Dr. Michelle Pearlman is a gastroenterologist at the University of Miami Health System. For more information about services offered, click here, or for more on Dr. Pearlman click here, or visit the UHealth health news blog.
DENNIS’ STORY
A year ago, Dennis Hernandez weighed 280 pounds and was turning to food to cope with the loss of his brother and sister.
“Basically, I could die at any time, any minute,” Dennis says.
Dennis went to see UHealth gastroenterologist Michelle Pearlman who offers a comprehensive weight management program to her patients.
“We literally start from the first thing they put in their mouth. So I want to know, what sort of coffee are you drinking? What do you add into your coffee? What snacks are you having?” says Dr. Pearlman.
She makes adjustments to their eating habits and develops a personalized nutrition and exercise program.
“Nutrition can be very simple, but there can also be a lot of nuances. The simple part about it, is that you would all feel so much better and be so much healthier if we limited the processed food,” Dr. Pearlman says.
Dennis cut out sweets and sodas and started exercising a little at a time.
“I started with five minutes on the Peloton, then 10 minutes, 15 minutes. I started gradually,” says Dennis.
An avid cyclist before his weight gain, Dennis worked his way to riding 60-miles a day on his bike, inspiring Dr. Pearlman to try!
“I like to think I give people hope, my patients when it comes to their weight loss journey. But Dennis has been such an inspiration for me,” says Dr. Pearlman.
Now 62 pounds lighter, Dennis says if he can do it anyone can!
“Walk for five minutes, get on the bike for five minutes. Anybody can do it,” says Dennis.
FOCUSING ON YOU
Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine is a series of healthcare-related stories airing regularly on WPLG Local 10. For more stories like this one, visit YouTube channels for UHealth, the University of Miami Health System.
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