Dear DWTL Supporters,
I would like to inform you that, unfortunately, the Don’t Weight to Lose Staff have made a difficult decision to no longer run sessions. We have always taken great pride in designing and implementing high quality sessions, but as we continue to grow and develop as medical students and physicians, we realize that our time is becoming more and more limited. We all looked forward to putting on our blue shirts and meeting with our clients, which makes this decision even more difficult to make.
With deep gratitude, the Don’t Weight to Lose Staff would like to thank our hard-working clients, dedicated med and pre-med students, donors, advisors, Tulane University School of Medicine, and last but not least, Pastor Luter and Franklin Avenue Baptist Church for every ounce of your time and trust in allowing us to improve the health of the New Orleans Community.
Thank you to our clients who attended our weeknight and weekend sessions. Thank you for letting us grow as future doctors. You followed our exercise and dieting recommendations and shared your experiences with us. Thank you for allowing us to evaluate your body compositions, blood pressures and heart rates. We have all become better people thanks to you.
Thanks to the medical and pre-med students who attended weeknight trainings and woke up early on Saturday mornings to commit to helping out our community. Thank you for learning DWTL principles and effectively teaching them to our clients. This program would have never existed without you guys.
Thank you DWTL Staff including Josh Orabone, Kieran Stober, Amanda Saltzman, Leigh Hanke, Justin Lucas, Carrie McIlwain, Carlo Milani, Jaeson Courseault, Alexa Issa and Phil Hitchcock. You all have been instrumental in starting this program. Thank you for attending weekly conference calls, thank you for your excellent ideas, and most importantly thank you for your leadership.
Thank you advisors and guest speakers including, Dr. Tim Harlan, Dr. Corey Hebert and Dr. Elma LeDoux. Our clients expressed many thanks for your excellent lectures and teaching principles. In addition, you all serve as role models for us. We learned that good physicians are truly committed to both their office patients and the community.
Thank you donors for helping us to provide our clients with workbooks and exercise equipment. Thank you for financing our high quality scales, medical equipment and uniforms. Every cent was appreciated, and carefully budgeted into the program.
Thank you Tulane University School of Medicine for providing a foundation for us to build this program. Throughout the program you have provided any necessary support, whether it was an auditorium or words of encouragement. The care that Tulane University has for its community is unprecedented.
Finally, thank you Pastor Fred Luter and Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Thank you for allowing us to use your facilities to carry out our dream. It was a tremendous pleasure to work with the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church staff, who helped us set up and breakdown the program every Saturday. We appreciate the genuine love that we have all felt from the church members and we appreciate the full support from all church leaders. The positive radiance of the church inspired us every week.
On behalf of all DWTL Staff, it has been a pleasure.
Jacques Courseault, M.D.
For further information about Don’t Weight to Lose or for general comments or questions, please email Jacques Courseault at jcourseault@gmail.com.
June 24th, 2011 on 8:32 am
Dear DWTL Staff,
Thank you for your support and courage to provide our community with the knowledge needed to fight obesity. It. saddens me but I do understand. I was not a regular, but often referred family, friends, and clients who were always inspired. Best wishes to you all in your future endeavors.
Stephanie Jackson, LCSW
June 24th, 2011 on 9:08 am
Good morning Jacques,
Thank you for the vision to put together this program for the community. I have participated in the program since your 1st session at Tulane and I have learned a wealth of information. Thanks to all your staff, advisors, donors and the facilities that has given of their precious time, accomodations and donations.
We all realize life has seasons that come with changes. This program will truly be missed in the community. If it is possible, will the web site be available to view previous lessons and information?
Congratulations to you and your staff as you successfully move to the next level, become medical students and physicians. You will all be an asset to the community where ever you practice.
I am glad you gave me the opportunity to learn from everyone that participated in your vision.
Wishing you all success,
Connie Scott, RN, BSN
June 24th, 2011 on 9:13 am
When you learned that 2 + 2 = 4 you never forgot it. The same applies to what we have learned in the ‘DON’T WEIGHT TO LOSE’ program. Not only have we developed new ideas to help in the fight to protect our bodies but we have found friends. There are people who encourage us and there are people who are role models. We will not forget Don’t Weight to Lose.
This program, the dream of two very young men, has given life, hope and power to the dreams of many people. You are an example of having a dream and putting your dream into a reality not for personal gain but to have a positive impact on your fellow man. That shows you care and why you will be great doctors. Jacques and Ryan, you may never know how far you have reached the minds and hearts of those who came to the program. People will never forget you. For those who came with you from Tulane to help us, we may not see them again, but you have inspired them to reach out to their patients and show them it is by small simple things that will make the difference in their life.
Just to be able to have Dr Harlin and Dr Hebert speak with you on a Saturday morning and answer your questions was worth the effort of coming. Try different things, leave sodas alone walk a little further each day. Powerful words from powerful men. You brought the best to the program and we have to say THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
We will never be able to repay you for what you have given us by offering this program, so we will just continue to pray for Jacques and Ryan and all those who have worked with them over the years. I am pleased to have been in this program with you and I know our paths will cross again. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS AND KEEP JACQUES, RYAN, AND THOSE WHO WORKED WITH THEM IN THE ‘DON’T WEIGHT TO LOSE’ STAFF AND GUESS SPEAKERS.
June 24th, 2011 on 10:28 am
Your dedication to the communities and concern for a heathier New Orlean have motivated my husband and I. We are still over weight according to standards but we are conscience of our health and are making healthier choices everyday. Thank you and the Tulane staff for keeping us informed and we wont “weight to lose” because of you we got the message. When Jesus left his disciples it was up to them to carry out his commandments and it is up to us. As for me and my house we will…………
Love you guys and very thankful,
Denotrice and Roy
June 24th, 2011 on 11:33 am
After reading many thanks from you, is us who should be thankful. So instead, I will like to say thank you for your time and effort, may the Lord guide you all the way thru life and specially your career.
If in the future if you have similar program please keep me in mind,
Kind Regards,
Dina J. Zavala
June 24th, 2011 on 12:51 pm
The community will not be the same without your program! I truly enjoyed the sessions and gained a tremendous amount of knowledge. Thanks to all the persons involved. My husband and I greatly appreciate the sacrifices that each individual made during each session. I pray that you will continue to send e-mails and words of encouragement to help each participant. May God bless and keep you.
June 24th, 2011 on 6:54 pm
Jacques, thanks to you and all staff for your upbeat and inspiritional presence in the community. The program kept me on track many days.
Thanks for all the health and fitness tips
June 25th, 2011 on 5:37 pm
Thank you for your wisdom and guidance in health. May God bless you in your new endeavor. Because of your teaching I now know what to do to live a healthy life. Special thanks to Ryan and Jacques.
June 25th, 2011 on 10:20 pm
Jacques, Ryan,and DWTL Staff, thanks you for eventhing, I have learned how to take better care of myself and my family. We are know eating brown rice YES!! my family is eating! brown rice.I can still hear Jacques saying CALORIE! in CALORIN! out. Congratuation!! LOVE! YOU! ALL! THANK YOU! GOD BLESS! YOU! ALL!
June 27th, 2011 on 6:28 am
Thanks so much to all of you,,it was truly a pleasure to have individuals give of themselves to help us to achieve a better quality of physical health. We had a blast and I hate to see you go..But maybe somewhere in the future you guys can be motivational angels to someone else in the form of DWTL. Miracles and Blessings.