Joshua’s 205 Pound Weight Loss Success Story

This is an amazing organization led by Diana Bone. Diana and her staff are wonderful, caring people who will work with you at your own pace to help you find success. I don’t use the terms amazing and wonderful lightly. Diana and her team have helped me to truly transform my life in a dramatic way.

As of this time I have lost about 230 Lbs on this program and have maintained this for 2 years now. I eat regular meals and still use meal supplements about twice a day. I have developed much better eating habits, and I am in control. I buy and wear the clothes I like at any department store, I can sit and feel comfortable anywhere I go. My former anxieties and worries about social settings are non-existent. I feel healthier and I am living a great life as a result of my work with Diana and her team. If you are looking for a change and you need someone to partner with you and help you succeed, I give this office and this program my highest recommendation.

I began working with Diana about two years ago now. When I started my weight was at an all-time high. I was using a walker, had constant pain and had been told by my doctor that my only option was Bariatric surgery to lose weight. I felt depressed and my quality of life was not good. I was out of breath going up stairs and experienced health concerns and anxiety on a constant basis. I felt a bit hopeless and that my life was essentially going to end early. (Sorry for the negativity but it was a tough time for me!)

On my primary Drs advice I went through the Mayo Clinic bariatric Education program. This for me was one of the best things I ever did. The Mayo Bariatric program takes a hard look at your overall health and then provides you with a series of very informative programs about nutrition and diet. They teach you to log your intake and meals, make healthy choices and prepare you for the dietary life you will have post-surgery. They allow a surgeon to come in and describe the procedure and what the potential goals of weight loss are. 25-27% weight loss is the usual goal. For me it was so helpful to understand what Bariatric surgery does to your body and its overall purpose. For some folks it’s a godsend, ultimately for me I took another path.

What the Bariatric program showed me is that this surgery is basically designed to create a physical impediment to you eating more than you should. They want you to eat in tiny increments on a regular basis through the surgical change in your stomach size so that you will lose weight. I became familiar with terms like dumping and other potential issues that frankly scared me. Ultimately, I concluded that I could make up my mind and my will to “eat” and live “as-if” I had gone through the actual surgery, and if I could do that, this would accomplish the same basic goal. (In practice harder than it sounds but I was committed, and the basic reasoning seemed sound to me!)

Fortunately for me I then called the Scottsdale weight loss center looking for an alternative and spoke with someone who had been through the program and helped me understand their program and their process. I was able to meet with Diana and her team, get my initial evaluations and sit down and discuss my goals with Diana. Diana put me at ease and said look we can help you succeed, and we will move at your pace. I expressed my level of commitment and Diana put together a program that I lived by.

Diana and her team basically design an eating program with the use of meal replacements that you use to live within your calorie and weight loss goals. With a little creativity you can make these meals really good, and the program is absolutely sustainable and enjoyable. My first week I lost 13 lbs. It was an amazing initial result and set the tone for me to be committed and succeed.

I think most importantly, Diana gives you structure, a place to go to commiserate, share your challenges and successes, helps you know where you stand every week, measure your progress but in a non-judgmental, encouraging environment. This is where Diana and her team shine, they are good people, who act with the absolute intention of helping you reach your goals. I cannot say enough good things about them. These people helped save my life and my quality of life is so much better now.

I will say, that going into this with a very determined mind is a key. Being personally committed to succeeding and transforming yourself goes a long way when those little hunger pangs hit from time to time or you have a choice to make about what meal to have. Additionally, having a supportive partner (in my case my lovely wife) who supports you fully and is as committed as you are. My wife helped me track all my meals, prepared meals that fit the diet and generally supported my transformation. It would not have been possible if not for her.

If you feel committed to improving things and solving this puzzle and you are looking for a partner and a program to help you succeed, then I know Diana Bianca and Marcella will support your efforts and help you meet your goal. They are the best!