How James Went from Struggling to Walk to Running and Biking Like an Athlete

James had struggled with weight issues his entire life. By the time he graduated high school, he was nearing 250 pounds. And it wasn’t because he was muscular. It was because he kept packing on extra body fat and couldn’t figure out how to stop.

The weight issues only got worse through college, and especially afterward when he landed a desk job. By the time he was 36, James weighed 369 pounds.

As his weight kept creeping up, James worked to get it under control. He tried weight loss programs that promised results, but every time he was disappointed. He even did the intense, medically backed weight-loss programs offered through his healthcare provider. All with no luck. Sure, he’d have small successes, losing 10 or 15 pounds each time. But the minute the program ended, he’d gain back all the weight—and then some.

It was demoralizing. “It kind of builds up the resignation that, ‘Well, I guess I’m just always going to be like this. Because nothing really actually works,’ ” James recalls.

But as discouraged as he was, James wasn’t ready to give up on the hope of taking control of his weight—and his health. Sure, he was tired of having to buy larger clothes only to outgrow them again in a few months. But what really concerned him was that his bloodwork from his annual physicals was starting to show that his weight gain was affecting more than his wardrobe. He was starting to develop liver issues, and his insulin response showed that if he kept on his current path, he’d develop type 2 diabetes before long.

So James was pretty fed up and ready for real change when he heard an ad for Body N Balance. He decided to make a visit to Genesis to learn more. He liked what he heard about making a fundamental and permanent shift to his metabolism. After all, metabolism is at the root of weight struggles. So if he could totally reset his metabolism, maybe he’d get the lasting results he was after.

Another thing that impressed him about the Body N Balance program was how data-focused it was. As an engineer, James takes an analytical approach to everything, including his health. He liked that the team at Genesis didn’t just look at weight, they also considered all the factors that go into weight. They looked at measurements of digestion, hormone balance, immunity, and detoxification as well. That’s because a thorough understanding of how the body is functioning is the key to making the right changes to ensure lasting weight loss.

The thing that stood out most to James, though, was the stories of people who once were where he was but were able to lose weight—and keep it off.

“They actually had some success stories where there had been a lasting impact. And you don’t always hear about that from a lot of weight loss programs,” he recalls. “They always say, ‘So and so lost a bunch of weight.’ And then you never hear what happened to them afterwards.”

With his doctor’s blessing, James took the plunge

After learning more about Body N Balance, James talked to his physician about it. While she hadn’t heard of the program, she looked into it and thought it sounded promising.

She suggested he give it a try—but told him not to get his hopes up. After all, he’d been down similar roads before, and he’d been disappointed each time. She didn’t know (nor did he) that this time would be different.

The results came—fast

Within the first 40 days of starting the Body N Balance program, James lost about 40 pounds. And the weight just kept coming off. Over the course of the next year and a half, James lost 150 pounds.

And the best part is that, just like the success stories he heard when learning about the Body N Balance program, James has kept the weight off. It’s now been more than three years since he started, and he’s still holding steady.

Not only is his weight where he wants it to be, but he’s in the best shape of his life. 

Reaping the lifestyle benefits of weight loss

When James started the Body N Balance program, he was facing a fitness conundrum. He was so out of shape that he didn’t even have the strength or endurance needed to get started on an exercise program. In fact, he found himself unable to do basic activities that had always brought him joy in life.

“I used to volunteer with the Boy Scouts, and I’d go up to the scout camp to volunteer for a couple weeks,” James remembers. “Getting around up there was a lot of walking, and there’s a lot of hills. [My weight] limited what I could do. I’d have to be careful, because heaven forbid I go visit this other part of the camp, because I’m going to have to walk back. That was not a very good feeling.”

So James had to stop volunteering with the Boy Scouts. And that was a bit of a wake up call for him.

But since enrolling in Body N Balance, James has developed a level of physical fitness he never knew before. In fact, he recently did a 25-mile bike ride in the Black Hills of South Dakota with his dad—which is no small feat!

He also ran in—and won!— his first-ever 5k.

“I feel good, because when I need to be active on something, I can. I actually joined the volunteer fire department a couple years ago. Which is something I never could’ve done. I’m not the best person on there at being able to physically do some of the stuff yet, but as time goes on, and I continue getting into better shape, this stuff will get even better, too.”

Whole-person support made the difference

In addition to his incredible commitment and efforts, James attributes his success to the whole-person approach of the Body N Balance program. He points out that the Genesis team is unlike other diet “experts” he’s worked with in the past.

“They spend so much time teaching you about how different things that we eat and are around affect us,” James explains. “How some of this chemically manufactured food actually affects your body. They encourage you to do things that will make you healthier, even if, from time to time, they might not help you lose weight right off the bat.”

“Dr. Cadwell’s commitment is not to weight loss,” James says. “His commitment is to making you a healthy person. And the weight loss, when you become a healthy person, tends to take care of itself.”