As many of you may know, I have one sister. We are exactly 14 months apart and have been the best of friends and inseparable since I can remember (Not to mention my mom dressed us exactly alike until we were 10 and 11 years old…How embarrassing!)

Well, for two girls who came out of the same woman, we couldn’t be more different, especially when it comes to our health and fitness. Where as I took my mom’s difficult health struggles (Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Kidney failure) and turned it into my driving force to take care of myself, my sister just figured “Oh, that will never happen to me” (We all think we’re a bit invincible, right?)

Now, at 33 years old, Vicky’s theory has not held up. Her pregnancy was plagued by gestational diabetes which has now turned into full blown Type 2 Diabetes. Her weight has caused consistent high blood pressure. Also, at such a young age, she has been put on medications for both (Do you know anyone like this?). This is where Vicky knew things had to change.

Knowing that her weight was the cause of all these health issues, she decided to join a very well known weight loss system where you count points and sit in meetings once a week (need I say more?). It’s not that she doesn’t trust her nutritionist sister, she just wanted to find her own thing and do what she thought would work best for her.

After exactly 7 weeks of these meetings and tiresome point counting Vicky lost 4 lbs (pretty good, right?). However, here was the problem. Her blood sugar was not going down, it was going UP! Her blood pressure was not dropping, it was RISING! She received a call from her doctor informing her that her kidneys were struggling and that she would need another medication. This was when I received a call from poor Vicky in tears.

“Isabel, I will do whatever you say. I am too young for this. I don’t want to end up on dialysis like Mommy”

Well, I am happy to report that only after 6 days (yes, just 6 days) of being on a meal plan I gave her, Vicky has lost 4.6lbs, her blood sugar is normal (with no meds) and her blood pressure is back to normal. You may think this is an extreme exaggeration, but I promise you, it is not. After just 3 days of following the plan, her blood sugar stabilized so much she had to stop the diabetes medication and same with the blood pressure. I am by no means guaranteeing that this will happen for everyone or that you should just quit your meds on your own. Every person is different, but I have seen this happen more than once. Actually, more like a thousand times.

Yesterday, Vicky attended her weight loss weekly “meeting” and the leader couldn’t believe how much weight Vicky had lost and how well she was doing. During the meeting, the leader asked Vicky to share with the group exactly what she had done to achieve such a great week. Vicky first said “Well, I’m not sure you’re going to be happy with what I say, but here goes…

1. I threw out absolutely everything in my refrigerator and cupboards that was processed or was really just “fake food”. All of those snacks, bars and meals that (insert name of weight loss company here) promotes are really just junk and their ingredients are not only causing people to not lose weight, they are detrimental to our health.

2. If a food has more than 3 ingredients in it, I don’t eat it! I am sticking to natural meats, raw nuts, healthy oils and fruits & vegetables. Because I am focusing on combating my diabetes right now, I have greatly reduced the amount of grains I eat, but I know there will be a day that I can go back to them.

3. I stopped listening to all the “mainstream” advice and finally decided to listen to my crazy sister (yes, she called me crazy at her meeting). I’ve seen what she has done with herself, my mother and her clients and I can’t believe it took such an extreme situation for me to finally listen.

What can we learn from Vicky today? Cut out the processed stuff and let’s go back to wholesome, natural eating. Ingredients that sound like chemistry experiments are really just harming us in the long run. Last but not least, stop listening to all the “mainstream” media that tells you they have the latest quick fix to your weight problems. There is no quick fix! The only way to permanently change your weight and the state of your health is to find a long-term strategy that is enjoyable, satisfying and healthy.

I know Vicky is now committed to taking care of herself for the long-term. Not just for herself but for her beautiful 6 month old baby too.

Here’s the best part. Vicky is quite the chef and has come up with so many new Diet Solution approved, delicious recipes. Of course I will share them all with you. Stay tuned…

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

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Health, Weight Loss by Isabel