by Deborah Hall

Created on: January 20, 2009

I have been on many programs with an effort to shift to a more healthy lifestyle: Atkins, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Diet Center, Weight Watchers (I was a lifetime member there a few times), the Zone, calorie counting, I even had a personal trainer. And although I changed many of my eating and exercise habits, I never could maintain the weight loss and continually had to find another program to get rid of excess weight.

By chance I read an advertisement about an on-line weight loss challenge. For $29.00, I signed up on the web for a twelve week program that taught valuable classes on nutrition and re-introduced me to Herbalife. I had tried the products in the 80s...my brother's girlfriend was selling them and I remember feeling remarkably energetic and healthy but Herbalife has come a very long way since then. They are still based on the concept of meal replacement shakes-two if you want to lose weight and one if you want to maintain your weight but they have expanded their line to include targeted products for the aging population, children, individuals who are weight training, and products designed for optimal health for men and women. They even have products to promote outer nutrition for body, skin, and hair.

Now here comes the lazy part. One of the coaches on this on-line weight loss challenge lost over 100 on Herbalife and decided early on that if she was going to have to do two shakes a day for a long period of time, she would have to make it a bit more enticing. So she developed a series of pie recipes, using the protein formula, skim milk, and added enhancements all poured into one of those ready-made pie shells. So the diet turns out to be a piece of pie for breakfast and lunch accompanied by dietary supplements and vitamins, two 100 calorie snacks, and one meal that you make for your family with an eye towards sensible portions. The coach and many other people who followed her example, including me, lost the weight quickly (the coach lost her 100 pounds in about eleven months) and have been keeping the weight off for a period of seven years or more! The products become part of your everyday life because they are all natural and make you feel so good.

This plan, enhanced by 30 minutes of exercise a day, has to be the easiest plan I've ever followed and fits into my already hectic and active lifestyle and because it is all so balanced, I am more balanced with the energy to face another busy day.

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