Success Stories

"I had lost 50 pounds without trying, I was thirsty all the time, had blurry vision, and experiencing frequent urination. I loved sugary beverages and I was a meal skipper. After being examined by the Provider, I was sent to the emergency room with a blood sugar of 500 and diagnosed with diabetes. After I was discharged I had an appointment to meet with the registered dietitian and she explained I was malnourished as result of my undiagnosed diabetes and eating habits. We met regularly and I learned how to improve my diet. I started to feel so much better, and in three months my A1c improved from 14.2% to 8.0% and within another three months it lowered it 6.6%. I know now how to eat three balanced meals a daily. I don’t have to deprive himself of my favorite foods, as long as I can practice moderation."
Kenneth
Client
"At first I weighed 282 pounds with A1c 7.0. I was able to lose 34 pounds in 10 weeks with the help of Danielle my Registered Dietitian. I am on oxygen 24 hours a day and it was very hard at times, but I was very motivated to learn how to eat healthy. I learned the difference between simple and complex carbs to eat less starchy foods and how to control my appetite. I learned to eat proper portion sizes. It was extremely challenging but I started walking around my apartment complex every morning and in the evening. Every single day, I stuck to my plan regardless of how much I did not want to do it I also used resistance bands to increase my strength. I appreciated the extra help that I wanted and I consistently met with Danielle every 2 weeks for two months. I am proud I have created lasting healthy eating habits and am more active. I know I can apply wha I have learned and continue to lose weight."
Greg
Client
"It was great! Lots of questions about protein shakes and water. Danielle did a great job of answering everything and seemed really non-judgmental. It was a very good experience."
Medora
GE Appliances- Women's Remote Group Participant- "Healthy Eating Tips When Working From Home"
"I had been feeling really fatigued for about a year and a half. I had changed my diet and started taking all kinds of vitamins and was still not feeling any better. I went and had bloodwork done twice during this time period to try to figure out my problem. I had just about given up and thought it was just a part of getting older (I am 53). Well the final straw was I am a teacher and my school year had just started, and we had been going full swing for about a week. When I came home after that first week of work, I was so fatigued for 5 days and missed 3 days of work. I literally couldn't get out of bed. My body was aching, all over, I was having headaches, chest was tight. I was sure I had COVID. I went and took the COVID test and my results came back negative. I called Dee Harwell told her my situation and sent her my lab work. Dee told me all my levels looked fine but I might want to call my doctor back and ask for blood work to check my B-12, folate and vitamin D levels, those have to do with energy. I took her advice and went back and had the bloodwork done she suggested and low and behold Dee was right! The doctor's office called me with my results and said my levels were bottomed out! They didn't know how had been functioning as well as I had all this time!  Dr. Cari Beth Page sent in a prescription for high levels of D2, B-12 and folic acid. All thanks to Dee at Dynamic Dietetics for helping me get back on the right path! You have saved my health and sanity! I feel like a new woman!"
Lynn
Client
"Dee Harwell and Dynamic Dietetics are great to work with! Dee helped us immensely with several school and community programs. She has lots of ideas and is creative her approach, plus she goes the extra mile."
Trousdale County Coordinated School Health
Hartsville, TN
"Dee and Christie are fantastic to work with-amazing to people and service. Highly recommend!"
Direct Primary Care Associates, PLLC
Cleveland, TN
"I recommend Dee as she is a friendly and honest person, and she knows what to do and how to handle things!"
Johann
NIMAK North America, Inc.
Brian Dvorak worked in the health and fitness field and competed in triathlons. He later took a job in education helping special needs children. With a new job, marriage, and daughter, his life became busy, and he watched his weight go up. In January of 2020 he started feeling “off”. He made a doctor’s appointment and found out his weight was 276 pounds. He already had high blood pressure and he was encouraged to lose some weight to get his blood pressure in control. He was referred to a kidney specialist in March as well as Dynamic Dietetics to work with a dietitian. His kidney function was impaired, liver enzymes were elevated and he was told he was in stage 3 or 4 of liver disease, and his A1C was 11. He knew he had his work cut out for him and he started making changes immediately. He worked with Laurie McGuire, R.D, L.D.N. and his supportive wife, Heather, to make changes in his diet. He gave up soda, started counting carbohydrates, and drastically decreased his portions. He started eating yogurt, berries, oatmeal, vegetables, hummus, nuts, seeds, and switched his meats to turkey, chicken, and fish. He learned to drink his coffee black and his tea unsweetened. Keep in mind, this is a southern boy! He continued to make gradual changes including more vegetables on his plate and less starch. He started exercising in July including running and occasionally doing exercise videos with his wife and daughter. He added several supplements and vitamins to his regimen. After all the healthy eating, exercise, and weight loss, his liver is now at a stage 0 to 1 and he is able to maintain his weight at about 215. His A1C is currently under 5.7, blood pressure 118/70 (without medication!) and his liver enzymes have improved. He was able to get his kidney function back to normal with these gradual changes. Laurie worked with him monthly to motivate him and answer questions. She will tell you he did all the work. She is proud of his approach, staying consistent while constantly improving his diet. Laurie and Brian still check in monthly to help him stay on track.
Brian
Client
"The last few years have been a constant battle to lose weight. I was feeling tired and sluggish all the time and although I didn’t like the feeling, I just considered it a part of growing older. I learned I was in the obese category, my blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides were high I started meeting with the dietitians, Dee and Danielle. After my first visit, I was excited to learn that with proper diet and exercise I could correct my health issues. Years of bad habits had caught up with me. This was the starting point in my transformation to a healthier me. A few short weeks later I had more energy, was feeling better and has started to lose weight. I found a walking track near my home and started walking a mile every day with a goal of 10,000 steps per day. I was eating more fruits and vegetables and enjoying them. I started drinking more water. After a few months of this I noticed my clothing fitted a lot looser! I was also getting stronger and along with the lost weight I was motivated to set new goals which I undertook with gusto. With each goal I accomplished I became more confident in myself. When I didn’t meet my goals, I was still encouraged by the progress I had already made. I decided that slow and steady would win the race. I continued to lose weight and remember how excited I was to discover one morning that I could bend over and tie my shoes and touch my toes again! I am definitely a new person now. I feel that my healthy eating habits have evolved into a permanent lifestyle change. With my energy that I now have I find that I can keep up with the grandkids. I’ve become a regular at the walking track. My daily walks at the park are now 3 mile runs several times a week. I change my speeds, distances and routes to keep things interesting. I’ve found apps for my phone that keep a log of my workouts. These apps along with listening to music or podcasts through earbuds makes it more enjoyable for me. On the rare times that I miss my visits to the track I find myself anxious to get back. These days I find that my mind is a lot clearer and my stress levels are lower. I have no trouble staying focused and my quality of life has vastly improved! I have lost 50 pounds and 10 inches from my waist! I know that with the confidence I now possess along with my new attitude toward diet, health, and fitness that I will meet this goal and reach my ideal weight and keep it off. Proper diet and exercise are indeed the keys to good health."
Young
Client
"My name is Marucs and I want to give everyone an insight on my experience with diabetes. It started back in January 2020, when I was eating alot of sugar and all I wanted to do was sleep. I woke up Sunday morning shaky, thought I was just hungry. I went to bed after church on Sunday and my Mom woke me up on Tuesday saying she was taking me to the doctor. I was admitted to the hospital because my blood sugar was 680. Long story short, I was diagnosed with diabetes, had to give myself insulin shots, and attended my first diabetes education class. I didn't want to lose limbs, and I thought about my kids. That gave me the strength to change my eating habits, so I could one day reverse diabetes and be able to come off insulin shots. I started doing more activities, like walking more, getting outside, throwing the football around with my boys. The main thing was I started eating right after meeting with the dietitian four times. I began eating 3 meals a day, drinking more water, reduced my portion sizes, choosing whole grain bread. In five months I lost 35 pounds and improved my sugar from A1c 9.5% to 6.6%. My cholesterol dropped 75 points, and my bad cholesterol dropped 40 points. Presently, my cholesterol is 109mg/dL. I'm not on the shot anymore, just taking three pills to regulate my blood sugar. By me saying that it means I'm not picking up them bad habits anymore. I'm still eating right, exercising more, and just enjoying life and my kids. I just feel great because I conquered diabetes. Thanks for reading my story and I hope to inspire someone or everyone."
Markus
Client
"Dee and her staff and all very high energy, maybe it comes from knowing how to eat right and move more. She has provided services to our Head Start birth to five program since 1999 and has always responded to both needs we have identified and needs she has identified for us! From hands on cooking lessons for nutrition workers, to credentialing programs for them-Dee and team offer expertise by phone and email when an in person visit is not handy (like in these Covid times). Dee is generous with her informal advice too...she suggested some strategies for a staff member who was seriously anemic and the levels jumped right up!"
Judy
Sequatchie Valley Head Start Executive Director
(serving Marion, Bledsoe, Grundy, Rhea and Sequatchie counties)
"Dee and her staff are the best!"
Letha
Lakeside Senior Living Community