Wellness Approach: OneLife

Teresa Syed jokes she has a Ph.D. in dieting. Her entire life, she has tried one weight loss strategy after another, but nothing stuck. Now in her 60s, she found herself one of the 60 million adults in the United States battling obesity and facing numerous health issues. Determined to make a change, Syed tried a new program using the hCG hormone and lost 70 pounds in one year. Now, she owns OneLife, a wellness and weight loss clinic that helps others get the same results.

“Five years ago, my friend told me about the hCG hormone for weight loss because it worked for her,” Syed explains. “I was skeptical but trusted her review because she’s a nurse. I had just gone through a divorce, my youngest had started college, and my high-powered career in the financial industry continued to cause tons of stress.” At 5-feet tall, she weighed 214 pounds with 49 percent body fat. “I had been taking blood pressure medication for 20 years and was on the road to diabetes and knee replacements if I didn’t take responsibility for my lifestyle.” Syed enrolled at Pounds and Inches Away and, like her friend, quickly became a believer. In one year, she went down 10 sizes, lost 14 percent of her body fat and was able to get off blood pressure medication.

In fact, Syed believes in the program so much, she bought the Pounds and Inches corporation in 2012 and merged all area locations into one in Creve Coeur, renaming the company OneLife. “I became passionate about helping others experience similar success with weight loss, but I wanted to evolve it into more of a total approach to wellness,” she says. While the basic diet is the same for everyone, whether you have 10 or 100 pounds to lose, OneLife serves as a supportive place to make a complete lifestyle change in areas beyond food.

At its core, Syed says the program is similar to any other diet; you have to be committed and do it correctly to lose weight and keep it off. The diet is done in three phases, and the overall program can last up to 82 days including maintenance. During phase one, clients follow a restricted diet and go through a natural detox of the body by taking the hCG hormone either as drops, a prescription tablet or by injection.

Phase two serves as a transition into ‘real-life’ eating with fewer restrictions, and phase three lifts the caloric restrictions and allows most foods. If followed correctly, the average weight loss within a 40-day period is 20 to 30 pounds for women, 30 to 40 pounds for men. “We emphasize that losing weight is just the first step,” Syed says. “Clients must continue with the maintenance part of the program to keep the weight off.”

To stay on track, OneLife offers multiple support services. A medical doctor and psychotherapist are both on staff and available for evaluations, and clients can go through an in-depth personality profiling test to help identify their overall relationship with food and other issues that may have contributed to their weight gain. “I sit down with each client to figure out what parts of the process will benefit them the most,” Syed says. “We support clients on their journey to understanding themselves better and taking control of their life physically, mentally and emotionally so they can evolve into their best self. We are weight loss at the core, but a journey toward wellness is the objective.”

She says it’s the most effective approach to weight loss she’s ever experienced. “I am in better health now as a 67-year-old than I was 20 years ago, and it’s because my weight is under control,” Syed says. “The changes that take place when you start to feel good about yourself are huge. You have more energy, and your entire outlook on life changes!”

OneLife, located at 12291 Olive Blvd. in Creve Coeur, offers a comprehensive approach to wellness that goes beyond weight loss, incorporating stress management, exercise and proper nutrition. For more information, call 314.434.8446 or visit onelifestlouis.com. Pictured on the cover: Owner Teresa Syed with Angie H., a client who lost 53 pounds on the program.

Cover design by Allie Bronsky | Photos by Bill Barrett

Pictured: Dr. Andrea Itzkowitz, psychotherapist Jennifer Lustman, owner Teresa Syed