Jacquie’s Story
17.5 pounds of fat and 19 inches in 13 weeks!
Jacquie before the OBB program
Jacquie after 13 weeks!
I am so thankful for the Optimal Body Balance Program. I had been steadily gaining a few pounds every year and was 30 lbs. over my best weight. When I listened to the teleseminar about what keeps us from losing weight, I knew I had to sign up. The OBB program uses every strategy for losing weightin a healthy way, but the best part was Sheila’s coaching every week. Each week she gave me strategies to help me balance out my life in every area.
It turns out that I was not only dealing with stress, fibromyalgia pain and constant headaches, but with sensitivity to foods that caused weight gain and belly fat. When I took the blood tests for food sensitivities I found that egg whites and lemon were my food sensitivities, so I cut them out of my diet. Right away I lost belly fat and I began to lose about 2 lbs a week. Through metabolism testing Sheila set an eating plan for me that upped my protein intake, and helped me burn fat all day and minimize the effects of cortisol stress on my body. She provided not only specific meal plans, but also shopping lists for the exact amounts of food I would need.
Within a few weeks I not only had started to lose weight and inches, but I suddenly realized that I had no headaches and no fibromyalgia pain in my muscles or joints. I also did not have the least bit of craving for sugar. Before I started the program, I would get intensely hungry at about 10:30 and 3:30, and felt I had to have something sugary to keep going, so this was amazing. I also had more energy, and less “brain fog”.
Each week when we met Sheila and I set goals for the next week – not only for an eating plan, but for other important components of a balanced life – sleep, exercise, and relaxation activities. When I went on trips she helped me plan how to get the meals I needed while at conferences or on the road, so I could continue to lose weight. She was also incredibly encouraging when I felt I hadn’t done as well as Icould have.
One of the best aspects for motivation was having metabolism testing. A simple test showed how much fat I had lost, how much muscle I was gaining, and how saturated my cells were with water (to maintain good hydration). One week I was discouraged because the scale showed that my weight stayed the same. Then the BIA showed that I had lost 2 more lbs of fat, but gained muscle weight – a good thing. That encouraged me to keep going because good things were happening, instead of giving up because itdidn’t seem like my efforts were working.
A BIA printout showed my weekly progress, and over the course of the program I lost 17.5 lbs of fat, and 19 inches, my belly fat disappeared, and I dropped two sizes. I am still following the program to continue to lose weight and gain muscle, and have now lost 18 lbs of body fat.
Another aspect of the plan was having meal/cooking demonstrations where we could learn new healthy recipes, and try them out during class to see what we liked best. The recipes were delicious, and I am building a new cookbook of really healthy and tasty meals. It has been fun to meet other people in the program and share food hints and where to get groceries at the best prices, and how to change the recipes for new dishes. It was great to be with people who were finding success at losing weight, but more importantly building healthy habits and a new lifestyle.
I am really enthusiastic about the OBB program, and love telling people where they can find help when they have been struggling to lose weight and get healthier.
