I honestly came to see Willie Victor to see if she could help me lose weight. At 41, and after…read morestruggling with diet, body image and having tried every single diet known to mankind, I figured I would try a professional. After running tests on many things, we found out I was not absorbing vitamins, have high cholesterol, low thyroid, dangerously low resting blood sugar and gut issues. YAY! Just kidding. Not about that list though.
I had no idea there were so many things going on (besides my diet) that were contributing to my low energy and absolute inability to lose weight anymore. There seemed to be nothing I could do. But Willie convinced me otherwise. We even did tests to find food sensitivities and the foods that cause the most inflammation for me. I was not surprised the 2 main offenders are dairy and gluten.
Creating a food plan that worked for me would be painful and a grieving process...no joke. The reason it took me this long to even get to Willie is that I did not want to give up pizza and I did not want to invest the work and time I knew it would take to find a good balance with food and to achieve my optimum body weight. BUT...I did. Almost 5 months into working with her, I finally feel like I am in a rhythm. For the first time in my life I do not feel like I am on a diet. I eat a massive variety of foods, I cook more, I plan better for the week and I set myself up for success day in and day out, with healthy snacks that work for me (and sometimes I do eat pizza). I don't count calories ..I simply eat the foods that make me feel good and healthy. As time goes by, I miss the foods I dumped, less and less. When I do choose to indulge on those dumped foods I feel bloated, sometimes nauseated and really, really tired. It also takes me a few days to feel my energy go back up again...so most of the time, it isn't worth it.
I've lost around a pound a week, which felt really frustrating at first. A yo yo dieter, I often starved myself or lost a ton of water weight in the beginning of diets (which is really bad for you of course), so I would lose weight on the scale, fast. This time, I am actually losing weight for real and gaining muscle as I exercise and make that more of a routine as well.
I have learned through Wille that with my particular body, the whole fasting thing and these long breaks between meals was hurting me and setting me up for disaster over and over. I have learned so much from Willie about taking care of myself and eating frequently in a way that 1. I don't think about or obsess about food so much. 2. I don't feel deprived. 3. I finally feel like I am living the cliché that I have made a "lifestyle" change. 4. Cravings for specific foods have all but disappeared. The only thing that brings them back is hormones sometimes or if something really emotional happens. And now I am better at identifying those feelings so I don't have to eat them. So..it's not perfect, but it is so much better.
I feel that most of us know what the best eating plan is for us...we just don't want to let go of the foods that give us the most comfort. And maybe you won't have to..but finding out exactly what my unique body needed and where I could thrive the most, changed my life for the better. I am so grateful for Willie and as we come to a close of the program I am working with her, I plan to just segue to individual sessions once every few weeks to check in and continue to receive her support and guidance, because she is that good.
If you are finally ready to let go and face the fact that you can have the body you want and you can have the energy level you want..and you can be healthy through focus, dedication, education and hard work, I would highly recommend Willie Victor.