second. Third place was tied by the "Ten Week Wonders" from Jackson Lab and the "Skinny Bees". The end of the 10 week program will be celebrated on March 7 in Deer Isle and March 8 in Ellsworth. Na Haumana Hula O Hawai'i will provide the entertainment at the Ellsworth Middle School at 5:45 pm.

Awards will be given to our winning teams that have accumulated a loss of over 2,600 pounds. Individuals will also be recognized for their accomplishments.