Testimonials

Everybody needs a Susan Holmberg

I get lots of extra newsletters for friends and patients whenever she writes them. I carry them around in my car. I think there’s something in there for everyone, and I use them to re-inspire myself. No one says it the way she does. “Excerpts from My Journey” is the most honest, real and accurate assessment of dealing with weight management I’ve ever read, and the “Tidbits” and “Quotes” always touch me. I still shock people with the “Did You Know” fact about the Pecan Cinnabon being the caloric equivalent to a Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast!

I only came to see Susan because I had gestational diabetes during my third pregnancy, and my doctors wanted me to STOP GAINING WEIGHT! But she had to go, and as politely as possible, STICK HER BIG NOSE into what I was feeding my kids. Now, six years and two more children later, my eldest son, who used to come with me to my visits, writes a nutrition column for his grammar school newspaper. The two kids I’ve had since (who started getting fruits and vegetables, literally, in vitro) are HAPPILY healthy eaters. What a gift this has been to my entire family

I came to Susan a few years ago, quite concerned, both parents dead from heart disease, 2 bypasses to my name, and unable to take statin drugs. She had me do these new advanced blood tests and start on what I thought were these obscure supplements three years ago that I’m just hearing about on the news now. Thanks to her and her relentless pressure to make a few simple (but not easy – I do my best) food changes, I have the best blood pressure readings, blood lipids and sugar that I’ve had in my entire adult life.

Ever feel like someone is actually inside your head? That’s how Susan has helped me the most. I guess because she’s been there, she knows what I’m thinking and the games that I’m playing. She’s helped me see how I sabotage myself, and I guess because she openly shares that she still struggles with that same voice, I feel like I can tell her anything. She’s a master at really understanding, but then really helping me to confront. But let me warn you, she lulls you into telling the truth and then zings you with some reality check. Be prepared

I had been to nutritionists before, but they all made me feel judged, like there was really something wrong with me for continuing to make the wrong choices. They would all give me basically the same food plan, and I felt like I was supposed to report in like they were my mother, or like I was going to get a grade. Susan helped me to create my own food plan, taking into consideration what I was really ready to do. She helped me to think through all the circumstances that would come up to sabotage me (including just being me) and how I could try to handle them. Then, instead of judging me if I didn’t do something ‘right’, she helped me to try to find out what I could do that would make it easier for myself the next time. I never thought to try to find out why something did or didn’t work for me. I would just beat myself up for being a failure. So far, we’ve come up with some pretty bizarre strategies, but they work for me

I came to Susan looking for the magic bullet, hoping she could turn me into someone else. I wanted her to give me willpower. I have such a terrible history. I just felt completely defeated. When she told me that I was the magic bullet, it only made me feel worse. I wanted her to tell me why I was great some of the time, and then, for no apparent reason, would just go crazy. She said that no one else could answer that for me but me, and that she could help me to figure that out if I’d stick around. She said it would probably be uncomfortable. No kidding! I only stuck around because I was desperate. She got me to look at all my past failures (she calls them “ineffective management” techniques) so that I can come up with better strategies. I never knew how to stop myself before it was too late before. Now I realize that I’m totally predictable, and there are steps I can take sooner to avoid my own personal pitfalls. I don’t have to have willpower. I can help myself in other ways

My daughter struggled with an eating disorder for several years. Of all the people on her treatment team, including doctors, therapists and psychiatrists, Susan was the most help. In fact, Susan was the only member of the treatment team that we never changed in all that time. While my daughter is much recovered now, (thankfully) she still stops in to see Susan whenever she’s home from college

I got fatter and fatter running away from my overeating. I didn’t know how to take responsibility for it. I just wanted it to stop. I’m still far from perfect (Susan tells me I don’t have to be), but I’m trying. It never occurred to me to try to take advantage of the things I don’t find so difficult to do. In my case, that’s exercise. So, in the meantime, while I’m waiting to get perfect, I can still screw up sometimes and use exercise to help me maintain my 60 lb. loss

Hating myself for my overeating didn’t get me to change a thing. It just got me to hate myself and eat more and more. I thought that overeating good stuff was no better than overeating bad stuff, so I never tried to do it. And anyway, real men don’t eat broccoli. Although I never would have predicted it, Susan’s constantly trying to get me to understand and visualize what’s going on inside my body, the actual science of it, and those annoyingly scary statistics have slowly worn me down. I just can’t get them out of my head. So now, at least I overeat better foods. That alone is saving me 35 lbs. a year

The only thing I felt I could do well to manage my weight when I came to Susan was starve. No one could convince me that it didn’t work. It was the only thing that did work. Eventually, through extreme pressure to try it differently and relentless reminder, of how the chemicals in your body work (she calls it appetite biochemistry), I have learned to eat during the day. Amazingly, once I could get myself to do it at all, it has made it easier not to binge at night. Maybe I’ll try a few more suggestions

I remember when I first started I complained, “I don’t want to have to think about it this much. Will I always have to be so obsessed with every detail of my eating?” Susan said, “Maybe. If it kept off 100 lbs. would it be worth it?” It’s hard to argue with that. But she also told be that it would get easier with practice, once my mind realized that I wasn’t open to negotiation. Lo and behold, there are some things I do today easily that I never would have dreamed could not be a problem. I think I’ll keep coming