Ellen* - Plymouth, MI

For her entire adult life, and even most of her teen years, Ellen had tried almost every diet and only saw temporary success. All that changed when her youngest daughter was diagnosed with cancer at six months old and underwent five months of chemotherapy and eventually surgery. After celebrating her daughter’s first birthday, Ellen decided it was time to focus on her own well-being.

Instead of living to eat, now I eat to live. … What I have lost on the scale I have gained ten-fold in confidence, motivation and self-respect.

As Ellen revealed, “Many people think of only what they will lose when the number on the scale goes down … While those are all great things, I wanted to also celebrate the things that add value to my life as a result of weight loss: my wedding ring fitting again, being able to cross my legs comfortably, enjoying moving my body and exercising, buying new clothes and increased confidence in my appearance and health.”

Unlike her other attempts at weight loss, Ellen says committing to the OPTIFAST® Program was a welcome change in her weight loss journey, leading to quick results that helped keep her motivated longer, leading to a 45-lb weight loss.*

As for how she’s doing now after losing the weight, Ellen says, “I feel powerful and in control of my body. Food no longer has the same effect over me because I have proved to myself that I can choose my relationship with it and follow through.”

For other people currently struggling with their weight, Ellen has this advice: “Don’t enter into this lightly – you need to jump in with two feet. Do your research beforehand, set your intentions, tell your family and friends so they can keep you accountable and cheer you on … Lastly, lose weight for you and no one else – you’re worth it!”

^{*The success stories of Opt for OPTIFAST® Contest winners are representative of those individuals only and do not represent all OPTIFAST® patients. OPTIFAST® patients who actively participate in a 26-week program typically lose approximately 30 lbs. and maintained approximately a 25-lb. weight loss at 1 year. In a separate study, OPTIFAST® patients maintained an average weight loss of approximately 19 lbs. after 2 years and 15 lbs. after 3 years from starting the program.}