Success Stories
When an upcoming trip to Disney inspired Eric to make a change, he found that weight loss had benefits that went beyond how he felt in the pool.
Eric Toczek, 37, is a self-described “husband, father, and computer nerd” who lives near Niagara Falls, NY.
How did we find Eric? Well, recently, Penn Jillette asked his podcast listeners to write in to us to share how Withings products have helped them with their health. We got many amazing responses, and this is just the first of them.
Read on for Eric’s story in his own words.
How Withings products helped me: Eric’s story
Four years ago, in April 2015, I was up somewhere over 250 lbs. and I didn’t know my exact weight because I avoided the scale.
That August I was going on a family vacation with my three kids to Disney, and wanted to play with them in the pool or at the beach, something I avoided due to my weight.
I heard Penn Jillette discussing his own weight loss, mentioning at one point a diet close to Eat to Live, so bought that book and joined in.
With diet, I proceeded to lose 60+ lbs. by April, and eventually reached 80+ lbs. lost. Once I started dropping, I bought the Withings smart scale to help keep track and monitor. I quickly was stepping on the scale and tracking every day. That was a game-changer in the weight loss.I could immediately see the impact of my good or bad diet days, and see my change over time.
The challenge of keeping it off
Even more important after the weight loss was [the need] to go into a steady maintenance state. It is now over four years since losing the weight and I’ve managed to keep it off, thanks to the Withings scale and adding the blood pressure monitor to further help track my health.
The biggest challenge of maintaining the loss is the lack of a defined goal—both in terms of target weight and time. When I first started saying, “By August, I want to be in the 170s,” it gave me a clear driving goal. Everything I did was marching toward that time and weight goal.
It’s difficult to then go, “I want to generally be in this range indefinitely.” You will fluctuate, obviously, and then when you get in the high range, you’re like, “Well, another pound or two really isn’t that bad,” or “I should really drop a few of the pounds I gained, but over the next couple of weeks.” The urgency and “finish line” isn’t there anymore, which makes it a little more difficult.
Withings Smart Scales
Blood pressure talks at the doc are off the table
A few years ago, my blood pressure was high, up solidly in the high blood pressure range. I wasn’t on medication, but often got doctors saying it was something we needed to keep an eye on.
Since losing the weight, and my diet change, my blood pressure is now well in the normal range and [I have] no issues at all any more. Doctors don’t even mention anything about BP during my routine checkups.
The scale has allowed me to daily track my weight, and when I got too high, immediately adjust my diet. I love the Withings systems—couldn’t have lost 80+ lbs. and kept it off for four years without!
Thanks to Eric for his time! If you have a story to share, be in touch with us—we’d love to hear from you!
