Marc Poe’s lessons learned can help make your weight loss resolutions stick

Published: December 21, 2017 | Updated: August 15, 2024

Marc Poe, age 39, has struggled with weight most of his life. He grew up “a chunky kid” in a single-parent home in West Virginia.

“Between my mom and my grandmother the recipe for love and comfort was plenty of sugar, fat and carbs,” Poe said.

Poe weighed 300 pounds in high school (big even for his 6 foot+ frame). He topped 400 in his 20s after a bad relationship left him turning to food for stress relief. By August 2016, he fought back down to 364 pounds, but felt bariatric surgery might be his only hope.

That’s when the environmental services supervisor at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital heard about Norton’s 12-week medically supervised weight loss program. He figured why not give it a try?

“This program is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Poe said. “It saved my life!”

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Weight-loss lessons learned

Now down a total of 125 pounds (including 60 lost during the 12-week program), Poe loves playing basketball with friends. He walks about 20,000 steps a day and is making healthier food choices.

He shared some lessons learned that helped him go from “zero willpower” to “I can do this”:

• Making a major life change is hard. Use the support and resources available to you.
• Accountability works. Track your food. Share your journey with friends so you can keep each other accountable.
• Focus on progress, not perfection. Expect at times you’ll eat too much or make poor choices. Regroup, restart and remember losing weight isn’t an “all or nothing” thing.

Supervised by a physician

Poe is resolved to reach 250 pounds. To get there, he’s signing up for a second round with the 12-week medical weight loss program.

According to Kelley M. McIntyre, M.D., Norton Weight Management Services, this individualized program uses a team approach that starts with a medical examination and tests to assess health history. From there, patients have multiple visits with a physician, dietitian and behavioral therapist.

“We focus on bringing together proven medical and support therapies to help control hunger and make your weight loss and health efforts successful,” Dr. McIntyre said.

When asked about what keeps him motivated, Poe — who has done some stand-up comedy — laughs. He says he just wants to be able to shop at trendy men’s stores and find a doctor wife so he can be a house husband.

“Joking aside, I want people to know if I can lose weight, anyone can,” Poe said. “I want everyone to feel the way I do now.”