Gen's Story

Gen's unhealthy relationship with food began at a very early age. Raised by a mother with an eating disorder, she grew up having her food intake monitored, controlled, and restricted. The forced food choices in her youth contributed to junk food cravings and avoidance of fruits and vegetables beginning in early adulthood. Gen maintained her skinny childhood physique until the independence of college gave life to a weight problem that, according to Gen, became "totally out of control."

While Gen only felt satisfied when eating junk food, she hated the result: obesity. Yet countless nationally marketed weight reduction programs, diets, and physician prescribed medications failed to identify or modify Gen's underlying food issues. Instead, they simply offered prepackaged foods or pills to drop weight without really changing her eating habits. The result was short-term weight loss followed by ever-increasing weight gain.

Failure to lose weight with these programs left Gen devastated and battling low self-esteem. Facing numerous health issues, including depression, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and headaches, Gen believed that if she didn't make significant changes in her life she was "going to die." Believing she was out of options, Gen consulted a Bariatric surgeon to discuss gastric bypass surgery.

Gen didn't take this drastic step lightly. She was terrified about the surgical risks. But the Bariatric surgeon told her that someone "like her" needed surgery. He noted that while he could prescribe pills, he felt that they wouldn't work. The doctor likened Gen's chances at non-surgical weight loss to "trying to cook a turkey with a candle," and that surgery was her only hope. With this demeaning metaphor in mind, Gen began the necessary paperwork for gastric bypass surgery. Yet she remained fearful.

Gen's therapist, familiar with the Am I Hugry? Multidimensional Weight Management System, suggested that she try it first. Around this same time Gen saw a segment on a local television news program featuring it's founder, Dr. Michelle May and one of the successful participants. Intrigued, she committed herself to one last weight loss effort.

Gen immediately began integrating some of the program's major tenets - asking herself, "Am I hungry?" before she ate, and stopping when she felt satisfied. Gen considers these basic principles key to the relative ease with which she has incorporated the Am I Hungry? philosophy into her life.

In the first month, Gen discovered that eating what she wanted "only when she was hungry" gave her the control that only other people seemed to have.  The result: a 10-pound weight loss after only thirty days!  Additionally, Gen learned to recognize healthy, nutritious food, and consistently chooses it.  Just as important, she now understands that food is not "good" or "bad" and that it is okay to satisfy an occasional craving.  She still eats out, sometimes selecting rich, higher fat foods, but through the Am I Hungry? program, she has learned the value of portion size over entrée selection.  These days, Gen finds it easier to eat smaller portions, knowing that she can eat the leftovers another time when she's hungry for them.

Gen's lifestyle now reflects that of a woman on the move.  She regularly eats fruits and vegetables, and enjoys them because they are of her choosing, not part of a restrictive diet.  She also drinks copious amounts of water instead of calorie-laden soft drinks. And she exercises six days a week, enjoying lengthy walks with her husband.  According to Gen, making these changes in her life, managing her diet, losing weight, and increasing her self-esteem, came easier than expected - and the rewards have been greater than she had hoped for.

No longer does Gen suffer from insomnia, and headaches are now only an occasional inconvenience.  Even her fibromyalgia has been reduced to minor joint aches and pains.  Most significantly, she is not depressed anymore.  She says that she is a much happier person, more fun to be around, and has a much better marriage because of her commitment to Changing Weighs.

Although reserved by nature, Gen can't hide her weight loss success.  She dropped sixty pounds in just six months on the program. She lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off for over three years.  Friends and co-workers frequently ask what her secret is.  She tells them about the Am I Hungry? philosophy that she follows, resulting in the healthful changes that have made her look and feel terrific.  Gen adds, "I just love the program; it has changed my life."