August 14th, 2024
Shannon Reckler, age 33, knew that after being diagnosed with a heart condition and pre-diabetes, it was time for a change in her current lifestyle habits.
Reckler attempted several different diets, but none seemed to help her with her goal to lose weight. She then attended a seminar for bariatric surgery, where she learned that she was a candidate for Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery. However, after learning more about non-surgical weight loss options, Reckler chose that path before surgery.
In August of 2022, Reckler began seeing Dr. Alex Bonnecaze, Pinehurst Medical Clinic board-certified endocrinologist and American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) physician, at The Metabolic and Weight Management Center – a partnership between Pinehurst Surgical Clinic and FirstHealth with a collaborative team from Pinehurst Medical Clinic. Physicians who are certified by the ABOM have obtained the highest standard of certification in the practice of obesity medicine and obesity care and are designated Diplomates of the ABOM.
When she began seeing Dr. Bonnecaze for non-surgical weight management, Reckler weighed over 360 pounds and struggled with breathing, walking long distances, sleeping, lacked energy, and experienced constant back pain and severe acid reflux.
With the help of Dr. Bonnecaze, a nutritionist and behavioral health therapist, Reckler has learned how to adjust not only her eating habits but also the way she thought about food through her previous diet attempts. “I haven’t had success because I always felt like I had to give up things I liked, and then I would feel guilty when I ate something I did like,” expressed Reckler. “I learned how to adjust how I eat, specifically my proteins and fiber, to help me feel fuller quicker and longer. I also learned that I could eat my comfort foods. I just have to work them into my day, and I don’t have to feel guilty about it.”
Now, over a year later, Reckler has lost over 100 pounds.
Reckler says her newfound confidence has been one of the most positive outcomes of her non-surgical weight-loss journey. “I have been able to gain confidence in myself. Not necessarily body confidence, but the confidence that I could do this,” said Reckler. “I was and am successful in sticking with the new lifestyle changes. I continue to be strong enough to push through and overcome something that has been a strain on me my entire life.”
At the beginning of her weight-loss journey, Reckler set two goals. The first was to lose 100 pounds, and the second was to hike all 42 of North Carolina’s State Parks to complete the North Carolina State Park Passport Program, which she accomplished on December 30, 2023.
Now, after achieving both of the goals she set at the beginning of her non-surgical weight loss journey, Reckler hopes to hike part of the Appalachian Trail and reach her goal weight of 200 pounds.
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