I started at 236lbs. I'm currently at 195lbs. (That's 41 lbs lost). IN TWO MONTHS!
Here are a few things you should know about TSFL:
- You start with a health coach. Mine is a guy named David. He's been working the program for a while and knows a lot about the why's and wherefore's. He's handled all my questions so far, and has been very encouraging to boot.
- TSFL is more than just a diet. But I'll tell you about the diet. Once I hit my goal, I'll learn more about other aspects. For now, I've been very focused on the diet part. And with excellent results.
- I never feel famished. I eat 6 times per day, about every 2.5 to 3 hours. Even though I'm eating about 1,000 calories per day (creating quite a caloric deficit), it really doesn't feel like it. And it's not hard.
- Five of those meals are low-calorie meal replacements.
- One of them is the Lean/Green meal. Lean protein (chicken, fish, veggie options) and green vegetables.
- I have to eat healthy fats every day. Apparently that's good for the gall bladder.
- I eat over 72g of protein. That makes me feel full.
- My carbohydrate intake is limited to about 80-100 grams per day. So I'm not using them for fuel. Rather, I'm burning fat. LOTS of it.
- TSFL is VERY STRUCTURED. That's a good thing, at least for me it has been. Bear in mind:
- My physician has been telling me, for a LONG time, to be more active, eat more healthy foods, stay away from high-carb, high-glycemic index stuff and so on. He told me to eat more of a Mediterranean diet. He told me to snack on nuts (just a palmful).
- That advice is well-intentioned and sound. But it's not very easy to follow. It doesn't tell me what to eat when. And it leaves many questions unanswered: What constitutes "high-carb?" How many carbs should I have per day? How about fat? How about protein? Can I eat at restaurants ever? How will I know?
- With Take Shape for Life, I know exactly what to do. And it is DO-able.
- My physician told me about it. He sees it as an extension of his practice. He told me something very interesting which I will paraphrase heavily:
- "I treat people for high-cholesterol, typically with prescriptions. A lot of them really need to lose weight. But I've never had a concrete weight-loss program to offer them. I'll continue to write prescriptions, but now I have TSFL to offer them as well. Many won't do it, but some will. And they'll lose weight, lowering their risk for ALL those related ills: high blood pressure, heart disease, type-II Diabetes, arterial disease, high cholesterol and so on. It's just another way to treat the same conditions. But in fact it's a lot better for most of them than simply taking medications."
