My Weight Loss Journey 2016- Present

       Happy, hello everyone! These past few months I have had so many wonderful, encouraging compliments about my weight and managing it. First off, I want to say THANK YOU! This is such a wonderful feeling and, it nevers hurts for the coach to get some ecnouragement from time to time! :) Because of these incredibly gratifying compliments, it has led me to discover that many dieters do not know that I did The ITG Diet Plan and that I have been living this wasy for many years at this point or, that I was also, very overweight.

        At 5'2", being almost 50-70lbs overweight SUCKS. Not just how I felt in clothing or pictures but, how my body felt every, single day. I was tired, it was harder to breathe and, I was ALWAYS hungry. Like a never ending black hole. With my chronic stomach conditions at the time, I was living off of white rice, caffiene and lean meats. My stomach was always in pain and I was not really in a great mood most of the time which is very disheartening for me since I am generally an extremely happy person. I needed to make a change but, instead, a change found me!

        In late 2016, I started working at Vero Orthopaedics and Neurology as a front desk receptionist. It was new and very fast paced, my favorite! Within a few months, our CEO, Jennifer Davison, decided she wanted a more health oriented clinic and decided to bring in the ITG Diet Plan. I was actually not the first intended coach for the diet and, they lady the planned on having coach, didn't want the position. I was helping unload the truck of first round ITG Foods (didn't know it at the time) and our CEO asked me if I was interested in coaching the diet since I had a background of health and nutrition. I didn't hesitate, of course I said, "YES!". I was currently at about 175lbs and still working on where I wanted to be.

         I immediately started my 14 Day Starter Kit with the ITG Diet plan so I could be a better coach and learn the foods more quickly. I didn't know at the time but, this diet would end up being my forever diet. Not only did the elimination process help my digestive tract in the Step One Weight Loss but, by taking out the fruit, dairy and carbohydrates, it felt like my stomach was able to heal. I noticed reduced inflammation, less acid reflux, less stomach spasms and more within the first month! I couldn't believe it! It honestly felt like a miracle to me. Now, in 2022, I officially off ALL IBS AND ULCER MEDICATIONS and I am never looking back!

After losing about 25lbs with the ITG Diet in 2017 with the ITG Diet Plan, I was able to "Transition" all foods back in to my diet. I was astounded. Please keep i mind, in 2017, I was not eating dairt, fruit, carbs, anything greasy or anything with color of food dyes as to not upset my stomach. To my astonishment, I was able to bring ALL FOOD GROUPS back in to my diet without any stomach flare ups. Now, don't get me wrong, too much dairy irriates my stomach. Too much of ANYTHING can upset the stomach but, this diet and this process is worth every struggle. It is worth every bad day, every moment where you are contemplating quitting and not tracking your food or drinking your water. It's worth it. The experience, the journey, the mistakes. Every part of learning about food and your body and how they work together is so rewarding. 

“True discipline is really just self-remembering; no forcing or fighting is necessary.”
― Charles Eisenstein, The Yoga of Eating: Transcending Diets and Dogma to Nourish the Natural Self

I wrote this blog post to help everyone. I dislike when people bring themselves down about not being at their goal yet. Well, I started my goal around 2013 and did not get anywhere close until now. That's literally 9 years and I am nowhere near done yet!  I learned everyday about food, my body, what worked and didn't work and more. Our bodies are our temples and we need to take care of them. 

Am I still overweight? Yes.

Could I still gain more muscle and lose more body fat mass? Yes.

Do I have bad days of eating or drinking? Yes.

The point is, keep your head up, stop listening to others around you and do what you need to for your body and mind. Is dieting hard? YES or else everyone would be tiny! Perfection is unrealistic, let's shoot for consistency instead!

I would love to see your before pictures. I use mine to fuel myself to keep going and to never give up. If you have a before picture you would like to share, please send it via email to Bcasalina@veroortho.com!