She walked into my office, sat down and immediately started to cry.
Caitlyn had gained a bunch of weight during her pregnancy and nothing she was doing was helping her get rid of it. The birth of her son was traumatic for her and she fell into a deep depression afterwards.
Now, not only was she super depressed, her joints ached, her digestive system was rebelling against her, and she could barely hold it together long enough to be, in her words, a good mom to her boy.
I had become her last hope. Caitlyn had been to medical doctors, dieticians, psychologists and just about every other traditional medical professional available. No one was able to help her. She was given multiple prescription drugs and told to eat less and exercise more.
Obviously this outdated take on weight loss was not working! When you can’t eat because every food seems to cause distress, and when you can’t exercise because you’re in so much pain…yeah, you need a different approach.
Caitlyn was 26 years old, 60 pounds overweight, and all she wanted to do was pick up her son without hurting and play with him without exhausting all her resources. Her life, in her words, was unbearable.
All Caitlyn wanted was to feel normal again.
So, she came to see me.
Together, we looked at what Caitlyn was eating and what foods were disagreeing with her system. The common ‘health’ foods prescribed by her dietician were only causing her more pain and weight gain. Caitlyn needed a different approach to healthy eating.
What struck me about Caitlyn’s situation was that she was dealing with the 3 main health problems associated with stubborn weight, pain and mood disorders. My assessment of her symptoms also indicated blood sugar imbalances and irregular hunger.
I KNEW I could help Caitlyn and that my system could be the answer to her many health issues! At first, Caitlyn was a bit reluctant to try the foods I suggested because they didn’t conform to the traditional methods of weight loss. There would be no calorie counting and no starvation with my system. But, Caitlyn was willing to try anything at this point, so she agreed to give it a shot.
Four weeks later, Caitlyn returned to my office looking radiant! She was smiling and her face glowed. This was a drastic change from the Caitlyn I’d seen the previous month.
Caitlyn found my system easy to follow and that she’d actually lost a few pounds already. Her clothes fit better and she was finally able to play and cuddle with her son. Actually picking him up and holding him without pain! This was a milestone for Caitlyn!
Before Caitlyn came to see me, she had essentially given up hope of ever feeling healthy and normal again.
Yet here she was, just 4 weeks later, looking and feeling so much better. She knew she still had a ways to go before she’d feel normal again, but she was happy with her results so far.
One of the most amazing revelations for Caitlyn was that she didn’t have to starve herself to feel and look better. Rather, my system asked her to eat MORE food than she ever thought possible.
Caitlyn had been starving herself for so long that her body had gone into starvation mode. This set off a cascade of health problems associated with imbalanced blood sugar and stress. Instead of losing weight from fewer calories, Caitlyn’s body retained weight because it thought it was in danger! So, we adjusted Caitlyn’s diet so that she was eating a normal amount of food and included the right types of food to ensure balanced blood sugar.
No more diet foods, like granola bars, low-cal cereals or low-fat yogurt. Caitlyn was able to eat real food, food that was minimally processed, and finally start to see weight loss. Plus, she was getting her energy back and her digestive system had stopped revolting.
One of the main things I helped Caitlyn with was a switch in her mindset about food. Food isn’t the enemy, if you choose the right stuff. Fad diets, low-cal programs and excessive exercise don’t work long-term. There is no one-size-fits-all diet and exercise program out there, either. I helped Caitlyn understand why these old ideas don’t work and helped her understand my revolutionary philosophy about eating more and eating right to improve body composition, energy and so much more!
It’s these mind-blowing realizations that push us to stay motivated, and Caitlyn sure was motivated! It’s understanding that what works needs to be sustainable and achievable in all walks of life, too, not just in a 4- to 8-week period. It’s making this work as a lifestyle, not a diet, that ensures that we are successful.