So as an LVAC member, they offer free B12 shots and an exam/consultation for their array of weight-loss/anti-aging products and regimens.
The two stars are for the facility and the customer service. Everyone was well-rehearsed on their sales pitch and information on their products although I would really like to see exactly what is in their "super shots", such as a COA or something- but I'll get to that in a minute.
Because the reviews that are actually warning people of what this place is really about (your money) and how it really operates (sales pitch, bait and switch, etc) are on the further back pages I decided to leave a piece of my experience and opinion in here for those that are actually wanting to educate themselves first before handing these people a penny for something they can easily give themselves for free.
When you go in, their office smells really nice and had ongoing testimonial ads for their anti-aging regimes on flat screen TV's and courteous receptionists suited up in scrubs like any other professional medical facility. Unfortunately, although I was told to come in with paperwork prepared (which I did, always the model patient) and scheduled it same-day for 4:30 pm. on a Wednesday- it still took quite a while for me to get taken into their exam room where they take down your height and scan your body on scale to measure water, BMI, body fat percentage, and resting metabolism. They print out everything to where it looks pretty cool and also puts your insecurities into black and white numbers format.
As you stare at this printout of your flaws for the 45 minutes it takes for the diet coach to come in and explain some of it (he actually only took my printout to write down what he wanted to sell me on, and he should probably learn how to spell Protein if he's going to hustle it) to you, the desperation to "fix" yourself builds and builds. This allows whatever they offer or suggest to seem really awesome and sparkly all of a sudden. Mind you, I am 24 and of an average, healthy weight even if slightly over for my height. So he was pretty curt in letting me know right away he could have me lose 20-30 pounds in 3 months with the weekly supershots and "diet" for $104, and if that isn't fast enough, then add these diet pills (Topamax and Fentamine (sp?) to the mix for almost a hundred bucks more (200 bucks more if you do not have a student ID apparently) and it would be 2 months.
All I could think of in my mind was the Ellen Burstyn character in Requiem for a Dream, where she's completely overtaken by this obsessive goal to lose weight and ruins her life with diet pills. While that is semi-dramatic, I will say that what the diet coach was describing was no different than the effects of meth. I won't knock them like they don't work, I'm sure they do, but for a 24-year-old with no kids or health issues (He had asked about my thyroid. Really?), it's just...
Unnecessary.
Like a lot of what they sell. And seeing people before me who have spent up to $1200 for meals and HcG, it's just really sad. I'm sure the people who have left 5 stars and have lost X amount of pounds with Trimbody MD feel really satisfied, but they were left out on the same secret that this diet coach left out for me as well: You can pretty much do all of this and more on your own without any of this crap, if you really stick to it and do your research.
So I did my research and I'm very happy to not have been duped by these people. When he gave me the "options" of doing the supershots groupon or the supershots/pills, there was a moment where he just froze and looked at me like he was just so impatiently waiting for my wallet. There was no, "Maybe you want to think about it, because you're really young and not unhealthy enough to really need to enhance what you're already doing". Because mind you again, I have already started eating more low-fat, veg/fruit, no fastfood/alcohol/sugary indulgences- which, by the way, you can go to any grocery store and figure it out on your own without handing these people a dime.
The diet consult part of the groupon is just the Paleo diet, which I haven't cosigned to any named diet so I cannot say it wouldn't have been successful, but it sounds like they don't often consult you after you hand over your credit card. You can also look up this diet or any other information online... for free!
Again, I'm glad people have had success with this company but it's more than likely a placebo effect when they would have gotten the same results with regular activity, lower fat/sugary foods, and supplements that are much cheaper in a regular, labeled form- whether it's in a powder or a capsule, there are much more verifiable and safer options that won't break your bank out there. This place is a sales center and I could smell it just from their website. Beware!
tl;dr: SCAM. read more
