Before & After Stories

“There were many reasons why I decided to seek help with weight loss. First, it obviously was not working trying to do it by myself. I needed the support and guidance from someone else. When I heard about KRTY’s Biggest Loser competition, I knew that this was what I needed. After doing the research on GreenLite, I was optimistic that the program could and would work for me.We started the Biggest Loser competition on March 9th, and from the second we walked into GreenLite Medicine, it was clear that everyone was there to help. The support you get is what really helps get through the program. Nancy was one of the educators that I saw regularly. I remember on the first week, I lost 11 lbs, and just started crying. She started crying with me, she knew exactly what I was feeling, and it was an amazing!!!

Everyone at GreenLite was just as excited as I was about my nearly 70 pound weight loss. All the educators are there to give you any support and guidance that you need. From recipes, to food options, and making sure that you are eating enough. It’s hard to believe that sometimes you need to be eating MORE!!It is a totally unbelievable feeling, to know that I have actually achieved this goal. It is so awesome to be able to go into a store and fit into normal sizes and feel good about yourself. Having the energy to keep up with my kids is something that I appreciate so much. When people I haven’t seen in a while notice my weight loss, it really makes all the hard work worth it.Everyone at GreenLite reminds me of how awesome I am for getting to where I am today, and that is a great feeling. I know that this lifestyle change is something that I needed, and I cannot express my gratitude to GreenLite for their in this journey. Their program, is something that really works, and has given me a new look on life.”

“I spent my entire twenties trying to figure out how I could lose weight and keep it off. I tried everything from obsessively exercising, calorie restrictive diets such as Jenny Craig and even participated in a weight loss study with Stanford Hospital. While some of it provided results, because I wasn’t really given the tools and guided how to permanently make a change in both my eating and lifestyle habits, the weight loss was never for very long. Along came my thirties and I had the good fortune of hearing a friend’s testimonial of Greenlite Medicine. In August 2008, I was meeting a close friend regularly for business and within three weeks she had lost 17 pounds. Huh? It sounded too good to be true! After much debate with “myself,” I decided to give it a try.

A week later, I made the phone call to Greenlite Medicine. I am so grateful I did, because I have lost 85 pounds and have been able to maintain the weight loss for over two years! I started the Greenlite Medicine program in October 2008. While everyone has been amazing and supportive, I have truly enjoyed working with Maria Sayare and Dr. Sooji Rugh. They have been there for me through my most frustrating moments to my most celebratory “scale” moments. I am not sure if I would have had it in me to succeed without their support. In their own quiet way…they didn’t let me get away with anything, which is really what you need to succeed outside of the program. At the end of each day, only one person is accountable, YOU. This is what I have had to learn to make this a lifestyle change.Since I lost weight I have been on the most incredible journey!! With my new found confidence and renewed self, I launched a website and cooking, entertaining and decorating online magazine called www.NestingNewbies.com!”

“My wife and I decided we both needed to lose weight. I had heard about GreenLite Medicine while listening to KRTY on the radio and told her about it. She checked out the web site and we signed up together within a few days. The experience has been an all-around positive and supportive experience. Although making the time for weigh-ins and weekly visits was at times a challenge for my busy schedule, I made it work. Doing the program with my wife motivated us to make it to our weekly visits where we were always greeted with the receptionist, Kelsey’s smile. Both the health educator Molly and the medical provider Kira have been extremely helpful and supportive and made the visits enjoyable. Their knowledge, professionalism, and easy-going manner have helped to make being on the program a very good thing.The medical supervision, the daily appetite suppressants, the knowledgeable staff at our weekly visits, initial lab tests, EKG and the utilization of body composition analysis is what attracted us to the program.

I love playing golf whenever I get the chance and with the weight loss and my increased flexibility I am hitting the ball 20 to 30 yards farther. In addition to the weight loss I have been able to greatly reduce my caffeine and diet soda intake. I have gone from two dozen Diet Pepsi per day, to at the most of 1 per day. The loss of weight, reduced caffeine and elimination of diet soda has left me feeling fantastic! ”

“I gained approximately 60 pounds because of menopause, which made me feel constantly tired and caused weight gain that seemed out of my control. None of the “diets” I tried were successful and I was heading to a size 18. I first met Dr. Sooji Rugh in my business network group and decided to try the GreenLite program, I had nothing to lose…except weight!!! Every health educator I’ve encountered has been a pleasure to work with; I truly felt educated about nutrition and always felt supported when I was going through tough times. I’m glad I was able to speak with the educators every week, their presence and guidance was a big part of my success. I also loved the fact that if I had a question mid week I was able to call or email GreenLite and receive a response promptly. Everyone at GreenLite has been supportive as they truly understand the process both fundamentally and emotionally. Even staff members that aren’t Health Educators or Medical Providers, like Zoe who is the front desk receptionist, made my visits feel special.One of the biggest changes since joining GreenLite is that I’m not as tired and as a result I spend less time in bed. I now have more hours in the day to enjoy for myself or to work on my projects. Now, people comment and notice my surge of energy, which makes me feel as though I’ve been given a whole new lease on life!

Learning about nutrition and weight loss through the course of the program encouraged me to become a total tracker of low carbs and low/non-sugar products, to the extent that I’ve written a book of online resources for these products! Check it out at lowcarbsandsugars.salesxweb.com. Finding healthy alternatives to the high carb/sugar products, that I used to eat, has become a passion. I no longer see this program as a “diet,” but as a lifestyle change that is healthy, enjoyable and sustainable.”

“I started the GreenLite program when I realized that I was starting to avoid doing things – like going to the pool with my kids – because I was embarrassed about how I looked. I didn’t want to start going down the road of having my self-consciousness limit the sorts of things I would do, especially with my family. I also found that getting dressed in the morning was depressing – the only thing that fit was a couple of pairs of stretch pants, and I did not like the way they looked and felt on me. So it seemed like I was starting every day on a negative note.In the past, I had been able to lose small amounts of weight myself by counting calories, but when I tried to do it on my own, I found I was not able to stick to a plan because I got so hungry, invariably I would start eating off my kids’ plates or snacking on junk. I knew a lot about calorie counts and the nutritional content of food, but I was not able to translate this into my day-to-day habits. When I started looking for a plan, I knew that I wanted something that would enable me to eat “normal” foods and help teach me how to eat in an sustainable way.

When I had my initial appointment with Michal, I was impressed with the thoroughness of the visit, the science behind the program and the empathy and compassion I felt from the staff. I have to admit that as a self-professed carb-lover, I was a little skeptical that I could stay on the food plan, but my experience with it was completely life-changing. I used to think that my cravings for carbs were more of a psychological thing, and I considered myself an “emotional eater”, but what I found was that once I was getting enough protein throughout the day, I no longer had the cravings for sugar and empty carbs. So it surprised me that my cravings had much more to do with my physical state than my mental/emotional state. I was also surprised at how easy it was to stay on the plan, and I know that this program has not only helped me lose the weight that I needed to, but has shown me how to eat for the rest of my life.

This program has also made it much easier to decide what to eat throughout the day – it has taken food out of the context of being “good” or “bad”, and now it’s more a case of knowing that I will physically feel much better than if I eat a bunch of pita chips or sugary snacks.

We used to go snow skiing a lot in the winter, and the kids are getting old enough that we can introduce them to it. I remember last year I resisted even taking the kids up to the snow because I knew I would not fit into my ski pants. That won’t be an issue this year!”

“Last year I went to the eye doctor for my yearly exam and was told that my eyes sight had gotten 75% worse. Blindness due to diabetes runs high in my family, so my panic mode set in, becoming a diabetic was always in the back of my mind. My husband and I were also trying to get pregnant at that time, and I diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). After the multiple attempts to get pregnant failed, we decided to take a break. Emotionally, I was checked out, and physically, although it was hard to accept, I was already at an unhealthy weight even if I did get pregnant. I needed time to focus and take care of myself before I could go forward with getting pregnant. I had heard about Greenlite Medicine on the radio and the fact that program provides support from health educators and medical providers, I immediately knew it was the answer I had been looking for. I had hit my rock bottom and knew that this was my last chance to loose the weight and be truly happy and healthy. As a girl, I always dreamed of having a baby and being told that may not happen turned my world upside down. I knew I had to do the program and loose weight for myself, but I also hold the hope in my heart that I will have children someway and someday.Before coming to GreenLite I had tried so many different diet programs and was never able to lose more than 10 pounds and could never keep any of it off. I started the program on November 29, 2010 and immediately noticed that the entire staff was very supportive and friendly. I love my health educator Molly and immediately felt a great connection with her. She was always there to support me and provided me with the guidance to keep going forward.

When I think back about what and how much I used to eat and drink, it blows my mind. During my first week I followed the daily menu’s provided, to get a feeling of what I could eat and what I liked. After two or three months, I felt completely comfortable on the eating program. I was shocked at how I was not tempted or craved any of the foods I had before. My husband and my parents are eating healthier since I started and shared what I have learned.

The support I got from the GreenLite staff, my husband and family contributed to my success. I couldn’t be more grateful to them as I know my life has changed truly changed for the better. GreenLite has helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that anything is possible! Mentally and physically, I am in the best shape I have ever been in! I used to take a nap everyday and sleep so much every night, but now my energy level is through the roof. I have much more confidence now and am a much happier person in general which helps in my relationships with friends and family. I feel like my life has just begun and I know that I have been given the knowledge and tools to continue my success in the future.

These past two years, I had only been focusing on having a baby. Now, as I feel happier and healthier, I feel like my life has just begun and realized that just like my weight loss, timing is everything. It took me this long to conquer my weight, so its only a matter of time that I become a mother.”

“I heard about GreenLite Medicine while listening to KRTY during their version of the biggest loser competition. I heard the contestants talk about the program and how the medical and educational support they received was focused solely on weight loss. I was intrigued to say the least -I’ve been borderline diabetic for years but wasn’t completely diagnosed as a diabetic. I had no idea that just being “borderline diabetic” could be a factor in maintaining a healthy weight. Now, I get it! For me this is a lifelong change that will keep me healthy and looking fabulous!!!My first appointment with GreenLite was on May 25th 2011. The Educator that I saw most regularly was Holly, I just adore her! She made me feel extremely comfortable and as I started to lose weight she showed me how to celebrate my victories, no matter how small. She really gave me the support and education I needed to make this work. Thank you Holly!!!

I used to be a gym rat, but I have found that I always had a million excuses for not going to the gym (and was throwing money away!). So after starting the program, I invested in a few key pieces of equipment (Thank you Craig’s List!!!). I bought a used treadmill, a few hand weights, a freestanding boxing bag and purple boxing gloves (you can be girly and still beat something up!). While I enjoy running, I have come to LOVE boxing. It’s a total body workout, cardio and stress reliever all rolled into one. And if I’ve had a particularly bad day throwing in a few side-kicks is a great for the abs. I like to run, but being overweight I couldn’t run for very long or very fast. However, about a month ago I was able to run a ten minute mile! I haven’t been able to do that since high school and that was definitely a while ago. As I was gaining weight in the past, I was pulling clothes out of my closet and putting them in a box. Now that I’m getting smaller, I can open that box and see what I can fit back into. I love it, it gives me the confidence boost I need, it feels like Christmas!”

“I reached a point in my life where I found it difficult to even climb the stairs in my home without being out of breath. Shopping for clothes was so disappointing that I knew I had to do something. I had tried other diets including South Beach and just couldn’t do it on my own. I knew I needed support and real knowledgeable people to help me. Not pre-planned meals, not online help, but medical help.I began my journey with Greenlite in January 2010, I had weekly appointments with Nancy and she gave me the support and guidance I needed to make my goal. By the end of July 2010, I had reached my goal of 55 pounds and I am happy to say that I have been maintaining my weight and have not gained a single pound. The holidays were hard, but the couple of pounds I put on, I lost right away by managing my diet. Not starving…managing.

I chose Greenlite because it seemed like a program I could easily adapt to my lifestyle and around my family. I felt other programs that require you to purchase their food wouldn’t work for my family, because I eat dinner with my family and having to prepare two different meals would be difficult. Let’s face it; if you’re eating “special meals” and everyone else is expecting a full blown dinner, you’re probably going to fail. GreenLite let me plan my days and eat the same food as my family for the most part. I learned that I can eat at most restaurants, as long as I know how to order properly by following the sound guidelines of GreenLite.

Since I have lost 55 pounds, I appreciate the simple things that many others tend to take for granted – such as walking up the stairs and not being out of breath. I also sleep better at night and I don’t snore anymore. I enjoy going clothe shopping for myself and I’m looking good in all the “skinny clothes”. My son participates in high school rodeo and I feel great wearing my new jeans and helping out at the rodeos. Significantly, I look forward to boating with my family because I feel better about “me” in a bathing suit.

One thing we forget about is the picture on our driver’s license. My picture was taken a few years ago and today strangers look at my license always comment on how much weight I’ve lost. Anyone who wants to lose weight, whether it is one to five pounds or even 10 plus, always ask me how I lost my weight. I am happy to tell everyone what a great program Greenlite is and how the staff is so supportive. I know if I email my educator, Nancy, she will always respond and give me great advice to get me through any tough diet times I might have. When I come in for maintenance check-ins, it’s always with Nancy. I can’t imagine her not being there.”