Sandra’s Story
I had finally reached a weight that I could no longer live with. I weighed 170 pounds and for this petite frame of 5’1″ my body was screaming at me to do something healthy! I started a new job in August of 2014 and made a friend with a wonderful lady who told me all about Dr. Muse’s Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) she was on. At first I just listened, thinking this is too good to be true. Finally I realized that I needed to act on SOMETHING. I made an appointment to see Dr. Muse the first week of November. I am so glad I did. He told me that if I would follow the diet plan as he explained it to me I WOULD lose weight.
Crazy me, I started my diet right during the biggest holiday eating times! But, I was determined to lose weight, so I stuck to the diet of high protein bars, shakes, soups, oatmeal for breakfast and I began to lose weight. It came off quickly and steadily. My co-workers were just amazed at how much weight I was losing. By the time I had lost 30 pounds they were telling me to eat or I would blow away. Yet, I was only half way on my journey! They kept asking me if I was hungry since I would only eat a protein bar and water for lunch. I told them that I was even surprised that I never felt hungry, although, I knew when it was time to eat again. I followed Dr. Muse’s advice and ate about every 3-4 hours. Shockingly enough, I was even able to give up my favorite chocolate candies! By January I was only losing 1-2 pounds each week. Which was okay, because that is a healthy rate at which to lose weight. The best motivator for me was since I didn’t “cheat” on the diet, I NEVER gained even one pound.
By March I began to eat an occasional regular meal with my husband. The first part of April I went on maintenance. During April my daughter got married, which meant I attended several important dining functions. The next week-end my husband and I went to a two day business retreat for his work. (More dining on rich foods.) Then the following week we went to Anaheim, California for a business conference. We included three days at Disneyland while there. Each time I chose my meals and portion sizes carefully. My husband and I even began to split one entree’. That was all we needed to eat to be satisfied. Anymore and we would feel bloated. I stayed away from the usual treats of cotton candy and chose fruits to eat instead.
After all of this, I went back to Dr. Muse for my one month on maintenance check-up and I had lost 5 pounds! So excited! I am moving into maintenance slowly to give my body time to adjust to eating normal food on a regular basis again. I started with eating a sensible dinner with my husband, small portions and smart choices. Just recently I have added eating breakfast with my husband. I still have a bar for lunch and one for a snack three hours later. I weigh myself every 2-3 days to make sure my weight is where it should be. Of course how my pants fit is a good indicator of if I’m eating too much or not. I keep a folder with all the class handouts so that I can go back and read them now and again as reminders of ways to stay on track. It has been a good experience for me. I lost 60 pounds and am more determined than ever to keep the weight off. All I have to do is follow Dr. Muse’s diet plan and I know I will succeed.
