YOU Can Do It!

"Lost 4 inches from my waist! I fit into the robes at the hair salon again."

I watched Dr. Roizen several times on a Toronto TV program and decided I just had to try YOU: On a Diet. I have not regretted one second! Like so many people, I have tried numerous plans throughout my life and never had long-lasting success. I feel so good and optimistic about this program! I know I can stay with it forever.

I'm 56 and have a family history of health issues -- heart trouble on my father's side and cancer on my mother's side. My dad died of atherosclerosis at 79, and mom died of pancreatic cancer at 72. When I began the program in January, I weighed 216 pounds, my waist was 41 inches, and my BMI was 39.6. Just one month later, I weighed 190, my waist was 37 inches, and my BMI was 34.8. I lost 4 inches from my waist in 4 weeks!

In February, I got my treadmill. I don't know what I would do without it. I'm averaging 3.5 miles a day and spend at least 30 minutes a session at different inclines. I tallied my distances over 5 days and discovered that I walked the equivalent of 19.2 miles. I was delighted! I do not feel tired or depleted after the sessions. In fact, to my surprise, I feel invigorated. This has made a dramatic difference in my energy level.

A wonderful confirmation for me (women will relate to this): I went to a new hair salon the other day and, instead of placing a cape over me, they gave me a cloth robe to wear. For more years than I can count, I was never been able to close the robe over my chest, and when I tied it, I looked like a wrapped sausage. But not now! Hurray!! I was able to slip it on and tie the belt with no problem. As I looked in the mirror, I thought, "Gosh, I look pretty good today. Must be my makeup." And then I realized, nope, not the makeup. My face has definition now. I liked what I saw!

Thank you Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz! You have changed my life!

"Just 15 pounds to go to reach my mini-goal . . ."

I'm 41 and YOU: On a Diet came along at just the right time. When I started, I weighed 289 pounds and had a 54-inch waist. To date, I've lost about 46 pounds and 11 inches. My blood pressure is now in the normal range or a little below, and I plan on seeing my physician to see if I can get my meds reduced or be taken off them completely.

This is the only diet I have ever been on, except for a 10-day failed attempt at Atkins a couple years ago, and a low-calorie thing I did when I was 13. But with high blood pressure that wasn't responding to medication, and cramps every time I bent over to pick up a penny, my wife and I decided it was time for a change. My mother was also going for triple bypass surgery -- and she's not that big.

We cleaned out our cabinets and marked things to be tossed and then replaced with something better. Foods with high-fructose corn syrup, more than 4 grams of sugars or 4 grams of saturated fats, or with hydrogenated oils and trans fats, are gone. Also gone: foods that don't have whole-grain flour.

We bought fruits and veggies and found healthier replacements for foods we could not do without -- sandwich bread, hot dogs, pizza crust and sauce, spaghetti, etc. We no longer eat pork, and we have lean ground beef only once a week, if that. Many meals that we would normally make with ground beef -- like chili or tacos -- we now make with ground buffalo. Delicious! And we're eating more turkey, chicken, and tuna.

We have also decreased portion sizes -- so that we are satisfied, not stuffed -- and walk between 30 and 60 minutes a day. We were already drinking diet sodas and juices, but now have flavored water instead of sodas most of the time.

I have 15 pounds to go to reach my mini-goal and 45 pounds to reach my big goal. This diet has worked for me!

"My BMI is down to 26.8 from 30. Looking forward to teaching my son to play hoops some day . . ."

I'm 31 and have been following the YOU: On a Diet program for some time. I watched the YOU: On A Diet special on the Discovery Health Channel and bought the CD version of the book to listen to during my commute to work. I've lost 24 pounds and trimmed 6 inches off my waist. My BMI is down from 30 to 26.8. As a medical laboratory technician, I am able to run my own blood work and have seen significant drops in my cholesterol and triglycerides!

I had a lot of motivation for starting the program, as I have struggled with my weight for my entire adult life. I went from 145 pounds in college to 231 pounds a couple of years ago -- I delivered our first child in August and was overweight when I got pregnant. It was not an easy pregnancy, due to health problems -- chronic hypertension, insulin-dependent gestational diabetes, multiple ovarian cysts, and a blood-clotting disorder.

Thankfully, I only gained 12 pounds and lost that within 2 weeks. But I went back to my old eating habits and started to regain the weight. My husband recently had gastric bypass surgery, and I didn't want to get to that point myself. I realized that if my husband was serious enough about getting healthy to go through surgery, I could make changes as well.

I have been a vegetarian since I was 5 and appreciate that the YOU: On a Diet program is vegetarian-friendly. I am currently breastfeeding, so I allow myself extra calories by snacking on almonds and other nutritious snacks. I do not feel deprived at all and feel that our son will benefit from these changes. He will grow up learning better eating habits.

I am excited about the program and look forward to what lies ahead. My health will only continue to improve as I lose weight and get more active. One of my goals is to decrease my blood pressure medication and eventually go off it. I also know that by losing more weight, I will lower my risk for blood clots in the future.

I was a basketball player in college and am looking forward to getting back in shape and in good enough health so that I can teach my son to play hoops some day.

I am very grateful to Drs. Oz and Roizen for developing this plan!

"I still have a long way to go, but I'm going to do it!"

I started out weighing 246.5 pounds and am down to 236.5 pounds. My waist has gone from 43.5 inches to 40 inches. My BMI was 39.8 and is now 38.2. I still have a long way to go, but I'm going to do it! I want to have a smaller waist by the time I complete graduate school!

I have met the most fantastic group of ladies on the YOU: On a Diet message boards -- part of the Serious Buddy thread. We plan on meeting in Las Vegas next year when we get to goal. We are the little black dress society. We exchange words of encouragement and recipe ideas, and check in almost daily.

The hardest thing for me is to make time to do the strength and toning exercises. I have had a tremendous amount of stress for the past 8 months, but I can handle it now. I realize that my stress has kept the weight hanging on.

I want to inspire my husband to lose weight since he is diabetic and on high blood pressure medicine. I want my kids to look at me and say "Wow." I share my new way of life with everyone who will listen.

I love the YOU Docs! I have watched them on Discovery Health and the Oprah show and can't get enough of them. Dr. Oz cracks me up when he's on Oprah. I would love to personally thank them for giving me a way to live life to the fullest!

"With just a few more weeks on this diet, I have no doubt I will be taken off my blood pressure meds . . ."

I'm an extremely obese woman, but I won't be this way forever. Not anymore! While I'm definitely a work in progress, I'm on the right track to a healthy new me.

I'm 46 and have been overweight most of my adult life. My heaviest weight (recorded on December 29, 2006) was 270 pounds with a waist of 54 inches and BMI of 46.5. I have been on high blood pressure medication going on 4 years. With just a few more weeks on this diet, I have no doubt I will be taken off the meds.

I have tried so many fad diets that I've lost count. Still, I picked up YOU: On a Diet and thought I would give it a shot because I had seen Dr. Oz on Oprah, and he really made sense to me. Once I bought the book, I couldn't put it down! This was the first time in my life that someone explained (in plain English) what I was doing to my body. I absorbed the information like a sponge. Reading it gave me hope that there was something I could do to lose this weight and get myself healthy.

Since then, I have followed the doctors' recommendations and consistently lost pounds and inches. I look forward to my weight and measurement days on Fridays. At last measure, I had lost 25 pounds and 10 inches. My waist is now 44 inches, my weight is 245 pounds, and my BMI is 42.5 -- all of this in just 7 weeks! I have not been hungry once and no longer crave the sweets that I did for years. It's like a miracle.

I will always be grateful to the doctors for writing this book. I want people to know that this program works, and that I'm proud of the woman I am now -- and even more excited about the woman I'll be in a year!