All I can say is WOW!! I have never found such an informative collection of truthful health information in my life. Which is interesting, since I am a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic and am currently taking another Master's degree in Human Nutrition. It is through my research for my Clinical Biochemistry course that I found you. I have received more truthful education by reading your material than I have from all my courses taught to date… I intend to utilize this valuable information in treating my patients… I am so excited about your source of health info, I can't stand it." –Dr. Howard C.
Hi Victoria!
Just wanted to let you know that in keeping with the program I have been having a wonderful pregnancy. I'm almost 7 months along now and still have plenty of energy. I've been properly combining and practicing yoga 3-4 times/week and walking every day on top of working a regular hectic schedule in Manhattan! No one can believe I'm so far along. But the doctor says the baby's the perfect size. I haven't had a stitch of swelling, backache, headache, or any of the other ailments commonly associated with pregnancy. I know it's because I'm eating lots of raw fruits and veggies and combining my concentrated foods perfectly. Aside from the occasional indulgence, I stay away from sugars and any refined grains. I've put on about 14 pounds and feel very good about that. The yoga has kept my legs lean and my upper body strong.
Thanks for all your great encouragement along the way! I know it'll be a cinch to get back into shape after Alexandria is born.
All the best,
Natalia
"Hi everyone!
I just wanted to say that I've been on this plan for more than a year, and it's been one of the greatest things that happened in my life. Feeling lighter and healthier made me much more peaceful. I can still experiment with different foods etc. but I know for sure that a certain way of eating is good for me. I don't have to be nervous anymore if I skip a day in the gym. In fact, I have not been in a gym for exactly that time. I am not 100% perfect and I do allow myself to indulge from time to time, but food does not control me anymore. I deal with my emotions by facing them, not by comforting myself with food.
I just wanted to thank Victoria for the great job she did and still does." –Marie
"I discovered this web page in May 2002 while looking for a natural "cure" for hypothyroidism and depression. Since I've started changing the way I eat, I 've lost about 26 pounds with out one drop of sweat from exercise. I haven't had any of my "regular" illnesses such as colds, sinus problems, frequent diarrhea, heartburn, constant cravings, blurred vision at night, and i'm sure that there are alot more symptoms that I don't remember. I do not know how to express my appreciation.
The results have been phenomenal. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!" –Antonio
"I have a praise report and great news concerning my hyper since being on the plan.
I had my blood taken on April 3rd. It showed my T4 at 26.4 and then again on April 11. I went in on April 16th to get a copy of my lab… my T4 had dropped to 5.3!!! This is so close to normal range being 0.5-1.3, the Doc was surprised. All my other lab was pretty normal too except for my Lymphocytes which were slightly on the high end being 48 compared to a 20-40 normal range. I know you are not into lab numbers, but I wanted to share that with you. I believe the plan is obviously working… Oh yeah another thing, everyone that see's me on a daily or weekly basis is commenting on how healthy and great I am looking these days and not one med! I'm so excited about what your plan has to offer, it's bar none the best health info I have ever tried and I thank God for you and all that you do. God bless you…indeed!" –Darcy
"More and more symptoms are disappearing. I am feeling more hopeful and back to my usual self. Aches and pains are far less obvious…more in the background. I am feeling physically stronger, less drained and overwhelmed. This is VERY GOOD!!" : )
Hugs, Sherri
"I am amazed at something. Ever since I have had the thyroid blood sugar problems I have had alot of edema. Even when I was younger I would swell up so bad in the hot summer days. Since I have been doing the eating part of Living Well my edema has gone. It is so hot here in Canada right now and I should have edema on top of edema but I have none. My stomach has gone down too." –Francine
"I keep finding new information constantly on this site! I have had irradiated iodine given me a few years back because I was hyperthyroid, so now I am hypo, and I have never seen a source with more or better understood information on thyroid!!!
I am amazed at the way this good information is hidden from us by the nutrition industry!!!" –Nancy
"I want to take the time to say thank you for your Living Well website. I found your site back in early September and I think it might have saved my life, or at least my sanity! I have suffered from hypothyroidism since 1999. In that time I've been through 3 doctors, gained 30 pounds, lost a lot of hair (and one boyfriend) and suffered from such severe fatigue that I was convinced I was dying. Last March, I finally found a doctor who would listen to me and would prescribe natural thyroid hormone instead of Synthroid. Most of my symptoms went away, but the weight stayed on. I tried sticking to the high protein diet, but I was miserable on it. I also didn't lose very much weight. I tried your eating plan and have lost 12 pounds since the middle of September. Everyone around me keeps complimenting me on how good I look.
I know it's not just the weight loss – I actually look healthier. My skin looks better and I have a lot more energy. I feel better than I have in at least two years! I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but I am so grateful! You have really made a difference in my life. Thank You!"
–Michelle P.
All unsolicited testimonials came directly from Living Well members. Please understand that we do not prescribe or diagnose, nor do we make claims of cure of any disease. Always consult a qualified professional before starting any health, weight loss, or exercise program.
Dear fellow strugglers,
The first picture is me last year (01) around the first of August. I was surprised looking at the picture because I don't remember feeling like I looked like that. I had reached a tight 16 and was really worried about moving up to 18s. So, I went back to my standby diet, Fit for Life, that had worked wonders for me before. I also started weight lifting regularly. There was no noticeable change and no weight loss. I was not surprised as I could not seem to lose the weight no matter what I did for the previous five years. I had felt for a couple of years that I had thyroid problems, but my tests came back negative.
Well, I found Victoria's site in Dec and joined in Jan. About the same time, I started having severe gallbladder problems. I wanted to save it, so started implementing many of the Living Well habits as well as some other healthy habits for my gallbladder.
Over 6 months, I lost 35 pounds WITH NO EXERCISE (I felt a little guilty about that). It came off like melting butter. Speaking of butter, I ate a lot of fat in the form of olive oil. I could not stop the loss (due to some of the things I was having to avoid for my gb) and at the end, before my gb surgery, I was really worried. So, the 2nd picture, taken a few weeks ago (8/02) is a size 10, a size I have never been as an adult and I am thrilled. Since I can now eat a little more normally (meat and eggs and cheese), my weight loss has stopped and I am very happy.
Dawn in Arizona
Before
After
Although I read the bulletin board off and on, I haven't posted on it for a while. I hope you remember me. You put my story of Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue in your article "Chronic Fatigue".
I wanted to e-mail you and thank you for all the support and information I got from you and your web site. I wanted to share my "Before and After" pictures with you.
This is me at my sickest (Aug. 1999). We had a family reunion (second picture above) where family came from Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida. I slept almost the whole time – what a great hostess!!!!. That chair was my "special" chair that I lived in for almost 2 years. I was asleep in every picture of the family reunion. This was when my Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and horrible headaches were at their worse. I looked like my picture above for the 2 years.
Before
After
Here I am today (this was at Christmas time)
– much, much better, but still have a ways to go.
So you can see I have come a long way . Since you posted my story, I have increased my martial art workouts to 7 times a week plus in 9 days I will be testing for my black belt. Just think – 2 years ago my Rhuemotologist and Neurologist told me I would never get better. I would always have Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, horrible headaches, etc. Boy were they WRONG. I'm so glad you have your web page and are able to help those who are given the awful news that I was "that there is no hope". We know better. Thank you so much for your service, knowledge, love and concern that you have for me and all the other people. I know God will and is blessing you
for your ministry.<>< Helen
P.S. I'm 48 years old (45 in my "before" pictures). I thought it would be nice to add my age and to let others know it's never to late to improve your health and to become active again.
At 05:39 PM 12/11/01 -0800:
Dear Victoria,
January of last year I began your program. I explained to you before that I was at my ropes end and I didn't know what else to do. I was disgusted with myself.
I wrote to you a few months afterwards and promised to send you photos of the new me after I had reached my goal.
It took six months for me to get to the weight and look I wanted and I was so excited that I neglected to send those photos, however, as my anniversary date with your plan approached I remembered my promise to you. The before photo was last February with my petite niece. The after photo was taken this past weekend (12/08/01) and I am 47 lbs lighter. I am glad to be done with those "lose 40 lbs in 1 month diets" which sometimes work only to have 40+ return. I knew it would take time and I was patient.
I never wanted to be super thin or super muscular. That takes way too much time for my busy schedule. I can't work out more than 3 or 4 times a week nor do I want to because I would be taxing myself and I would just quit. I just wanted to look at myself in the mirror again and be at a reasonable weight for health reasons. I also wanted to walk past windows and not rush by them before I caught a glimpse of myself.
If you decide to share snippets of this with the group here is some information that helped me. Just move and keep to the plan even afterwards. Follow the plan as closely as you can and walk, dance, run, clean the house, whatever, just get some physical activity and follow this incredible plan.
I used to think to myself "I walk at the office alot" or "I am not eating alot". I was fooling myself. I wasn't really walking all that much and just because I had ONE egg mcmuffin that morning didn't mean that I was cutting down on my bad eating habits. I was fooling myself into failure and in turn becoming more depressed and upset with myself. Now as the holidays are back I know that I can veer off the plan (after all, who wants to feel they are a slave to anything) and have some holiday food fare because I have the knowledge. I know that I can eat a few things not on the plan and I DO have the willpower to say "I'm satisfied".
Thank you, Victoria. You have been a blessing. Your words of encouragement kept me going and helped me take a really good look at myself and realize that if I wanted to change, I had to do it myself.
God bless you,
BENBefore
After, 47 pounds lighter!
Dear Victoria,
"I have been lurking in the background now for awhile reading your newsletters and now I would like to thank you for all your information that you are sharing and for your program. It is wonderful. I have been following your program now for a month and have dropped 18 lbs. I feel so much better and have more energy. I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis after many years of eye problems.. and health problems.. I find that if I stay with this program.. I can live comfortable and with less pain…if I eat processed foods, the symptoms get much worse.. and I am in a great deal of pain.. I feel in my heart that God intended us to eat like the plan says.. and it helps me to think that I am eating as God intended me to, in order to nourish my body! Thank you Victoria for being there to share your information and your support with all of us. You are truly a blessing from God!!"
Thank you, C.
"I have a medical condition – Hypothyroidism, and find it difficult to lose weight secondary to my slow metabolic processes. I find the Living Well Plan simple to use and effective. I have been slowly incorporating your plan into my lifestyle (two weeks). I have more energy and find I can
wear clothes that I have not worn in a year (smaller waist size). Thank you for sharing your healthy eating plan. May God continue to bless you."M.N.
Victoria,
"I know it's been a while since I last talked with you. But I have such exciting news, and I praise the Lord for His allowing me to see that I can get rid of the weight, and I thank the Lord for you and for this program. I have lost over 13 lbs. It as though the weight is melting off. I feel so much better. My diabetes is under control, my doctor could not believe all the weight I had lost and that all my blood tests were excellent. He told me to keep up the good work and I certainly plan on doing that."
"My clothes look so much better on me, and you just feel good. I love your programs and I praise God for you. Thanks for telling the truth and not allowing us to fall for the lies, and that we must take responsibility for caring for ourselves. It's not the fad diets or fad products that are so a part of our society, it is in living well."
Thanks Victoria, Bess. S.
"Hi everyone! Been on the program for one month now, have lost 20 lbs feeling really good about that, I have never lost so much weight in a month, I've started to exercise some which I have not been able to do in a long time, because of the weight and medical problem, my sugar is coming down even eating all the fruit in the morning, if any one that is just starting that is a diabetic this is a good plan, my sugar is down to about 130 it used to be 180 before even with medication."
K. L.
"I have always watched my foods, but always needing help. I have had Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism) for 9 years and then having a C-section with my last pregnancy 3 years ago. This has taken its toll on my body. I am very excited with Living Well. Thanks to Victoria, for introducing this plan. After doing a lot of research on my disease, your website is one of the few that focuses on thyroid and nutrition. The more I have to live with this disease , the more I need to know, especially with my health and nutrition."
Keeping in touch, Tammy
Dear Victoria,
"I have hesitated to write you because this isn't exactly a pleasant subject. However, since it has to do with "the plan", and it is very exciting to me, I wanted to share it with you. I am 21 years old, and have had problems with bowel movements my entire life. On average I would go about once a week (if I was lucky). It felt normal to me, because that is the way it had always been. When I was real little my mom took me to the doctor, and we tried everything from enemas to fiber pills. I always drank a lot of water, and ate fairly healthfully. But after years of trying different remedies, nothing worked. Finally about two years ago, my doctor concluded that my body must only need to go once a week, so I didn't need to worry about it so much. Being a nurse, my mom still kept a lookout for new ideas that might work, because she just wasn't satisfied knowing I only had a bowel movement once a week. When she came across "the plan", it seemed like the next best solution. I thought it sounded silly, but I was willing to try it. Within a day of following the Living Well Plan, I was having a bowel movement TWICE a day!!! This may not be exciting to you, but I have NEVER in my life pooped twice a day, and I almost cried at the change. I didn't need to loose any weight, and have only dropped about 3-4 pounds since I started doing "the plan" about three months ago. But most importantly, I have been feeling great, have more energy, and have been having a bowel movement at least once, if not twice a day. So although this seems a little gross to talk about. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming up with something that helped me in a way that even the doctors couldn't do!"
Sincerely, B.
"I have been on this program of living well for 3 weeks now. I was 4-6 days into the program and I decided to stop drinking coffee 8-10 cups a day….and….stop taking an anti-depressant that I have been on for 2 years now. (I was told I have to stay on it the rest of my life for "Normal Balance." I went into a severe detox. I had a tremendous headache, nausea, incredible fatigue, severe sinus pressure near one of my eyes and on my brow above my forehead. I literally stayed in bed for 2 days. I hung through it. Now, after 3 weeks, I'm Freeeeeeel GREAT! My clothes are a lot looser and most of all, I have more energy than I think I have had in my whole life! Hang in there and get over that detox Hump….You WILL feel great!"
J.
"Victoria, I have to say, THANK YOU SO MUCH for this program! I truly wish everyone knew about this program … I plan to tell everyone I know who has struggled with their weight, like I have. You can not go wrong on the LIVING WELL program! You can eat … and eat … and eat! I think the entire program is STUPENDOUS!"
Michelle
"I am so grateful for your support. It has helped me so much. I have lost 23 lbs and I am feeling so much better. I can feel my body changing. I walk 2 to 3 miles a day. I can breathe better and my energy level is so much better."
L. S.
"Last February I weighed 160 pounds (I'm 5'8") this was the most I've ever weighed. My biggest problem was that I thought that eating right was to hard to do with my schedule. Also I have a sweet tooth that would kill a horse. But now I weigh 138 pounds! And the best thing is that I really don't have any cravings and don't really even want the junk any more. Hey, also you may be interested to know that my husband has lost 40 pounds! I'm so proud of him, today he got into an outfit that he hasn't gotten into in years."
Jade
"Today is my eighth day on the LW program. I must say that I feel great and have lost 6 lbs. My lower legs and feet do not swell anymore (even by the end of the day!)… I am amazed at how not hungry I've been… God bless Victoria for making this program available. I am sure it has saved my life, literally." – name withheld
