Many times, we’re asked about what we”ve done to maintain our weight. In the 1980’s my answer would have been primarily exercise. You see, I knew from my family heritage, especially my father, that I would be prone to weight gain. Thus, I was somewhat fanatical about my exercise program, including participation in seven full marathons.
Before
In the 1990’s I still used exercise as a “vehicle” to maintain healthy weight, but after remarriage in 1996 the weight began to steadily accumulate. I am fortunate to be married to one of the best “personal” chefs on the planet, but this was a double-edged sword for me. I gradually put on the pounds until unhappily arriving at approximately 215 lbs by decade end. For some, this may seem normal, but according to the “charts,” I was “dangerously obese,” as is about 1/3 of the US population now.
Remarkably, this weight was about 50 lbs over my marathon weight of 165. And I hadn’t stopped exercising! But shedding this weight by exercise alone was not an option at this point, especially considering the toll that my usually 5-6 mile runs would take on the knees at this weight. A friend introduced me to USANA in 2003, mainly because of the benefits of it’s award-winning anti-oxidants. The USANA healthy foods, however, became some of my favorite products right away.
In 2004, USANA introduced it’s Reset product, which I used to lose about 10 lbs. I was, however, somewhat stuck and unable to make further progress. That was until I became a member of Dr. Ray Strand’s Healthy for Lifeself-directed 15 month program in 2005 (note that HFL is now a 12 week program, and by using my team leader code, BXG, you can get a 20% discount on prices listed on the website). Within a few months, I had “shed” another 20 lbs to around 185, which has generally been my consistent weight since. Oh, sure Christmas and the holidays can take their toll, but I can now easily drop a quick 5 lbs. any time using the Reset. And my personal chef had similar results, since her cooking was now much more healthy. Barb lost about 25 lbs and had “shrunk” from a size 10 to 4/6.
Last year, in 2009, we organized our first “Shrink-A-Thon,” which is the brainchild of Bob and Vicky Mihalyov from El Paso Texas. They ran their first city-wide organized meeting the previous year in conjunction with their local Diabetes organization and achieved remarkable results, also basing this program on Healthy for Life. Our local group of about 10 people had similar results to that experienced by the Mihalyovs in Texas. I personally lost about 10 lbs (some of that Christmas weight gain) and about 8% of body fat in the 12 week program.
After
So that is our story, and we’re definitely sticking to it. We’re starting another 12 program in the next week or two in our local community and will be posting our progress to this blog for those interested in following our progress. Or if you’d like to join in, let me know and we can work with you either in person or remotely through Healthy for Life’s self-directed program, since by using my discount code, I can also review your daily journals for your own progress. Although Healthy for Life isn’t an affiliate program, we can advise you in selecting the best USANA products (and get compensated that way) for your own needs. Please visit our USANA products page for further information and your own personalized health assessment.
Who is Duke Tubtim? First, he’s an amazing leader in the new generation of entrepreneurs emerging in this country. In the next 10 to 20 years a new business model will start to dominate worldwide. It’s actually a very old business model, but one that, today is heavily scarred, and highly misunderstood.
How did Duke get involved with a scam? A cult? What was he thinking? Here’s a little background: he had early experienced struggles in his life when his father suffered a stoke and his mother became the lone breadwinner in the family. He worked traditional jobs, including pizza delivery, but became frustrated and looking for an alternative. He wanted something that would support his family despite even harsh circumstances like he had faced. This led him to network marketing.
As for many, his first experience in network marketing ended badly when the company went out of business. He considered leaving the industry at the time, but his friends and family encouraged him to find a company that they could depend on long term.
Duke began researching MLM companies. What he eventually found was a company with a vision of improved world health, USANA Health Sciences. He also began to see improvements in his father’s condition through their products and this cemented his belief that the company was “for real.”
USANA became the vehicle for his passion in helping his family to ensure that struggle was a thing of the past. And Duke also has a passion for cars, as do those on his team. He replaced a broken-down Toyota with a 2006 Bentley Continental GT and now owns a sizeable car collection, including a titanium 2003 Lamborghini and several racing cars.
Since he joined USANA, Duke has headed up the largest team of Generation Y associates, possibly in any MLM company. Given that USANA’s products focus on the baby boomers, this has been quite surprising.
Duke is an inspiring leader. He realized that with network marketing, by expanding his knowledge he could also correspondingly expand his paycheck. He has taught his team the concepts that have driven his own success and many company training sessions packed with baby boomers are now taught by these Generation Y associates. His Generation Y group always has the most spirit and is more professionally dressed than the “average” associate. Most of his team was present at the 2007 Las Vegas company “party,” and thoroughly enjoyed the event.
And at the recent 2009 International Convention, his team filled nearly half of the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. So who is Duke Tubtim? Answer: One of the most amazing network marketing sensations to come along and one who is poised to change everything about entrepreneurship in this country.
Just before the 2009 Convention, Duke advanced to 4-Star Diamond Director, with his new wife Sheila. Sheila, reportedly had a significant “job” mentality, so this “networking thing” has been quite an adjustment for her. The recent 4-Star achievement is just where things are starting for this couple, as their passion turns to helping those on their team advance and building even bigger dreams.
Would you like to achieve what Duke has? Maybe even take it to a new level?. If so, we offer several free Internet marketing training sessions, including our session on Facebook marketing. We also feature a test drive of our automated mlm lead generation system, for the next generation in network marketing achievement.
An abridged edition of the NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements, 4th edition, was released earlier this year. This “Consumer Edition,” is meant for individuals that don’t need all the technical scientific information contained in the full report. As an overview, this guide contains:
Ratings for over 1500 US and Canadian supplements
Discussion of 18 critical Health Support Criteria
Graphical results for top-rated 4- and 5-star products
NutriSearch’s Gold Medal of Achievement recipients
In this guide, Lyle McWilliam begins with the case for supplementation. Even though the American Medical Association (AMA) has now acknowledged that all adults need a supplemental daily multiple vitamin, many are unaware of this fact and the many additional scientific reports that support the case. There is also a growing concern among nutrition experts that the Recommended Dietary Allowances, established during World War II, are now too low.
The case for supplementation begins with an understanding of the root cause of most major disease. Dr. McWilliam discusses this root cause being oxidative damage and resulting inflammatory events and documents how this can lead to major disease such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and many (if not mostly all) other degenerative conditions.
With this in mind, then a framework to evaluate commercially available supplements is established. Dr. McWilliam assembled a panel of 12 authorities, who have published one or more works on specific daily nutritional intakes and devised a “blended standard” of daily adult requirements to use in evaluating the many products on the market. In addition, 18 critical Health Support Criteria including Completeness, Potency, Mineral Form, Bioactivity of Vitamin E, Gamma Tocopherol, Antioxidant Support, Bone Health, Heart Health, Liver Health (detoxification), Metabolic Health (glucose control), Ocular Health, Methylation Support, Lipotropic Factors, Inflammation Control, Glycation Control, Bioflavonoid Profile, Phenolic Compounds Profile, and Potential Toxicities are discussed at high level.
Top rated products are highleted in two categories: Single Product and Combination Product. A single product includes a multi-vitamin and mineral, whereas combination product may include additional support such as bioflavonoid or phenolic compounds.
USANA Health Sciences (HealthPak 100 US and CA) – Editor’s Choice
Douglas Laboratories (Daily Essentials and Longevity Support Pack)
TrueStar Health (TruBASICS Plus for Men and Women)
We highly recommend this guide for consumers who recognize the increasing dangers in our environment and who are seeking the best formulated products on the market. The full edition is recommended for those who need all the scientific details and evidence backing up this report. A children’s multi-vitaman evaluation is also available in the Comparative Guide to Children’s Nutritionals, which compares over 160 US and CA products.
self-directed 15 month program in 2005 (note that HFL is now a 12 week program, and by using my team leader code, BXG, you can get a 20% discount on prices listed on the website). Within a few months, I had “shed” another 20 lbs to around 185, which has generally been my consistent weight since. Oh, sure Christmas and the holidays can take their toll, but I can now easily drop a quick 5 lbs. any time using the Reset. And my personal chef had similar results, since her cooking was now much more healthy. Barb lost about 25 lbs and had “shrunk” from a size 10 to 4/6.
