At the end of the summer of 2000, I weighed in at 235 pounds.  Being 6' tall and not very active in sports or exercise, I had a nicely formed belly and a spare tire to go with it.  I didn’t feel good about the way I looked, and I didn't feel healthy.  Over the 5 or 10 years prior, I had been very prone to sickness – bad allergies, colds, flu, viruses, sore throats, severe sinus infections (up to 5 a year), diarrhea and/or constipation, and even couple rounds with walking pneumonia.  I was on antibiotics about every 3 months for one thing or another.  I battled mild headaches almost every day from the moment I got up to the moment I hit the sack.  I had to take antacids regularly to keep heartburn at bay, and had to deal with lower back pain on a regular basis.  I was constantly tired, sluggish and stressed out, and I was unproductive in both my professional and personal life.  I was so sickly that in 1998, I actually logged over 160 sick hours of sick time - that's 4 full weeks!  I knew that clearly, something needed to change.

I started on the Healthy For Life system in November of 2000.  After a little over a month of taking the 3 supplements faithfully every day, I noticed a subtle and simple change - I flat out felt better!  I had more energy, but I wasn't bouncing off the walls - it was a steady energy level that lasted all day long.  I was sleeping better, and at the same time I didn't need as much sleep (about 5-6 hours would do where before it had to be at least 8) and my daily headaches were now almost completely gone.  Although I hadn't changed my diet very much, I still had lost about 5 pounds, and I started to notice that my clothes didn't fit me very well anymore - they were too big!  I had dropped over an inch off my waist.

I decided it was time to really get with it - start eating sufficient protein for my size, and cut back on the carbs.  I started eating more meals with bacon, eggs, cheese, butter, steak, chicken, pork, fish, nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and stopped eating the processed foods and the low-fat, low-cholesterol, ‘light’, or ‘lite’ foods that were supposed to be “good for you”.  I started cooking for myself more often instead of eating those “meal-in-a-box” dinners all the time, and found that I saved money and the food taste great!

By May of 2001, just 6 months after starting the Healthy For Life program, I had slimmed down to 185 - 50 pounds lighter than before!  My waistline went from 40” to 34” by the end of the summer; my extra-large shirts were too big for me, and even my shoes were roomy.  I was much more happy with the way I looked, and I felt fantastic.  I had no idea what being healthy was supposed to feel like!

I also realized something - food is supposed to taste great, and it's supposed to fill you up and keep you full for more than a couple hours!  In fact, most days I would only need 2 meals to keep my appetite fulfilled all day long, and I didn't feel like snacking as much as I used to.  My food budget dropped fast, and the Healthy For Life supplements ended up paying for themselves.

After 2-1/2 years on the Healthy For Life program, I have maintained my weight at between 175 and 180 with very little effort.  I play volleyball once a week during the winter and summer.  Only recently have I started going to the gym about two days a week to swim and lift weights.  I haven't had a sinus infection in nearly a year and a half, have only had a few colds, and 2 bouts with the flu - all of which only lasted a day or two at the most, and then I was back to full strength.

Also, for as long as I can remember I have been prone to nosebleeds.  I had been told that this was probably hereditary, like my allergies, and that the membranes in my nasal passages were so thin that the capillaries were literally bulging out where normally they are not, so they tend to dry out and crack easier.  Typically, I would get at least one nosebleed a week, but during dry season and allergy seasons I would get nosebleeds up to 4 times a day, lasting up to 20 minutes and some lasting more than 30 minutes.  Constant mild allergic reactions caused my nose to run, so I was frequently blowing my nose, which added to the problem.  It was so bad at one point in my childhood that I went to a doctor several times to get the blood vessels my nose cauterized, which resulted in scar tissue in my nasal passage.

Since I started the Healthy For Life program, my nosebleeds have almost completely disappeared.  I still get them on occasion, but it’s usually only during the winter when the air is very dry or during the spring or fall when my allergies act up, and then rarely do they last more than 5 minutes.  Also with regards to ‘nose problems’, my allergies do not bother me like they used to.  Being in situations that used to bring on a full-blown reaction, from sinus swelling to frontal-lobe headaches to sinus infections, hardly bother me at all.  Daily headaches are a thing of the past, whether allergy-related or not, they are rare and easily remedied with minimal over-the-counter medication.  The last time I got a prescription for antibiotics from a doctor was over a year ago, and the medication is still sitting in my medicine cabinet because whatever I had cleared up the day after I got the prescription.

As you can tell, Healthy For Life has literally changed my life.  I wake up in the morning rested and refreshed, with plenty of energy to take on the day.  I don’t have to worry about fighting headaches, allergies, sickness, and exhaustion like I used to, instead I look forward to what the day will bring.  I would recommend the Healthy For Life to anyone!  - Bud