About 11 years ago, Annette Lantz had gastric bypass surgery. She lost a lot of weight and was able to keep it off—until a change in medication and the pandemic hit in 2020. Then she veered off her routine.
“I kept gaining,” she said. “I could not get the weight off. It was an emotional drain on me. I felt like a failure.”
Frustrated, she reached out to her physician, who referred her to the Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center. There, she learned about MyWeightLossHealth and that she qualified for the Medical Weight Loss Bundle, which helps patients lose meaningful weight through a combination of lifestyle therapies and medication.
Lantz, an associate research strategy program specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, began a regimen that included exercise, medication, a psychologist consultation, sessions with a nutritionist and classes with the Vanderbilt Dayani Center. During one of those classes, a medication she was taking was identified as a medication that can cause weight gain. Once that medication was changed and other drugs were adjusted, Lantz started to see real results.
A patient navigator guided her through the process. “She immediately got in contact with me, explained what would happen, and told me that everything I did as part of the bundle would be covered, with no out-of-pocket costs, which was wonderful,” Lantz said. “If I had questions, she was really prompt about getting back to me.”
Lantz says she also received great support from the Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center, especially Dr. Erica Dillon Garner. “I would refer it to anybody,” she said. “MyHealth Bundles is an awesome program. With all that access, it was wonderful to know that the worrying was off my shoulders.”
In all, Lantz lost 40 pounds. “I feel better about myself. I don’t want to hide away, and I’m less self-conscious,” she said. “It’s great when people notice and say, ‘You look good; how much have you lost?’ I can see the results, and I’m so grateful.”
To anyone considering the MyWeightLossHealth Bundle, Lantz has some simple advice: Do it. “It has been one of the best benefits I have gotten from Vanderbilt,” she said. “I can’t say enough good things. I’ve told my coworkers about it.
“You have nothing to lose except the weight.”
