Patient Supported on Weight Loss Journey

West Des Moines woman finds a listening ear, motivating partner in Dr. Jon

While grieving the loss of her father, Joy Munsterman decided she was ready to make some major life changes. At the heaviest she had ever been, the West Des Moines resident turned to Dr. Jon Van Der Veer at Exemplar Care to help her implement a plan to drop – and keep off – the extra weight that had dogged her for years.

“Seeing my dad pass away motivated me to want to get healthy for my family,” says Joy, who has been encouraged on her journey by husband, Greg, and daughters Athena and Gaby. “Dr. Jon is just so personable, and he took the time to listen to me and learn more about what I was experiencing. I felt like I could trust him in getting me on the right path.”

Dr. Jon recommended Joy try intermittent fasting. 

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that includes hours or days of no or minimal food consumption without deprivation of essential nutrients. Commonly studied regimens include alternate day fasting, 5:2 intermittent fasting (fasting two days each week), and daily time-restricted feeding (such as eating only during a six-hour window). According to the National Institutes of Health, hundreds of animal studies and scores of human clinical trials have shown that intermittent fasting can lead to improvements in health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and neurological disorders.

Joy says it was a good choice for her and has helped her to lose more than 40 pounds in roughly seven months.

“I’ve had other doctors who have offered up all kinds of recommendations to help me maintain a healthier weight,” Joy says. “One even suggested that I try a prescription that I didn’t really want to try.”

“Dr. Jon was more in tune with what was going on in my life,” she continues. “He let me know that he was also practicing intermittent fasting, and he thought it might help me. That made it an easy decision for me.”

Looking forward, Joy wants to lose another 40 pounds by her birthday in June. She says she has more energy—especially in her work at QuikTrip—and she hopes that her weight loss will help with a chronic thyroid issue.

Joy adds that it is motivating to know that Dr. Jon is there for her, and she is not on the weight loss journey alone.

“Everyone at Exemplar Care is so friendly,” says Joy, who has access to Exemplar Care as part of her health care benefit at QuikTrip. “I don’t feel like a number. They have taken time to get to know me and whenever I am in an appointment with Dr. Jon he takes his time in visiting with me about how I’m doing. He always has time whether I’m there for a recheck on my thyroid or anything else. That is appreciated.”