What originally brought you to us?
What made you decide to partner with us on your wellness/weight loss journey?
I had a previous relationship with the team at Ciccone Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center. I was just coming to the realization that things with my diet and weight had gotten away from me over the winter of 2021/2022 and that I really needed to get things under control. As if the universe were listening to my thoughts, I got a call from Tieva! I am not one for “diets” and certainly didn’t think I needed a coach (I am very much a person who believes they can figure everything out for themselves) and my initial reaction was not overly enthusiastic. But after I committed, I was all in 100%. I really needed to do something “drastic” and couldn’t ignore the fact that she called at precisely the moment this was very much on my mind. My biggest motivation wasn’t actually to lose weight (although I needed to lose my fair share of pounds!) I wanted to stop HURTING. It seems like I am in pain all the time and not entirely sure why, and getting my diet reset and losing weight was something that I hadn’t yet put any effort into, so it was about time.
What part of the program were you most surprised by?
I am not uninformed about nutrition and diets and eating trends, so the dietary restrictions of the first phase didn’t surprise me, but it really illustrated that cutting out sugar and carbs and fats really do matter and just what a diet looks like when those things are not present. The first week was the hardest part for me because my body was coping with detoxing from so many things all at once (alcohol, sugar, and caffeine for me!) but after that, I was surprised that I didn’t have much of an appetite and no cravings at all. It made it easier than I anticipated to make the dietary choices required by the program. Turns out that I can live quite well without those things in my life.
What are your greatest takeaways from the program?
My greatest takeaway from the program is that I must always plan my diet with as much thought and care as I am doing while on the plan. I have a very demanding career and work a lot of hours, and most days I would eat whatever was most convenient or easy to prepare for both lunch and dinner. That obviously didn’t work out well for me. Planning a menu in advance is going to be something that will have to be a priority for me forever.
What would you want to share with others about the program and your success?
What’s your favorite part of the program?
My favorite part of the program is the fact that it WORKS. Right now, I am about halfway through the 90-day program. I have lost 26 pounds. I never thought this was a possibility! I haven’t been at this weight since the early 2000s. Every day I gain a little bit more confidence that I will be able to keep it off permanently. This entire journey really gave me a chance to examine my relationship with food and my eating habits and reinvent both of those things. In the beginning, I was not that excited about having to keep a daily journal and didn’t think I would “need” the coaching calls….. But I was SO wrong. Both of those components are WAY more important than I thought they would be and are definitely a big part of the success of this plan.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I honestly would recommend this to ANYONE. Trust me when I say that if this can work for me, it can work for anyone. Of all the people I know, I am the LEAST likely person I would have recommended it to, so I can honestly say that I don’t know anyone who this will not work for.
— Cathy Otocka