I went to Stephanie at Ideal Health who was referred to me by a friend. I shared with him my difficult journey to losing weight without trying so appear sorry for myself. He listened and said, if you really want to lose weight, I know the place....BUT, you have to be serious and ready. I thought of it like when I was finally ready to give up other bad habits. He introduced me to Ideal Health. I didn't know much about the program so I sent an email and Stephanie sent me information on the program, what to expect and gave me the opportunity to prepare. My wife and I read it over and what she sent was literally an explanation or better, a like a long awaited diagnosis (keep in mind she is not a doctor) of precisely what I was going through and how this program works to help you get out of the cycle.
I started my journey with an open mind and with 100% commitment because I needed this and wanted to be around for my wife and children. I am 40 years old. I wanted to live again and I did not want to have to undergo surgery to get there. (This was a serious consideration and spent 4 months going through the program).
That said, I have to tell you I had previously tried the following (Sadly laughing because reading this list is exhausting in itself):
Crossfit (7 Months)
Fitness Authority (8 Months strength and cardio)
Elite Personal Fitness (4 Months)
Planet Fitness (3 to 4 different times and 3-6 month stretches)
Good Training - Personal training (4 Months and then was injured on my own time)
Weight Watchers (Twice - 6 Months and 3 months)
Atkins (2 times - minimum of 3 month stretches)
South Beach (Once for 2 months)
Starvation (intermittently when nothing else worked and I was injured from working out)
Excess Exercise at home (6 days a week - Elliptical 45-1HR at a time)
Paleo (6 Weeks and wanted to eat my arm off)
Straight up diets - Watching fat, watching carbs, cutting salt, low cal......anything I read that I thought might work.
I think you get the point. I seem as though I would try just about anything but I was finished fooling around with diets that no longer made sense because the results were simply not there for the torture many put me through so I went to see a nutritionist. I did a litany of tests that with exception of a few minor things brought up no red flags. Even my diet was relatively good in her eyes. She was a flake and missed several appointments so I stopped going to her. I then made an appointment with an Endocrinologist after reading another article on health. I had not yet seen her when I smashed into Ideal Health but did eventually go and had a few low levels that had to be worked on came up but again, nothing that should prevent me from losing weight...even the MRI on my Pituitary Gland to confirm NOTHING else was going on. This had been my journey for 7 years!!! I kept getting injured because I would work out to lose more while dieting and could not figure out how to not continue repeating the cycle, until I found Stephanie ;-) oh... and thanks to my friend Lloyd. I also want to mention I do not have diabetes and eat little if any sugar which is likely the reason.
I know that is a lot to digest but I hope that others may read this and will be encouraged / inspired to try something different if they are truly ready because if you follow "Protocol" there is no question you will lose weight.
I have been with the program for 14 weeks and have lost by tomorrow's weigh in 50 pounds. I am so encouraged by this and simply put, the program puts everything into perspective and it requires ZERO exercise. Yes, that is correct, no exercise. I recently heard Dr. Oz state you cannot lose weight without diet AND exercise and keep it off. I and many others are living proof you can! Now I have not tested the keeping it off part but I have met many people who have been on the program for extended periods and they have taken breaks in between and come back to finish and they have not gained the weight back. I do not want to spoil the how or why but know that if you can learn to lose weight without exercise, imagine what you can do when you are off the program and do exercise. The very fact that you can lose weight without it takes all the sting out of healthy eating in my opinion. I do not have an issue with working out, but I do not always find the time and am sometimes just exhausted. I have three kids and a demanding job...I know many of you have the same. I only wish this program found its way to HR managers across NH, to Doctor's offices to refer in lieu of CMC Obesity Treatment Center which does save lives and is to me a great last ditch effort program.
You will not regret your decision if you are truly ready. You cannot be motivated by others, you have to be motivated on your own. Prepare yourself, its not easy, but it is worth it.
Thank you Stephanie and Lloyd. You have saved my life and if I could put an emoji, it would include happy tears. read more
