How "Skinny Dave" Lost 45 lbs with Diet-to-Go

Name: David Rockwell
Age: 56
Occupation: Healthcare Administration
Meal Plan: Balance-Diabetes
Favorite Meals: Breakfast: Whole Wheat Waffles with Blueberry Cream Cheese; Lunch: Lemon Herb Chicken; Dinner: Chicken Parmesan
Start Date: May 2023
Starting Weight: 247
Height: 5’11”
Pounds Lost: 45
Activity Level: Walking on a treadmill 30 minutes (about 2 miles) a day
When I get a craving, my go-to trick is: 100-calorie snacks like pretzels and nuts
My favorite app for tracking weight loss is: myFitnessPal

When 56-year-old healthcare administrator David Rockwell went to see his doctor for an annual checkup in May, he knew walking in that he might not get good news.

“I was very cognizant that I had high blood pressure and all the other things that tend to go with being obese,” David said.

Sure enough, his bloodwork showed he faced many health issues, including high cholesterol and blood sugar. His doctor immediately talked about prescribing him several medications.

“I knew I didn’t want to live my life like that,” David said. “I knew what I had to do, so I made a commitment to do it. I called my doctor after and said, ‘Hey, give me a few months. I’m going to make a concerted effort' to make a major lifestyle change."

After some prayer, personal reflection, and a bit of Googling, David found Diet-to-Go’s Balance-Diabetes meal plan and placed an order.

“I was kind of scared that, ‘Oh, I’m going to do this diabetic-friendly meal program, and it’s going to taste super bland,’ but I was so wrong,” David said. “Everything was well-seasoned, fresh, and it was so delicious.”

Within three months, David, at 5’11” tall, shed 45 pounds, weighing in at 202.
 

Facing (and Overcoming!) Challenges Along the Way

David kicked off his weight loss journey in May, right at the start of summer, a time that wasn’t without its challenges.

“One of the challenges of trying to eat healthy and get on track with weight loss is when you get together with family,” David said, adding that he went on two vacations with his family over the summer. “There are a lot of things that are really delicious that are also really bad for you or not the best for when you want to get back in shape.”

But during his annual family vacation to Chincoteague Island, Virginia, David said having his Diet-to-Go meals was a lifesaver.

“We rented a house, and I brought them with me and put them in a fridge so when everyone was eating greasy burgers, I was eating a healthy meal,” he said.

Things got a bit trickier during an August trip to Disney World when David was unable to bring his meals and faced “the mecca of all kinds of wonderful, super delicious food that is also super bad for you.”

“Going into it I knew, and I tried to make better choices,” David said. “I can only imagine the old days where I wouldn’t have cared at all. I did try to make wise choices, but it’s hard when there’s really not any healthy choices to be had.”

During the week-long trip, David gained back 9 pounds of the 25 he’d lost, but he wasn’t about to let it deter him.

“I worked so hard, and I was like, ‘No way am I going to give up,’” he said.

He also said beginning his weight loss journey in the summertime, a time when he, like most Philadelphia natives, loved to partake in ice cream, was rough.

“To start a weight loss program in the summertime, it’s kind of a killer,” he said. “The thing of it is, there have been a few times that I have had a small ice cream cone, and it hasn’t killed me. I do believe you can do everything in moderation.’
 

‘Extremely Satisfying’ Meals with a Sprinkle of Fitness

When David started Diet-to-Go, he was concerned he wouldn’t feel full and satisfied. He’d also tried another meal delivery weight loss program in the past and it only lasted a couple of days due to the low-quality food.

“I can’t stress enough that the meals from DTG have all been extremely satisfying,” David said. “I have not ever had a time where I’m like, ‘I’m so hungry, I could eat five of those meals.’ Every now and then, I do like to have a couple of snacks. But they’re within the calorie count for the day. I have learned some new positive habits.”

He also was concerned they’d taste like “diet food,” and he wouldn’t be able to stick with it long term.

“I’m the guy who’s had a long life of going to Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and just fast food in general. You wouldn’t catch me eating broccoli,” David said. “Now, I sit down and think, ‘Oh wow, I love this.’ It’s opened my eyes to all sorts of new meals. My taste buds have completely changed.

David also joined a local fitness club and built 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill into his daily routine. He uses myFitnesspal to log his calorie-burn and Diet-to-Go meals, which are already loaded into the app’s library.

“You burn off a certain number of calories and [myFitnesspal] integrates that into it,” David said. “That does allow me to eat a bit more…instead of 1,500, for example, I can eat 1,600 or 1,700.”

David also completely cut sugary beverages like soda and lemonade from his diet.

“I made a big lifestyle change of not drinking anything but water, unsweetened iced tea, and unsweetened coffee,” he said. “Sugary drinks are just, wow, so bad for you. That in itself is just such a huge change, and it’s one pretty simple thing you can do.”
 

A Support System and Some Serious Motivation

David’s family and friends have reinforced his commitment every step of the way, even when they were on vacation.

“When I brought my meals, nobody said anything,” David said. “I said to my siblings, ’You guys are going to think I’m weird,’ and they said, “No! No. We’re so proud of you.”

And an even more powerful motivation for David was the compliments.

“For me to walk in and my mom and sister and whoever else was there to say, ‘Oh my gosh, David, wow! I can tell you lost weight! You look great!' And my close friends and family have been calling me Skinny Dave! It’s a motivator. If I’m feeling this much better at 10 pounds, I knew I’d feel even better losing 20 pounds!”

His returning energy was also a significant factor in his success.

“I have all this energy now, sometimes to the point where it’s annoying, like, “Ah! I just wanted to sleep in on Saturday, and I can’t sleep in!’” David laughed.
 

Bottom Line: It’s All About Great Food

David said his favorite thing about Diet-to-Go is that it’s not a fad or yo-yo diet — it’s something you can stick with and learn from to make a lasting lifestyle change.

“It’s not some weird, ‘Oh I’m eating diet food.’ It’s normal food,” David said. “A lot of these entrees, if they came served on a fancy platter, you’d never know the difference. These are gourmet meals, seasoned so well, presented so nicely, the portions, everything.”

David added that Diet-to-Go has taught him about proper portion size and nutrition.

“People tend to make it just about calories, but you also have to look at what you’re ingesting,” David said. “Do you want to have all your calories by eating a [burger] and large fries? Or do you want three really nice, wholesome, square meals a day that have protein and vitamins and minerals?”
David said he plans to carry the lessons he learned from Diet-to-Go into his life for good by making better choices at restaurants and with meals in general.

“I just can’t recommend [Diet-to-Go] enough. It’s the truth,” David said.
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author: Caitlin H
Diet-to-Go Community Manager

Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about engaging with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key, and people will have the most weight loss success if they engage in common-sense healthy eating and fitness.