Merritt Clubs Blog

On September 9th 2010, I weighed in at a whopping 337 lbs.... I know the day and the weight so well because that's the day my doctor said he wouldn't operate on my hip because he was worried Iwouldn't be able to do the physical therapy needed to rehab. He said that if I could prove to him that Iwas motivated by losing just 25 lbs. he would schedule the replacement. This made me take a closelook at my lifestyle since the day I retired from the Army.... In 2003 I came home from Iraq wounded and ittook 14 operations too get me to the point where I could live a normal life again. I was suffering fromPTSD and depression after leaving the only life I had know for 24 years. My way of dealing with all of thiswas to eat and I mean eat EVERYTHING!!!!! I went from a 6'1" 185 lb. soldier serving in the special forcesover three wars to a 330 lb. man who was acting like his life was over.

After Dr. Boucher told me what I weighed and all that went with it, I decided to give myself one last try at being healthy. I joined Merritt and was amazed at not only what the club does for you physically but also themental benefits. Thanks to a great group of people helping me led by Cindy,Lauren, Spencer and Michelle, I have now lost over 155 lbs. and as of thiswriting weigh 171 which is less than what I weighed in college. My body fat% while still a work in progress has gone from 44% down to 17%. The bestnews of all is that after 18 times under the knife, I have now gone twoyears with no major health issues and I thank Merritt for a big part of this.

The weight loss game can be very frustrating and overwhelming.

We hear so many different ideas and theories that are supposed to control weight gain but we are all different and the same thing does not work for all of us.

For some of us it is not just about calories in and calories out. Especially woman over the age of 40.

Hormones have a great effect on weight and fat loss.

The way to understand what works for us as an individual is to understand the concept of HEC : Hunger , Energy , and Cravings

Of the 3 food groups that are essential for every meal ...Protein, Fibrous Carbs, and Starchy Carbs , adjusting the amounts of each according to our hunger, energy and cravings is the way to control fat loss and weight gain.

We have to be our own detectives to discover the best amounts of each for every meal to control weight and fat loss.

Please refer to Metaboliceffect.com for more information on this concept.

Written by: Michele Mandel

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Childhood Obesity

In going to great lengths to help and protect our children, we often forget some of the small things we do daily can have the biggest benefits. Encouraging and participating in an active lifestyle with your child is one of those things. Childhood obesity has more than tripled over the last 30 years. More than 70% of adolescents who are obese remain obese in their adult life. Obesity can lead to many complications and place the child at a higher risk to develop liver disease, heart disease, joint issues and even asthma as they get older, not to mention the social and psychological effects. The best way to combat this trend with your children is to encourage and foster an active lifestyle from an early age.