Born in 1971, I was a member of the first generation of kids to be raised primarily on the time-saving, cheap processed food that is now the norm. I loved the canned ravioli, packaged snack cakes, and cheese doodles. Over the years, I gained a lot of weight and was put on Weight Watchers for the first (and not last) time in 8th grade. I joined and dropped out of Weight Watchers about 13 times in as many years.

When I started to work with Kara at Nutritional Weight and Wellness in June of 2008, I despaired that I would never lose the weight. I got my food plan from Kara, some supplements to take, and recipes. I treated this as yet another diet, contrary to Kara’s wonderful advice during our first meeting. I went home and proceeded to try to change everything right away and perfectly. I thought the weight will start pouring off. It didn't. Looking at my initial three pound weight loss through the lens of high expectations made it hard for me to really change my eating and my relationship with food. I also minimized and overlooked that eating in balance was clearing up my skin, allowing me to sleep like a log, and allowing me to pass a physical with flying colors.

I didn’t give up though. I felt that eating in balance was the way to better health. I worked with Kara over this past year to figure out what would get my metabolism going and minimize my cravings. Remember, my metabolism had been so damaged from years of yo-yo dieting. I had a hard time accepting that my body needed time to heal. I didn’t. want to accept that I needed to get healthy in order to lose weight, rather than the other way around. I had a very antagonistic relationship with my body.

In July of this year, I met with Kara to get things moving in the right direction again. I was coming off a month of eating out of balance, with Coke and M and M's as my two main culprits. I wanted to see if after two months of eating in balance, taking my supplements (one of which is Crave Control), and getting more active, my compulsive eating and cravings would subside. I am happy to report that they have! Without exaggeration, I say that it has been like being let out of jail after 30 years. It is so liberating to not feel compelled to raid the cupboards at 10:00 at night, with a hunger that is never really satisfied. I am always comforted that my next satisfying meal or snack is just an hour or so away. I am sleeping well, have more energy, and I am developing a collaborative relationship with my body. I have lost 6 pounds in less than a month and my body shape is changing. [As of November 18th, 2009, Nell is down 20 pounds!]

 My husband and son are also eating this way and enjoying the benefits of better health, with almost no doctor visits this year. I have taught Eddie, my son, about protein, carb and fat at every meal. It is a game we play when we eat, and he has a 90% accuracy rate with naming what foods are what!

 Despite my sleep issues, I have had crazy energy and a very noticeable shift in attitude, mainly I don't feel like I want to go back to the month-long relapses, just have small relapses of bad eating and stay on track. This is all due to my cravings going away! I can't thank you enough.

-Nell