About half of all Americans set New Year Resolutions each year. For those that do, 38% of those individuals will cite weight loss as their number one resolution. If you are one of them, you might want to meet Oleta Schranz who has been a fixture in Celina since 2018. She is the owner of Preston Family Healthcare and is committed to the health and well-being of our community. Mrs. Schranz is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with special interests in Type 2 diabetes management and Family Practice. She opened her own office in the spring of 2020 and was instrumental in supporting Celina and surrounding communities through much of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Oleta and learn more about how she is changing lives by encouraging better health.
Q: What do you like about Family Practice Medicine?
A: I like to work with patients to address their whole health, not just chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. By looking at genetic factors, lifestyle, and behavioral health we can prevent illness, remove medications, and find ways to treat the core health issues. It is so much fun to see patients whose lives are changing as their health improves.
Q: Are there any new medical trends and interventions for weight loss in 2023?
A: Yes, there is a drug that has been newly classified for use in weight loss. While not a new medication, it was approved in 2021 by the FDA and works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Being overweight is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. However, by losing as little as 5% to 10% of a person’s body weight through diet and exercise, the associated risk of these diseases can be minimized.
Q: What diet programs do you see as most effective right now?
A: I like diets that take a behavior-modification approach such as Weight Watchers or Noom.com. These and other similar programs help break down dieting myths and help change a person’s relationship with food. In doing that, individuals can be more successful in their weight loss effort. I don’t find food restriction diets particularly successful. Individuals are typically not able to sustain those restrictions long-term, causing them to repeat the cycle of losing and gaining weight.
Q: If I were starting a New Year’s diet, what are some tips you can offer for success?
A: I always start with the idea that eating should be enjoyable. And then offer the following advice to my patients:
- Start with setting small goals for diet changes and daily activity. Finding success with these goals helps build momentum. Just 10 minutes a day with an elevated heart rate can make a big difference.
- Drink plenty of water. I always think it’s fun to get a new water bottle or tumbler to make the process more enjoyable. I love Hidrate Spark (hidratespark.com) which is a smart water bottle that is integrated with an app on your phone. It reminds you when to drink more water with a glowing reminder to drink throughout the day to keep you on track.
- I always tell my clients to eat more green foods and when shopping, shop the outside of the grocery store. This encourages you to fill your basket with more whole foods, and less processed foods.
- Find an accountability partner, or group of people, who can help you be accountable for your small goals. Tracking apps and smartwatches are also great tools to keep you on track and motivated all day.
- Get a regular check-up with your medical provider. As you lose weight your daily medications may need to be adjusted, or in some cases can be eliminated altogether.
Q: What do you like best about practicing in Celina?
A: It’s the people of Celina that make it special and the great thing about my practice is that I get to know so many of them. My family and I live in Celina and our boys are in school here. It is a unique experience to be involved in the same community as my patients. I can bump into them in the grocery store or a festival in town, that does not happen everywhere. But Celina also affords me the privilege to give back to the community by participating in community outreach projects such as school physicals with the local school district, mobile women’s health clinics and local blood drives. Celina cares about its citizens, and I get to be a part of that.