Newfound Optimism Finds Parsippany Woman Shedding 120 Pounds & Counting

For Julie Quinn, it wasn’t necessarily the contents of the foods she was eating that contributed to a gradual weight gain at a young age, it was the quantity. But thanks to a mid-workout epiphany and an accommodating 401(K), her weight loss journey hit the ground running.

Quinn, 35, a Parsippany resident and employee of a Manhattan elevator corporation, has lost 120 pounds in her current weight-loss quest, after lap-band surgery, and the multi-muscle group stirring workouts of fitness expert Eric Moss.

At her heaviest, she was around 430 pounds, but with a determined work ethic and the support of others, she’s shedding more and more weight each day.

“Julie is one of my favorite clients to work with,” said Moss, owner of Eric Moss Fitness, Group and Personal Training. “She’s well on her way, she’s success-minded, and on a journey… Now we wait and see where we go from here.” 

From the Beginning 

Admittedly, Quinn was always heavy, saying it really began to affect her at around puberty. However, she’s also always considered herself very athletic for her size, formerly playing softball and competing in dance and gymnastics.

“The weight gain was gradual,” said Quinn of her teenage years. “And high school had its ups and downs, but I always had friends. I used to tell people, ‘My personality doesn’t match my outside.’ ”

She began working out at a YMCA some years ago, utilizing a personal trainer that introduced her to a scrupulous regimen. But after a personal injury to the trainer, contact was lost between the two, leaving Quinn to complete fitness research and tactics by herself.

Nine years ago, in 2004, Quinn considered a surgical option to help induce speedy weight-loss and an all-around fuller diet. She attended seminars, and was “all worked up” for a procedure, but was not able to qualify, due to insurance setbacks.

“It was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, emotionally,” said Quinn. “But I finally went to L.A. Fitness three or four years ago, and began working with a trainer named Jill (known as “The Jill Sergeant”), who I knew from high school.”

Training with her for about a year and a half to two years, Quinn says she was always honest with her trainer. She informed Jill when she could not do a given workout, and unfortunately if something felt a bit too embarrassing for her with others around.

“She had me doing step-ups,” said Quinn. “I was at level four, so four blocks up, and I started to cry while I was doing them… When Jill asked what was wrong, I said, ‘I just don’t want to be like this anymore. I want to be jumping all over the damn stepper!’ ” 

Life After 'The Epiphany' 

That night, she returned home, optimistic about revisiting her original surgical plans. She checked in with her insurance provider, and unfortunately nothing had changed.

As a policyholder, her coverage did not encompass bariatric procedures, but she opted for a different route to fund her surgery.

“I used my 401(K) fund,” said Quinn. “It was a one-time, hardship withdrawal for medical reasons, and I worked with Dr. (Nicholas) Bertha in Morristown. He provided me with an itemized bill, and I got money out of the 401(K).”

From about April to May of 2011, psychiatric evaluations were undertaken by medical staff to confirm that Quinn was an acceptable applicant for lap-band surgery, and by June, the procedure was complete.

“You know, I looked at the mother from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and people at Wal-Mart who scoot around on roller-carts, and said, ‘I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to be hooked up to oxygen or a wheelchair. I’d like to live my life to the fullest,’” said Quinn.

Eventually, she returned to L.A. Fitness, but after some complications, Jill was no longer employed there. The trainer had then suggested that Quinn enlist the support of Eric Moss, owner of Eric Moss Fitness, Group and Personal Training. 

Introducing Eric Moss

“I’ve been with Eric now for about two years,” said Quinn. “He does really good work. It’s different than working out with free weights; I can now lift up a 53-pound kettle bell over my head. I wouldn’t be as strong if I were doing free-weights… It’s just different from what I did. But I’m seeing more results.”

Since 2009, she’s lost 120 pounds, and a total of 49 inches (including nine inches off of each calf muscle, eight and a half inches off the hips and five off the waist). According to her, her original Body Mass Index (BMI) was 72 percent, and now resides at a much lower number in the 60s. She has gone from a size 32, to a lower 18-20 in dresses, and 22 in jeans. 

Inspirational For All 

With her stomach band in for the foreseeable future, Quinn said that it’s definitely helped her. When too many carbohydrates seem to be making their way into her system, she has the option of heading to Dr. Bertha and requesting an ‘adjustment,’ meaning a saline injection to a port on the device located on the side of the stomach. With a half or one full cc of fluid, the device can tighten and force even stricter portion control. 

For all of those who said she may have cheated by getting the surgery, she said, “I just did what I needed to do. I needed to finally have an off-switch.”

She said that since the onset of her rigorous fitness routine, she’s posted videos of her doing kettle bell workouts, and has had Facebook friends contact her saying that she has become inspirational to them.

She currently trains with Moss about two or three times per week, and for him, seeing Quinn get results has been astoundingly rewarding.

“A testimonial for me (from Quinn) just may be the most important one I ever get,” said Moss. “Because it can save lives."