We've all faced them: depression, addiction, anxiety. Often times, these are caused by changes in our life, stress, or weight gain. The worst part is that we find ourselves in a loop where the cause is the effect and the effect refuels the cause. Sometimes we feel that we can't get out, but Mario reminds us that we can. We just need to believe!
Mario recounts his incredible journey below, where it all started when he was just a young boy. For him it wasn't just that he had unhealthy weight issues, or he was depressed, or his environment wasn't the best for a young kid. It was all of them, and they were all connected. For Mario, meeting Dr. D and training with her at WELLTRAXwas the catalyst that gave him the motivation and strength to do what he needed to do to change his life around.
Mario's testimony:
Hello,
About 15 years ago, I became one of Dr. Dunegan's clients. At the time, I was a depressed, extremely overweight teenager with low self-esteem, depression and a not-so-ideal living situation. I compensated for this stress the way most people do. Which is how I picked up my first addiction, food.
In the beginning, it was not easy. Lifestyle changes never are. I combated my home issues, changed my diet drastically by counting calories and started off slow when it came to pushing myself. Success is the ultimate motivator they say. After I started dropping weight it also became much easier to stay motivated, especially when I exercised doing something I enjoy very much, which is rollerblading. I went from my heaviest at 240 when i was 14 to my lowest at about 156 just about when I hit 17. The progress like I said wasn't immediate, but after I got my feet on the ground for the first year I pushed and struggled until I finally adhered to the program Jacque had laid out for me.
I had never felt better, but due to my youth and inexperience, I took my success for granted. For a good part of my 20s I fell back into my old ways, and battled other addictions. I didn't take to heart that it's a lifelong commitment to staying healthy. It's a routine, and you have to always get back up even if you have a bad day. I had a wake-up call some time ago, and used the same tools Jacque had given me to work on getting back on track to where I used to be. And it did not fail. I lost around the same amount of weight (again) and have kept it off this time.
The thing I've learned the most through my ordeals is that there's no such thing as a quick fix. Wellness isn't something you can do for a couple years, feel better and live how you want. It's something you have to work at every day. Motivation and never giving up are the most important factors when it comes to healthy weight loss and leading a healthier lifestyle. No matter how bad your day is it doesn't give you the excuse to eat whatever you want, not exercise, or even worse grab that drink you know is bad or pop that pill you know is hurting you. Had I permanently instilled that philosophy in my mind when I was younger I wouldn't of had to struggle so much as I got older. But none of this would of been possible to begin with had I not worked the program that was given me by Dr. Dunegan.
A big thanks to Mario for allowing us to share his wonderful and inspiring journey!
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