[Testimonial] Yes, it's possible for you too

Laura Clark

I love to share client’s stories for many reasons:

• I always get so inspired by their willingness to share their struggles and their commitment to making positive changes
• Their stories allow others who may be weighing in on their own health to hear what’s possible and understand that they’re not alone;
• The results are often far more than they bargain for;
• And finally, their experience helps them to see the big picture with their health and motivates them to continue.

This is true for one of my recent clients and I want to share her story with you:

Before working with Linda, I was in need of a complete remake of my nutritional habits. I was lethargic and felt like an uber-blob. I felt bloated in my face and my abdomen all the time.

I chose to work with Linda’s detox program at first to plunge into a better way of eating. What I didn’t know is that I would get so much more than just how to eat better. Her program allowed me to take a long, hard look at my emotions around eating and address these at the same time.

The three most significant improvements I experienced during Linda’s detox program were:

~Weight loss & healthier looking skin

~Much more energy

~Improved self-care both nutritionally and emotionally

I feel lighter from a physical standpoint and that transcends into an emotional one because of the content of this program. I was able to get rid of a lot of weight (water weight, poundage AND emotional garbage).

Linda’s program is not only a program of information and tasty ideas ~ which it is. But, it is also filled with empathy, compassion and understanding. You can feel it every time you read something from her. She has a wealth of knowledge and understanding that is both supportive and inspiring. Her kindness has helped me make some changes that my body and spirit have long been waiting for and I’m certain will be long lasting.

~Laura Clark, Hope Valley, Rhode Island

What I’m most thrilled about for Laura is that she continues to practice healthier eating habits and continues to lose weight ~ as a beneficial side effect.  To me, weight loss is not the main objective I would like to see my clients achieve–better health is what I want for them; and if they do lose weight on their journey–which they often do as a result of their healthier habits, then I’m super thrilled for them. 

For Laura, she told me that she is far more aware and mindful of what’s she’s eating.  In addition, she’s simply making wiser choices across the board.  For example, she’s now eating more regularly, rather than concentrating most of her food later in the day.  While she would typically have a cup of coffee for breakfast, she now chooses a warm bowl of oatmeal.  And when she eats out, she also makes healthier choices without sacrificing what she likes.  The other night, for her birthday dinner out, rather than a stuffed lobster, she ordered a steamed lobster and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Improving your health doesn’t mean a future of deprivation.   We all know this doesn’t work.  The key is to develop your own personal relationship with food that satisfies your body, mind, and spirit.  If you’d like support in this area, contact me today - I’d love to help!

A Testimonial of Hope

While I’m always talking about the benefits of a health coaching program, I thought I would let you hear from one of my clients what working with me has done for her.  Laura is someone who decided that she was ready to make a commitment to her health, for herself as well as for her family.  In a little over three months, her transformation has been remarkable and she shares her story below:

Four months ago, I decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired (and 30 pounds overweight).   I had swung back and forth between utilizing a lemon-maple syrup detox to the Atkins diet, always reverting back to eating the things I shouldn’t because it was a holiday, or someone’s birthday, or a wedding, or the Fall (who doesn’t like comfort foods in the Fall!), or the sky was blue today or it was raining.  I always found a reason for comforting myself with food – and knew without a doubt that one bite would lead to weeks of bad habits…I would refer to sugar being like crack to me (no – I never did crack!)  I would always justify what I was doing to myself and decide that “It’s the weekend – I might as well enjoy it and start over on Monday”.  So many Mondays came and went, and the result was my deteriorating health, confidence, and well-being.

I changed myself over to a more “whole foods / organic / no preservative” way of eating and lost 7 pounds, but I still wasn’t feeling good and was very frustrated with the amount of arthritic pain I was experiencing at only 46 years of age.  I felt like I was 86!  This was keeping me from fully enjoying life, including what one would consider normal activities with my husband, children, and grandchildren.  Climbing a flight of stairs winded me.  My legs would ache and my heart would pound. I woke each morning with pain in my back (inherited degenerative spine) and significant pain in my hips and ankles.  I would literally shuffle to the bathroom like someone twice my age.  Everything hurt – and I was tired of it.  If this was how I felt at 46 – what would the next 30-40 years bring?  Would I even be here in 30-40 years?  I honestly wondered (and worried).

I was on the phone one day, complaining about the things that were getting in the way of my getting in better shape.  My friend mentioned that she had a friend who was a nutritionist, and that she had done a detoxification program with her that she thought might be beneficial to me.  My friend gave me Linda’s contact information, and that was the beginning of a real transformation in my life.  Truly, working with Linda and utilizing the guidance she provided has most certainly added years to my life, and more importantly, life to my years.

After speaking with Linda for my one hour consultation, I knew I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I felt my health was worth the investment, and I owed it to myself and my family to give it a try. 

Within the first two months of working with Linda, I had dropped an additional 15 pounds and no longer required blood pressure medication.  I believe this to be far more important than the weight loss. I noticed that, despite still hurting in the morning, I awoke looking forward to my day.  More of the clothes in my closet were fitting, and people were noticing not just the weight loss, but that I looked healthy and had more energy.

While I was feeling better, had lost some weight and gotten off the blood pressure medication, I was still dealing with the issues of the arthritis, and this was frustrating to me.  Talking through this with Linda, we decided that it could be beneficial for me to go through her detoxification program. While I was no longer taking narcotic pain medication, I’d been on a lot of narcotic pain medications over the years for Fibromyalgia and following several difficult surgeries (spinal fusion and two shoulder surgeries).  Years of being in pain and on medication could not have been good for my liver, and Linda explained that sometimes our bodies hold onto this, causing a myriad of health issues.  If the detoxification program could be helpful in dealing with the arthritis, I was willing to try anything and signed up for the 28 day detox.

I am in week three of the detox as I write this testimonial.  I have lost a total of 27 pounds (20 since starting with Linda).  What is most significant about the detox is that I have absolutely no joint or muscle pain.  Funny – it suddenly struck me in the middle of week two that my pain was completely gone.  I could get up in the morning and walk down the stairs normally (not sideways to ease the hip pain like before the detox) and get the coffee instead of having to shower first just to limber up my joints.  I no longer shuffle, my ankles do not hurt and I wake up each morning pain-free.

I am completely gluten free – and I believe this to be the largest contributor to the change in my health.  While I was not having any stomach issues relating to gluten, it was most definitely responsible for the inflammatory response in my body, resulting in significant pain. Once I stopped putting all of the garbage in, my palate became much more sensitive and I could taste the natural sweetness of whole foods!

I believe I have found the way my body wants me to eat.  I can’t even imagine going back to my old habits and ways of eating.  I really appreciate that I am no longer living to eat, but eating to live.  There is a very big difference. Food no longer consumes my thinking.

I am now 47 years old.  My husband and I have thirteen very energetic grandchildren, whom I want to be around to enjoy for years to come.  The pictures included with this testimonial say it all. There’s one from last Fall on a motorcycle ride to Lake George.  You can see the weight I was holding onto.  I felt even worse than I looked.  The other pictures are recent…with a couple of my grandchildren, of course.  I no longer look tired and worn out – nor do I feel it!

It’s my hope in writing this testimonial that others will have hope and that you will realize your health is worth it.  Three months is not an exorbitant amount of time.  You can do anything for three months.  I say three months because I knew that was enough time for me to determine whether or not the program was having an impact on me and then make an educated decision about moving forward.  I’ve since decided to continue with Linda for a bit while I finish out the detox program.  It has been worth every moment and every cent. 

While everyone’s story is different, Laura’s demonstrates that with determination, it is possible to turn around your physical health.  If poor health is preventing you from doing the things you want to do, please make a commitment to yourself to change that.   I can help you get on a path to healthier eating and lifestyle habits that will increase your energy, help you shed unwanted weight, reverse the effects of lifestyle diseases, and improve your mood.  It will change your life…