Charlie Knopp’s Weight Loss Journey with GSOS and LeanMD

Charlie Knopp’s weight loss journey started with debilitating knee pain.  His visit to Dr Bradley Crow of Golden State Orthopedics & Spine included x-rays that showed that his knees had worn away to bone-on-bone contact, and he needed both of them replaced.

But that wasn’t the only bad news.  Because of his weight, surgery was a risk.  “At my weight, any surgery would have been a risk,” Charlie says.  “But I’ve tried nearly everything over the years, and even when I lost weight, the moment I stopped the diet or program, the weight came right back, and more.  I’d never been successful with weight loss before, but I was motivated.  I’m 66, and I didn’t want to wind up in a nursing home unable to take care of myself.  I want to grow old in my own home taking care of myself and my wife.  Dr Crow said ‘We’re going to save you from yourself’ and then gave me the tools to do it.”

Dr Crow recommended LeanMD, a medically supervised weight-loss program run by Dr Charles Preston, also of Golden State Orthopedics & Spine.  “The diet is easy to do” Charlie says.  “Follow the rules you’ll lose weight.  They gave me the tools and support to succeed.  I didn’t take the appetite suppressant pills after the first month, but drinking 96 ounces of water every day helps.  And it keeps me busy!” he laughs.

Support is a big part of the LeanMD program.  “Dr Preston told me at the beginning that plateaus are a part of the process,” says Charlie.  “It takes time for your body to adjust to weight loss, so you’ll be losing weight and thinking you’re doing really well, and suddenly you have a week or more with no weight loss at all and it’s frustrating.  Knowing it would happen helped me.  I definitely have a pattern, where about every 12 weeks, I have a week of zero loss, and then I’m back on track losing between 1 and 3 pounds per week.”

Another person in his LeanMD support team is Dawn Trapp.  “Dawn is awesome,” he says.  “She’s very helpful and encouraging and introduces us to the new menus.  We’ve been with her the whole year and she’s stellar.”

Charlie’s wife has also been a tremendous help.  “She always cooked healthy foods, and I wasn’t sick.  No diabetes, no high cholesterol, but she’s a really good cook, and I was just eating too much.  But she kind of got the whole thing going for me and had been losing weight herself before LeanMD was recommended to me.  She generally cooks dinner for the family, using recipes from LeanMD, and the healthy ingredient choices the program recommends.”

This means that his wife and daughter have also been losing weight.  “The whole family is benefitting.  We do pizza night every Sunday, but it’s made with cauliflower crust.   Burger nights are another favorite.  Ground turkey, low fat Swiss cheese, no bun, but I never feel deprived or hungry.”

The program focuses on portion control, so Charlie weighs and measures his food, and uses an online app to keep track of his intake.  “We eat leans meats like chicken, turkey and fish, and lots of vegetables.  Cauliflower has been a game changer.  From noodles to bread/tortillas, there’s a cauliflower substitute, and they’re available at any grocery store.”

As he loses weight (135 pounds in the last 12 months), Charlie has found that his knees are feeling better.  “I still can’t just go take a walk with my daughter on the open space trails near us, but I can help my wife with the house cleaning now, and that was too difficult for me before.  I’ve walked to the end of the Santa Cruz pier twice this year.  I’m still getting cortisone injections and using ice packs and over the counter pain creams, but I’m able to do more than I was, and my knees are feeling pretty stable right now.  I have a workout pool with a treadmill that I use 3-5 times a week and that helps, too.”

Charlie says he will participate in the maintenance program once he achieves his weight loss goal.  “I don’t trust myself without some guidance and accountability.  The support from my LeanMD team is invaluable.  I definitely recommend the LeanMD program.  I even tell my other doctors about it!”

Charlie is no longer losing weight just for surgery.  “I’m happier.  It’s amazing how much better I feel.”