Sentara Emergency Medicine chief is 65 pounds lighter: How he did it

Healthy living can be tough, but for Dr. Adam Brown, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and Sentara Lake Ridge, he’s practicing what he preaches. Over the last year, Dr. Brown has lost 65 pounds through diet and exercise.

• It can be challenging to change habits. As a Doctor, what would you tell folks who are working on getting healthier?

I would first say — “You can do it!” As long as you can move and have the ability to make decisions about what and how you eat, you can do it. You can get healthier and feel better. Over the past year, I have had my own journey with getting healthier and feeling better, both mentally and physically. In the end, I have lost about 65 pounds since January 2018, losing from size 40 waist to a size 32. Change, however, takes planning, preparation, dedication and most importantly, support. Avoid gimmicks. They simply don’t work especially in the long run. You may have transient wins, but your goal should be to be healthier in life and not for just a season.

• Personally, you made some changes- what was the biggest help/tip/motivator for you?

Over the past year, I have made significant changes to my entire life and the results physically and mentally have been dramatic. Mentally, I recognized watching the news on a constant loop of negativity was unhealthy. So, I turned it off. That was so hard, but I just turned it off. Watching the same people day-in and day-out argue about the current state of the world, became unhealthy. I still read the newspaper and check in to the news occasionally, but let’s be honest, no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, there is a lot of negativity out there. Replacing that negative focus on more positive things (i.e. exercise, spending time with friends and family) has made a huge difference.

Physically, I have altered my food choices and I exercise daily. I limit red meats and fried foods, increased healthy fruits and vegetables, and limited simple sugars and carbohydrates.  I educated myself on just how many calories were in the things I ate and I made substitutions. You would be surprised how many calories are in “healthy” foods like sushi or pasta. For example, instead of eating a large bowl of pasta with sauce, I eat twice as many vegetables and a smaller bowl of pasta. Instead of 2 sushi rolls, I had sashimi and a roll. The flavors are similar, but the volume shifts.

From an exercise perspective, I have also replaced sitting on the couch with movement like walking in the evenings, going to an exercise class or doing the elliptical at the gym. I also have turned to weight lifting 3-4 times a week. In effect, I break a sweat exercising 25-30 minutes every day. So what’s the result? I feel great! I can run 1, 2, 3 miles now without taking a break. Before, I got winded walking up my steps.

Seeing my body change and feeling better has been the biggest motivator. Just looking at pictures from my 40th birthday to now, are dramatic and keeps me engaged. I do not want to go back. While the change is slow, looking at the change over time keeps me going. But there are secondary motivators like my iPhone App. I use a fitness app to track my food consumption every. single. day. Yes, it seems tedious, but it has kept me honest and educated about my choices throughout the entire process. My circle of friends and my spouse have been motivating as well. But here’s the key – I needed a friend or buddy to walk with me on this journey not just shout from the sidelines. Both my spouse and one of my best friends have walked with me the entire way. They both have lost weight, built lean muscle, and are living a healthier life. At times, we have struggled, but have brushed ourselves off and started getting healthier again.

• What do you wish everyone knew in their quest to take control of their health?

I wish people could feel as good as I feel. It’s life-changing. And it’s a healthy life change that I controlled and managed. It’s also so affirming to hear the positive comments and the cheers from the sidelines as I have been on this journey.

Lastly, I want people to know that they can control many of their health conditions. So many of our health conditions can be reversed with healthy living. When I turned 40, I had borderline high blood pressure, borderline cholesterol and weighed 256 pounds. Now, I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and a low resting heart rate all due to diet and exercise changes. No medications.

This post is sponsored by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.