Jonathan Court’s weight journey was a story of ups and downs. In one of his “up” phases, Court recalls family vacations at Cedar Point.

“To determine whether someone can ‘fit’ in a safety harness, you choose to either sit in some dummy seats beside the ride as a test or just get in line and hope the harness can lock,” he said. Although he tried to laugh about it, he said it still sucked.

During another “up” phase, Court recalled when flying on an airplane how the armrests would uncomfortably press into his body. He would fly Southwest because the boarding process did not have assigned seating. As he walked down the aisle, he would read facial expressions and body language of fellow passengers in order to tactfully find a seat.

At age 40, when Court reached his highest body weight ever, he decided to take charge of his health. After several previously unsuccessful attempts to lose the weight, Court decided to attack the issue in a different way. It was his wife, Christine, who told him about the Aultman Weight Management program, where Court was ultimately able to lose a little more than 100 pounds.

Since his weight loss, Court has been participating in the Aultman Orrville Sports & Wellness (AOSW) Healthier You program. Healthier You involves follow-up consultations for clients who have completed their weight management program. His one-on-one consultations with a team of health care professionals include goal tracking, review, education and progress planning. Court remembers a time when the weight management program centered on meal-replacement shakes. Since then, weight management at AOSW has transitioned to a 12-week food-focused program called Healthy Lifestyles, which provides nutrition, exercise and behavior change counseling with an emphasis on long-term results.

As he made tweaks to both his diet and exercise routine, Court realized that small goals led to success. He admits that at the beginning, his challenges were more physical, but during follow-up consultations, the challenges became more mental. Positive reinforcement kept the process moving in the right direction. He found food tracking to be interesting and a unique fun challenge.

Although the weight had come off and was generally staying off, Court admits that last year, he struggled with overconfidence. His overconfidence resulted in less measuring and therefore larger portion sizes.

His advice: “If you hit your goal weight, keep coming and stay vigilant. One consultation per month ended up being too long between visits. It just wasn’t enough accountability.”

During the program, Court learned some impactful tools that were able to help him:

• Split your plate (with your wife). Court said that being in the program with his wife was helpful. It allowed the couple to have some fun with the process.
• Avoid saboteurs – don’t bring them into the house.
• Try new workout routines such as walking outside.

Court said it was also nice to receive support from co-workers, friends and family. All pitched in with healthy options to help him reach and maintain his goal.

After losing weight, Court reports that clothes shopping has become more enjoyable. He participates in active events, such as the local Turkey Trot, and feels more comfortable at the pool. Continuing participation in the Healthier You program at AOSW has enabled Court to successfully maintain his weight loss and feel more at ease in his own skin.