Published on AZ Central – Georgann YaraSpecial for the Arizona Business Gazette – May 12, 2022
Phoenix weight loss clinic uses technology, diet to help clients get on healthier path
The experience was more than life changing. It was nearly life ending.
When Noel Abood had a heart attack on the tennis court at age 49, the fit physician was shocked.
“You devote your whole professional career to staying healthy. It shouldn’t have happened to me,” Abood said.
But the event served as the catalyst for Re:vitalize Weight Loss & Wellness, the Phoenix-based weight loss clinic Abood founded with business partner Dan LeMoine, who also is his son-in-law.
Before moving to Phoenix to start the clinic, LeMoine and his wife lived in the Dominican Republic where they worked in the non-profit sector. He was shocked when hearing about Abood’s health scare.
“This guy was the pinnacle of health. Noel was the last person I’d expect to have stents put in,” LeMoine said.
However, when Abood was recovering and took a hard look at his health he realized the heart attack didn’t happen out of thin air. Even with his regular exercise routine his triglycerides were at an astronomical 800 mg compared to a high mild level of 150.
He had tried everything to get that number down. Going vegetarian and vegan and increasing his cardio didn’t help. And like many who try to lose weight with no success, he gave in to the discouragement.
“I did it, so I’m done trying,” Abood said of this thinking at the time. “So, being wheeled into hospital shouldn’t have been surprising.”
After the heart attack, Abood took time off and went to Florida and doubled down on his efforts. There, he ran into a colleague that had a basic weight loss program. Abood gave it a shot.
He lost 20 pounds in 20 days and his triglycerides were at normal level within three months. This was the first time they were normal since he started trying to lower them while in his 30s.
There were no miracle bars, shakes, drugs or hormones in the plan. It involved eating vegetables, fruits, proteins and foods that are part of a normal healthy diet that could be found at any grocery store. Abood found it sustainable even though his willpower wasn’t high.
He decided to incorporate that program into his existing practice. It was so successful he wanted to create a separate standalone practice based on this model alone. He approached LeMoine with the proposal to run it together.
But LeMoine was skeptical. Then, his mother went through the program. She lost 32 pounds in 45 days. She’s 63 but her metabolic age is in the 40s, about a 30-year drop from when she was in her 50s. Today she enjoys barbecues and social gatherings without having to fear food.
“That was one of the a-ha (moments),” LeMoine said.
How the program works
In 2017, LeMoine joined Abood to open Re:vitalize in Ahwatukee Foothills. Earlier this year, it opened a second 4,200-square foot location in north Phoenix to accommodate more consulting, testing, coaching and management.
The holistic whole food and technology-based weight loss clinic is boosted by board-certified health coaches and clinical nutritionists to create customized programs for individual client needs.
State-of-the-art equipment that analyzes body composition breaks down details like whether fat is around the organs or water weight is increasing. Biocommunication technology that tracks measurements and progress and holistic road maps for clients’ goals also are part of the formula.
“What makes our program so exciting is the technology. We incorporate all of these aspects but it’s geared specifically to them,” Abood said.
Re:vitalize is part of a global weight loss products and services market that was valued at $254.9 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $377.3 billion by 2026, according to Research and Markets.
Patients range in age from teenagers to those in their 80s. When needed, the clinic coordinates treatment around medications for high blood pressure, diabetes and other health issues.
The typical program lasts 40-60 days. Staff stays in touch for a year to make sure the progress is sticking.
This has been a successful plan. When Re:vitalize opened, the goal was to enroll 20 people a month, LeMoine said. It didn’t take long to surpass that. Currently, the clinic sees 1,500-2,000 clients each year, LeMoine said.
Success leads to partnership with Suns
The company’s results were one of the factors that led to Re:vitalize’s status as the official nutrition partner of the Phoenix Suns.
Seeing his colleagues’ progress while on the program was a huge reason Doug Chisholm, vice president of business operations global partnerships for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, became a Re:vitalize client.
Three years ago, Chisholm noticed two co-workers who, like him, had carried more weight than they should, were losing weight. He saw them shed pounds and asked what was going on. They told Chisholm about Re:vitalize.
At the time, the 5-foot, 9-inch tall Chisholm was pushing 200 pounds, about 30 pounds more than healthy. After doing the program he dropped 30 pounds in 40 days. Chisholm wanted to lose 10 more pounds to get to his personal goal weight. Re:vitalize helped him accomplish that goal within a 15-day timeframe.
He has maintained his weight and physical fitness for 2 1/2 years.
“It was really powerful stuff, to command that massive weight loss in that short period of time and to understand the education to be able to maintain that knowledge and bodyweight wellness,” Chisholm said.
However, for Chisholm, it was about more than numbers. His Re:vitalize biometric scan revealed fatty tissue growing around his heart.
Chisholm’s father had suffered a stroke. His brother had a heart attack. Knowing this was in his health hereditary reinforced the importance of following the program. Chisholm believes he would have encountered heart problems without intervention.
“It’s better to get in front of it. … It was as much about wellness and health as body weight,” he said.
Today, that fatty tissue has dissipate and he’s a 47-year-old with a metabolic age in the early 30s and the fittest he’s been in a while. A lifelong avid runner, Chisholm runs 8 to 11 miles a day, five to six days a week — exponentially more than he did before Re:vitalize.
The customized program has shown Chisholm which foods work best, and not so well, with his body. For him, that means more brussels sprouts and less edamame.
Overall, Chisholm said he eats more vegetables, has made new food choices and has more energy. It also boosts his mood and esteem when others notice the positive changes.
“Programs like Re:vitalize become like a bio-hack. We can be at our peak in a wellness program,” Chisholm said. “I can live longer … and spend that time with my grandson.”
‘A whole new outlook on life’
In addition to helping thousands of people improve their health and well being, Abood and LeMoine co-authored an Amazon bestseller “Fear No Food,” which helps readers understand the connection between health, nutrition and wellness.
Helping people realize how a number of factors come into play is just as vital as the technology and diet components. LeMoine said that too often, the inability to lose weight is equated with laziness or lack of discipline. A life changing event — starting a family, going through a divorce or the loss of a job — can share just as much blame.
“A lot of folks come to us in tears. We tell them, it’s not your fault,” LeMoine said. “Because we’re not cookie cutter, we are able to navigate most situations.”
Abood agreed. He has seen clients spend an hour a day on a treadmill everyday but haven’t lost a pound. The cause goes beyond what is visible and is likely an internal biochemical imbalance resulting from a life change that causes the body to hold on to fat like it didn’t before.
The key is to diagnose the true problem and create a solution that is viable for the long term. But the pounds coming off is just one of the benefits.
“We’ve seen people who didn’t dress well or weren’t taking care of their hygiene because they didn’t feel good about themselves,” Abood said. “They lost 30 pounds and they were much better. Marriages are better, love lives are better, they have a whole new outlook on life.”
What: Re:vitalize Weight Loss & Wellness
Where: 15905 S. 46th St. #110, Phoenix. Also 7227 N. 16th St. #100, Phoenix.
Employees: 30
Factoid: The global weight loss products and services market is projected to reach $377.3 billion by 2026, according to Research and Markets.
Details: 480-435-3557, revitalizeweightloss.com
