Monday, March 17, 2014

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS? REALLY?

We are getting ready to launch a new 4 Pillars Permanent Weight Loss seminar series and I wanted to follow up on how things went with the first class.  I discovered that some of the participants came to the class looking for a quick weight loss scheme and some came looking to make some permanent changes in their lifestyle.  I thought when I sent out the first email advertising the series with the blog about quick weight loss that it would have clarified that this program was NOT a quick weight loss program.  So, please let me further clarify.

I’m sure that it is true for many of you, just as it is with me, that those of us who have struggled with weight gain and weight loss have tried many different “diet” plans to give us “quick” weight loss results.  One of the homework assignments for the class was to count how many diet books and different weight loss programs you have tried.

I personally have tried the Adkins diet.  I lasted one day.  I found that even though I am definitely an animal protein eater, I couldn’t just eat that.  By the end of the first day, I was nauseous.  Yuck!  I’ve tried the cabbage soup diet.  Again, not the yummiest thing ever.  I’ve tried the diet by either the Heart Association or Mayo clinic where you eat a lot of tuna and cottage cheese.  I’m not a real fan of either! J  I’ve tried low glycemic.  I’ve tried different detox diets.  I feel like over my lifetime I’ve bought gazillions of diet books.

And what did it all leave me with?  Still struggling with constant weight gain and weight loss issues.  That yo-yo pattern of nutrition is not very healthy.  I challenge you to GOOGLE the research on the damage it can do to your body and your natural ability to regulate hunger and fullness.

I don’t believe me teaching you just another quick weight loss scheme is really going to help you.  I gave it my final attempt when I did the HCG diet plan with my patients back in 2012.  Out of the 30+ patients who completed the program only about 3 or 4 have kept their weight off.  Not very good odds.  Most have gained the weight back and more.  Sadly, I saw one of them back in the office recently and he is now heavier than he was the first time I ever saw him for a visit!  L

My health and weight dramatically changed 3 years ago when I got off the “diet” merry-go-round and started making permanent changes in my lifestyle and food choices.  At that point, I was over 180 pounds.  I’ve lost over 30 pounds and kept it off and I DID NOT lose the weight quickly.  I set a target weight goal.  I slowly made changes that helped me gradually lose weight.  Several times, I’ve plateaued and gained a few pounds.  At those times, I reset my focus and started again.  I finally reached my goal in the middle of 2013.  And I’ve maintained it.

I also adjusted my expectations to more realistic ones.  At my age, a 25 BMI is a realistic goal that I can maintain and still cheat a little.  I’m not a tee-totaller.  I know I’ll cheat so I may as well factor that into my plan.  To get to the weight I was in my 20’s and 30’s would be extremely difficult and I could never cheat again!  Not really my goal at this point in my life.

Now for those of you who think the BMI chart is bogus and that you could never get to a 25 BMI, I have a little bit of a reality check.  The current BMI chart factors in the fact that Americans all weigh more now.  When I started nursing 20 years ago, the normal weight for someone my height was 30 pounds less than the 25 BMI point on the chart these days!  Trust me, you can reach a 25 BMI and that is the most you should weigh.  Ever.

The success of the 4 Pillars Permanent Weight Loss seminar series depends on you.  It is a program that I created based on the principals that have played into my success with finally keeping my weight off.  It is NOT a quick weight loss scheme.  It is designed to be a program that arms you with enough information and support that you can make permanent lifestyle changes that lead to permanent weight loss.

In the program, YOU have most of the responsibility.  We give you multiple homework assignments each class.  We challenge you to become self-aware of what’s driving your weight issues.  We challenge you to begin operating with self-control and self-discipline and to make better daily moment to moment health decisions.  And, we hold you accountable to all of it.  You want be able to hide or pretend.  

The ultimate success of the program will be determined by how much YOU adhere to all of its recommendations.  Partial completion of assignments and not attending all classes/individual meetings will ultimately result in an inability to maintain any weight loss obtained during the program.

The program will work.  But it costs too much for you to sign up and make a partial commitment.  And, in reality, the participants who had the most success and lost the most weight and were the most radically changed were the ones who completed EVERY assignment, attended EVERY meeting and signed up for Level 3 which adds extra nutritional support to boost energy.  The others were successful but only to the level of their level of commitment.

If you are TRULY ready for radical commitment that results in radical lifestyle change, the 4 Pillars program is for you.  If you are already looking at the dates and finding reasons why it will be hard to attend then frankly you aren’t committed enough for this program to work.  Will it work?  Absolutely.  But only to the level that you commit to doing everything recommended.

Fighting our culture’s constant bombardment to eat junk and be a couch potato is extremely difficult even for the most disciplined.  I’ve designed the 4 Pillars Permanent Weight Loss program to equip you with the tools that I used to help me overcome and be successful and maintain weight loss. 

I urge you to take a long hard look at where you are now.  Have you had enough yet?  Are you ready to really change?  Are you ready to quit being insane and start making different decisions that will lead to different results?  If you answer a resounding “yes!” to these questions, then please consider letting us help you through the 4 Pillars program.

Sincerely,
Tabetha Smith, FNP-C

Former Yo-Yo Dieter


4 Pillars Seminar 
COST:
          Level 1:  4 Pillars Plan Only
1.      12 group or individual meetings
2.      Total Cost $426
Ø  3 Automatic Draft Payments of $142 each
Ø  Full Payment up front - $399 (save $27)
·         Level 2:  4 Pillars Plan + Energy Boost
1.      12 group or individual meetings + 12 weekly MethylB12 Injection
2.      Total Cost $510
Ø  3 Automatic Draft Payments of $170 each
Ø  Full Payment Up Front - $485 (save $25)
·         Level 3:  4 Pillars Plan + Energy Boost + Detox Boost
1.      12 group or individual meetings + 8 Myer’s MVI Intravenous Infusions with MethylB12 & Glutathione + 12 Far Infrared Sauna Sessions + 4 MethylB12 Injections
2.      Total Cost $1152
Ø  3 Automatic Draft Payments of $384
Ø  Full Payment Up Front - $1099 (save $53)