Susan’s Success Story

Key to Success

It is the middle of the week and I know nothing gets you through like a little dose of inspiration. Our success is brought to us this week by Susan*. She was a stay at home mom for about 15 years to her now 21 and 26 year old children. She now works with preschoolers, and has recently received her master’s degree in early childhood general and special education!

When Susan started working with Bonnie, she felt challenged because she did not know what to expect. She felt it was not going to be different from any of the diets she had ever been on and she claims to have done them all. She even states how she had been on one particular program on and and off since the age of fifteen! Of her battle with diet programs she says, “I was always looking for something that worked for me. I know these things had worked for other people, and to admit that you cannot do something is very hard.” She remembers holding Bonnie’s business card in her hand, thinking “well her office is not right around the corner; but I wanted to put in the effort and I said, ‘OK. Let me try this.'” And try she did.

Susan was surprised at how much food she could actually eat on Bonnie’s meal plan. Every other diet before had restricted her, telling her she could have this much of this and only that much of that, and certain things were of course “off limits.” She remember, “I would finish all I was allowed to eat by 3:00 in the afternoon! But on this plan, I was eating 6 times a day. I could have milk and cookies or a banana with peanut butter on it and that made me very happy!” She found herself weighing and measuring things and was surprised at how easy it was.

Her turning point was not pinned down to one particular instance. She just felt that the more she followed this lifestyle of planning, preparing, and exercising, things just started to come naturally. The amount of effort was not as tremendous as she had expected, and she enjoyed the personalized plan that allowed her to eat foods she enjoyed. Susan likened her journey to a healthy lifestyle to the Olympics: “You work hard at something. You try your best. And all of a sudden you are doing it and you win!” Her friends certainly see her “winning” and are quick with genuine positive feedback. Her kids see it too, “They think I look so beautiful and now they are telling me. It’s nice to know.” Susan knows that obstacles will always pop up, but she believes she has gotten through so many already, they are not a threat to her lifestyle.

Susan’s goals for the future are truly inspiring. She has recently looked into the “Senior Olympics” to inspire a more rigorous exercise program. She also told her friends who are in charge of a fashion show she helps with every year, that she would like to be one of the models in the show this coming May. Her parting words for our readers are, “If you ever wanted to make something of yourself and nothing has worked, or things are only temporary, just give this a chance!”

So give yourself a chance like Susan did, and make a commitment to a healthy lifestyle today!

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of Bonnie’s patients.