Graduates of ‘8 Weeks to Wellness’ Learn Lifelong Strategies for Weight Loss & Good Health

By JIM SMITH

In March, I wrote in my page 3 YourHub column that I had lost 25 pounds in a program called 8 Weeks to Wellness. Now, five months later, I can report that I have not regained any of that weight. I weighed in the 240’s before the program and today I still weigh in the 210’s.  More importantly, while my weight hasn't changed, I lost 8 pounds of fat and gained 8 pounds of muscle during those five months.

My wife, Rita, also lost 20+ pounds when we took the program together in January and February, but she has regained about five pounds, only because her slow recovery from a late-March knee replacement has kept her from exercising the way she’d like.

Meanwhile, three couples who read my column signed up for the program, which they recently completed with similar success. All three of those couples are confident they’ll maintain their weight loss.

 

Roger, 71, lost 21 pounds.  He says the last time he weighed what he does now was in the 1970’s.  His wife, Joanne, 70, has lost 10 pounds.

 

Jim, 64, lost 22 pounds and is positively slender now at 138 pounds. The last time he weighed 138 was in high school. His wife, Lynn, 64, lost 28 pounds and could lose some more, which she is continuing to do on her own. Lynn told me that statins had previously reduced her cholesterol from the 270’s to the 170’s, but now her cholesterol is in the 120’s without taking statins. It’s common for graduates to no longer need certain drugs.  I myself stopped taking Prilosec.

 

Tom, 80, lost 30 pounds, going from 250 pounds before the program to 220 pounds at the end. Tom says the last time he weighed 220 was when he retired from the LAPD 25 years ago and did the Nutrisystem program. His wife, Carole, 78, lost 11 pounds. Both expect to stop taking certain meds after they see their doctors.

 

I have discussed with each of these couples why this program offers long-term success while other programs don’t.  We all agree that it is the education about diet and how the program created new habits in exercise as well as in what we eat.

 

For example, during the program we learned about the ill effects of sugar and, surprisingly, of low-calorie sugar substitutes. We learned about the glycemic index and what foods have a high glycemic index vs. a low glycemic index. 

 

Many weight-loss programs, such as those Tom and Lynn previously took, involve supplements and meals sold by the program. In 8 Weeks to Wellness we were provided with a protein powder for making twice-daily shakes, but mostly we were taught what to buy, cook and eat. With our success in the program, we’re all determined to keep making the same food decisions after the program ended as well as to continue our cardio and strength training regimens. (Most of us didn’t even have a regimen before the program!)

8 Weeks to Wellness is a holistic approach to wellness that balances sound nutrition (through education, not the sale of product) with personalized training to build muscle, not just lose fat, along with neuro-skeletal adjustment, massage, and guided meditation to reduce stress.

 

This program is offered locally by Body In Balance Wellness Center at 755 Heritage Road in Golden.  They’re one of the only chiropractic offices you’ll find which has a fitness center with personal trainers on staff who get directions (like a prescription) from the doctors to customize the workouts of clients so they get the most out of each one-hour cardio and strength training session.

 

Many chiropractic offices have X-ray machines, but this office has other tools for measuring such things as intracellular water, inflammatory markers, heart rate, fat and muscle mass and so much more.  In addition, a comprehensive blood analysis is done at the beginning and end of the 8 weeks to assess every aspect of each client’s health and to measure improvement over the 8 weeks.

 

Without exception, clients who undergo this 8-week course show improvement in important indicators such as cholesterol,  blood glucose, triglycerides, and more. 

 

I am not compensated for my endorsement of this program other than being reimbursed for the cost of this ad space. Rita and I are simply evangelists for the program because of how it has changed our own lives. You’re welcome to call me at 303-525-1851 or Rita at 303-277-1996 or visit www.8ww.com for more info.

 

Attend a free introduction to 8 Weeks to Wellness at 6:30 p.m. on August 3 at Body in Balance’s office. Call 303-215-0390 to reserve your seat(s).  August 17th is a free movie night at Body in Balance. They’ll be screening That Sugar Film.  On Sept. 14th they have a free class explaining the top secrets of improving your health. Ask about other classes.

Published July 28, 2016, in the YourHub section of the Denver Post.