True You (19 page)

I try not to be judgmental with anyone. I also try not to dwell on the past. I’m a today-is-the-first-day-of-the-rest-of-your-life kind of guy. If you spend a lot of time going over everything you’ve done wrong, you wind up feeling guilty and defeated before you get started. If you want to feel good, look good, and gain health and positive energy, then give up your regrets, forget the past, and look toward a positive present and a healthy future.

It is during the second meeting, after I have reviewed all of a client’s questionnaires and testing results, that I am able to design a plan that will strategically address his or her individual needs. In Janet’s case, we started her on our 21-Day UltraCleanse program.

“I’m not sure I can make such a radical change,” she said.

“Sure you can,” I said encouragingly.

And she did.

Two weeks later, she had lost eight pounds, and seemed upbeat.

I asked her, “Are you feeling deprived?”

“Not really,” she answered.

“The minute you feel deprived, you’re in danger of reverting to old habits. How is your energy?”

“Greater than normal,” Janet said.

“Wonderful,” I said. “Are you still feeling those extreme lows?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then we’re on the right track.”

By November, Janet had lost twelve more pounds. I was glad, but also a little concerned. She was traveling a great deal and had been missing meals. There was another challenge: the holidays. Thanksgiving was around the corner.

I told Janet to enjoy the holiday and eat whatever she liked. She was a bit surprised by my advice. But just remember this: Thanksgiving is one day, not an entire month. If you have your dinner out, don’t take anything home. If you have your dinner in, make sure your guests take all the leftovers. Enjoy the day as a special occasion when we express gratitude for our blessings. That occasion is so tied into food that there’s no way around it. Come Friday morning, though, gently slip back into the new lifestyle that you have come to accept and enjoy.

When Janet came to see me after the holidays, she had put the weight back on. In the first three months of the new year, she was in what I call the fifty-fifty zone. Half of her was committed to the new lifestyle; half of her wasn’t. Because I had seen what Janet had done when completely focused, I knew she could do it again. But I also knew that she was slipping back into old ways. This was her yo-yo pattern. The winter was rough, and by the time summer came around she was up to 150 pounds, her new set point. By “set point” I mean the weight to which her body metabolism tended to gravitate. It is that comfortable point at which your body fluctuates up and down two to four pounds, no matter what you do. This is something a great many people have experienced.

I could tell Janet was discouraged. But I knew she could do it. The name of the game is trust. I wanted Janet to trust me so I could instill new habits into her life. No matter what her situation, the fact that she was meeting and speaking with me proved her sincere desire. Her effort was always there. Her heart was always in the right place. She was looking for light, looking for a way to stay strong. This can be a very crucial point in making a life change. Life is about struggles and its ups and downs. I try to keep my clients focused on moving forward. Weight loss can be very difficult because people are usually making a drastic change and for that level of commitment they expect dramatic results.

In order to achieve long-term results and happiness you must change your expectations. I use the following example: If you went to work for a week and put in twenty hours of overtime and when it came to payday your boss gave you only fifty dollars extra and asked you to work extra next week, your answer would be “I quit!” I relate this story to weight loss—you work extra hard while making numerous changes and sacrifices, and then get on the scale to discover that you do not get the reward you expect.

What do you do?
You quit your diet.

This is why you must make the decision not to be on a diet but to change your life so that you can achieve the desired outcome.

Later in the second year that we worked together, Janet became serious again. Filming was on the horizon and she wanted to shed weight. She embraced the new lifestyle with new determination. We got her back to eating balanced meals that along with snacks were designed for her work/stress load. She was to concentrate on getting sufficient sleep. I think I drove her crazy with my
insistence that proper sleep is key. Without the right amount of rest, we lose our emotional and physical equilibrium; we’re vulnerable to all sorts of volatile energy and moods, and to physiological imbalance.

The bottom line is that the second time around, Janet focused on proper nutrition, and she went from 153 to 128. And she looked terrific.

During this period, I explained to Janet the importance of increasing caloric intake. (This surprised her. “You mean I should eat
more
?”) But when the body is under intense stress and an increased workload, you need more calories for balance, along with additional nutrients. It is during this period of increased activity that many people tend to cut back, which is a real mistake.

Janet and I had contact at least five or six days a week during this time. She’d text me questions; sometimes she’d express doubts or insecurities about maintaining her weight. I’d always text her back, letting her know that my confidence in her was unshakable.

Then one day I got a call.

“I’m sorry, David, but I have to take a break.”

I knew that meant no more daily contact. I respected her decision, wished her well, and let her know that she was free to call whenever she wanted. I wasn’t going anywhere.

When lifestyle change is not fully adopted, it is very common for people to stop their “diet” and return to old and familiar habits. That is why it is so important to understand from the very beginning that you are not on a “diet”—you are embarking on a lifestyle change and adoption of healthy habits that will bring you balance. I can say one thing with the utmost confidence: here at David
Allen Nutrition we have learned from experience that though clients drift away, they later return because they realize that during their time with us they felt and looked their best.

During this period, I was going through personal challenges. The part of me that wanted to medicate myself with food took over. I remember David saying that food is the most powerful drug of all, the one drug you can’t give up. You can’t stop eating. If you’re a compulsive eater, the addiction can kick in at any meal. A hot biscuit. A piece of cake. An ice cream bar. Anything can you set off. I was set off. I was off all plans; I was lost in a world where I ate whenever and whatever I wanted.

It was sometime after Christmas of 2005 when Janet called after a long absence. I was elated to hear from her.

“David,” she said, “don’t be angry at me.”

“I wouldn’t ever be angry at you, Janet. That’s not my style.”

“I’ve gained weight,” she said.

“We all gain weight from time to time.”

“A great deal of weight,” Janet said.

“Why don’t we talk about it in my office instead of on the phone?”

“I’ll call for an appointment after New Year’s.”

When I walked into David’s office, I could see the shock on his face. I had ballooned to 183 pounds. I had no choice but to level with him.

“David,” I said, “in four months I have to be ready for photo shoots and public appearances. Can we do it?”

David didn’t hesitate. “Of course we can do it.”

This was serious. Janet had reached a dangerous level, one she had never experienced. That in turn had caused an array of health problems, including weight gain.

I was upset for her. More than ever, I wanted to help her beat this demon that kept assaulting her peace of mind. I wanted her to put the problem behind her. I was determined to have her permanently adopt a balanced lifestyle so she wouldn’t have to go through this torture again. In my questioning and overall approach, I had to be especially thorough and tough-minded.

“Are you exercising?” I asked her.

“I run five miles a day, five times a week.”

“I want you to stop,” I said.

“Are you sure?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Positive,” I said. “This time, Janet, you must listen to me a hundred percent of the time. Exercise is not getting you anywhere. Exercise is fine, but exercise is perhaps ten to twenty percent of the total picture.”

In order for Janet to realize her radical goal, she needed to give herself over to my complete guidance and control. Even though I told Janet we could do this, I truly knew that the task that lay before us was extremely difficult due to the time restraints. I told her, “From now on you must concentrate on your eating and sleeping. It’s back to basics. That means you have to destress your body. I need to reset your hunger patterns and reset your metabolism. You need to reheal your body. A new set of diagnostic tests will be helpful in setting a course of action.” At this point I had Janet undergo a battery of tests, including extensive blood work to test for blood sugar problems, inflammation, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal issues, liver function, and hormonal imbalances. The results would help me interpret the cumulative effects of her weight gain and elevated stress levels over the previous year.

When it comes to significant weight loss, we need to get our clients to focus on accomplishments step by step. It is imperative that they view the glass as half full, not half empty. Motivation is accelerated by acknowledgment of achievement.

After reviewing the results of Janet’s tests we discovered that she had developed dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, was borderline type 2 diabetic, was suffering from systemic inflammation, was in the latter stages of adrenal fatigue, had elevated cholesterol, and showed signs of poor liver function and secondary hypothyroidism.

I told Janet to stop all exercise at this point. Like most of my clients, she thought I was crazy to suggest this. She wondered how it was possible to lose weight without exercise.

It is a common misconception that intensive fitness and cardio
is the most effective method to attain weight loss. Janet has learned firsthand that this is not the case. Her intensive workouts are notorious, as evidenced by her six-pack abs. She is one of the most dedicated and disciplined people I have met. If working out were a surefire way to maintain a healthy weight, Janet Jackson would
never
suffer from weight fluctuations.

But that is simply not the case.

And it is simply not the case for millions of Americans struggling with their own weight issues.

In place of exercise, I put Janet on our 21-Day UltraCleanse program, which is designed around customized supplementation, our exclusive UltraCleanse Plus shake, and a personalized meal plan. All of this was tailored to fit Janet’s specific needs.

The next thing that we needed to accomplish was to correct Janet’s GI dysfunction, which had developed over the past year. This condition is extremely common with our clients. More than 70 percent of them are dealing with some type of GI problem.

Symptoms of GI tract problems include acid reflux, diarrhea, excessive gas, bloating and gassiness after meals, and nausea.

Most sufferers do not even realize that how they feel is not normal. Some of you may have heard the saying “You are what you eat.” This is almost true. But I think the real statement should be “You are what you digest.”

For those of you who are embarking on the pursuit of weight loss and good health, you must first address your GI problems in order to be successful.

In the first two weeks on my program, Janet had dropped seven pounds. A week later, she had lost another six pounds and
was down to 170. (These results, I must point out, were
without
exercise.)

By the end of January, a month after we’d begun, she hit 162.

It is quite normal for our clients to drop weight very quickly in the beginning, because our detox program is designed to minimize inflammation, and that results in the release of excessive body water. Also, clients are much more focused and motivated during their initial weeks on the program.

By the middle of February, Janet was getting bored with it.

“Those words give me the shivers,” I told her.

I knew that meant that she was about to go in a direction that would lead to failure once again. I told her to let me come up with some variations.

“The minute you get bored, you start thinking about reverting back,” I told her. “And I know you don’t want to go back.”

We experience this regularly with our clients. This is why we emphasize a stepping-stone approach. Each phase is a step forward and toward your goal. Now it was time to shepherd Janet into the next phase, which would include introducing new foods and more choices than are allowed in the detox of Phase I.

Janet was moving into Phase II. During this time, I told Janet she could add back in the exercising and dancing. She was having a much harder time, though, with increased cravings and food choices. Once again, she was refocused on work during the day and was less hungry, but then ravenous during the evenings. This was a tricky time for us. We actually needed to increase her caloric and nutrient intake to better match her increased activity.