Why LEAP? / Benefits of LEAP

They say it takes a while for people to notice you have lost weight. And then, all of a sudden, after you have been sweating and committing for MONTHS, out of the blue, you get asked.

"Have you lost weight?" 

Well, of course you have. That's why they asked. And you (I) wish they would have asked a few months ago, when I was at the hard part. Anyway... I always answer with a number. "25 pounds." Then the next question.

"What are you doing?" 

This is where it gets tricky for me these days. My answers in the past sounded like this:

"Atkins" 

"Slim Fast" 

"Weight Watchers" 

"Low Carb" 

"Mediterranean Diet" 

and so on. Some are embarrassing to admit I tried! 

And people would nod in agreement, because they totally knew what I was talking about. Now? When I say "I'm following a program called LEAP" I get blank stares and lots of questions. I start to go into the story of how I was feeling so bad, and then I met this amazing nutritionist, and took a blood test, and cured myself of all kinds of stuff. By this time, their eyes are getting glazed over (much like a donut I cannot have anymore) because (most of the time) all they really wanted to know was how I lost the weight. Oh yeah, by the way, I lost weight too. But not having weight loss be the primary reason to do a "diet" is so foreign to people. Not me anymore. I drank the Kool-Aid filtered lemon water and I am all about it.

I thought I would do a blog post listing why I do what I do. Why I gave up foods that I "loved" and am "depriving" myself and "not enjoying life". Quotations added to show sarcasm :) because this is a huge misconception about LEAP. I want people to know what LEAP really does for you - besides helping you lose weight.  I am also writing because I have had a few friends and even my MOM say "Just tell me what you are doing and maybe it will work for me too." Well, the thing is, it doesn't work that way. Because LEAP is a personalized program that starts with a blood test (with your blood!) and your results are going to be different from anyone else's. It's like going to a friend's house, opening their medicine cabinet, and taking their prescription for heart medicine because you have an ear ache. It's literally the wrong way to treat yourself and can wind up hurting you. Same thing with LEAP. Everyone's sensitivities will be different!

Here's the skinny (full disclosure: pun is always intended) on the benefits of doing LEAP

• Weight Loss. OK I am putting this first just in case that's all you want to know. But weight loss is what I like to call a "happy side effect" of LEAP. If you just want to lose weight, I highly recommend Weight Watchers. It's one of the most balanced diets out there and it will help you to learn portion control and healthy guidelines. Look at Jennifer Hudson.  She looks amazing, and is keeping it off.  WW lets you see how much you are really eating, giving insight to why you are not losing weight. So that's that. I am actually doing WW myself now (more on that later) in conjunction with LEAP, because I need to be held accountable. 

PLEASE NOTE: even though weight loss shouldn't be the only reason you try LEAP, if you are unable to lose weight no matter what you try, it may be for an underlying condition which would benefit from doing LEAP and is worth a shot! This was true in my case! Check out the links at the end of this post.

Here are the REAL reasons you should consider doing LEAP. These are chronic conditions that can be made worse by food sensitivities (which LEAP will identify for you) The highlighted ones were my reasons!

• Irritable Bowel syndrome, Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and heartburn
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue or general malaise
• Restlessness, irritability, depression, anxiety and mood swings
• Muscle or joint pain, aching or stiffness
• Chronic Sinusitis or sinus pain, runny nose, stuffy nose, post nasal drip
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• ADHD
• Eczema, Dermatitis, Psoriasis and other skin rashes
• Obesity and weight imbalances
• Thyroid disorders
• PCOS and related infertility issue
• Health: All you have to do is look at the laundry list of symptoms I came to Emily with to figure out how LEAP can benefit these issues. I had suffered (not being dramatic, it was suffering) from all of those things for YEARS. My biggest concerns were my digestive issues and my fibromyalgia. I knew that my fibro was most likely caused by some kind of inflammation in my body but no doctor could really help me understand it. I hurt ALL THE TIME. So I researched it a lot online and started to try things like cutting out sugar, which would help a little but not provide significant relief. I had pain which no one could explain, and that's enough to make someone feel crazy (and the fact that some doctors wanted to prescribe me Prozac only confirmed that). I knew I wasn't crazy (I know, that's what crazy people say) so that wasn't a good solution for me. My results of being on LEAP gave me a 50+ point reduction in my LDL (lousy) cholesterol, causing my cardiologist to fist pump me in the office. I had had an allergic reaction to my Simvastatin and the healthy eating and exercise habits I developed on LEAP helped naturally lower my high cholesterol. Also, since I had taken up running, my injuries such a shin splints, sore ankles etc started to lessen. Partially due to the weight loss I am sure, but I also need to give credit to the healthier eating I was doing. I recovered rather quickly from the pain of my first half marathon last October. The fact that I was able to FINISH one was nothing short of a miracle! My fibromyalgia is GONE BABY GONE. Vanished. Finito. I want to shout it from the rooftops! This is how I know this works. 

• Medicine: As a result of being on LEAP, I no longer need a pill to control my cholesterol. I am also off of my Nexium (previously on Prevacid)  for my GERD (which I had been taking for over 7 years) and off of my daily dose of Miralax (my doctor's "fix" for my digestive issues. I had taken it every day for almost 3 years and knew THAT wasn't healthy!) I am kind of saving a lot of money at the drugstore these days because food is my medicine (a philosophy Emily talks about often on her Facebook page) and found a healthy digestive enzyme Emily recommended that has my tummy under control and doing what it should.

• Mood: Those of you who know me may find it hard to believe I had mood swings. And those of you who REALLY know me will not find it so hard to believe :) I was irritable a LOT, and it wouldn't take much to set me off. Don't get me wrong - coming from NY, I am still capable of some zingers when called for - but overall, I am a more pleasant, patient person, and my family has taken notice. "I" have taken notice! Sometimes I am like, "Wow, that really would have bothered me last year" and am able to overcome it with without losing my temper or having a meltdown. All because of the food I am eating. Hmmph. Who'da thunk it. 

• Clarity: The "fibro fog" you hear about is a real thing. All I can say is that I am literally cured of my fibromyalgia and all the unpleasantness that came from it, including the mental fog that clouded my days. I feel much more aware and mindful and in tune with life in general. That is not some "new age" way of saying I am groovy man, and in touch with the universe - I am just saying that I feel sharper mentally. Look out ;)

• Sleep: I used to be able to sleep all day if you let me. On my days off, it was not unheard of to wake up at 1. As in, one p.m. And my sleep was not a "restful" sleep. And my over indulgences of the day would lead to uncomfortable night times when I would literally cry myself to sleep (this is honesty, people) because I was so full, and guilty about what I had eaten. Now? I go to sleep like a baby and am able to wake up at a decent hour. "Sleeping in" lasts til 9am these days. 

• Energy: Before LEAP I was tired ALL THE TIME. Even after sleeping for 9 hours, I was just exhausted all day. A few weeks into the program, I was jumping out of bed at 7:30 a.m. and not finding myself yawning at lunchtime. It was a palpable feeling, and quickly became addictive. I looooove not being tired during the day! 

• Migraines: This is also on the LEAP list of conditions that can be helped. I would get such bad migraines, I couldn't blink without cringing. News flash: I have not had a migraine in just about a year. When did I start LEAP? Just about a year ago. Coincidence? Me thinks not. 

• Cravings: One of my favorite "Eureka!" moments (and I have had lots) during this program was one night, about 3 weeks after I started LEAP, I realized out of the blue that I didn't want anything to eat. That nothing in the cupboards or freezer was "calling my name" and that I was not mindlessly opening and closing the fridge or cabinet doors looking for something to satisfy my cravings. Still, to this day, my cravings are all but gone. Sometimes I "get a hankering" for something, but it's different. (Tonight, it was grapes). It's not like "I have to have this NOW" like I used to get when I ate sugar (lots and lots of sugar!). "Eating clean" and not having processed foods has my body getting the nutrients it needs and my body is a happy (satisfied) camper. I eat normal portions and am satisfied with normal portions. I have not felt "stuffed" since starting LEAP. Not once. 

• Cooking: Boy, did I learn a lot. I have tried things I never thought I would try. And I became hyper-aware of the ingredients in everything I bought (in the beginning, what I bought WAS the ingredient!) and now, I am a CLC (Certified Label Checker. Self-proclaimed.) Before, my label checking consisted of making sure the 1st word on my bread ingredient list was "whole" because that's what I had been taught. Silly girl! I experimented with new recipes and had both success and failures but I learned to try new things (pinto beans and almond flour are LEAP favorite finds) I have alternatives to the things I "loved" (tonight was a brownie batch, and it was better than the other ones pre-LEAP for real.) Check out Emily's Pinterest page to get some amazing LEAP friendly recipes! She has them categorized by food type so you can easily find your non-reactive foods. This was a LIFESAVER during my first few weeks! 

So, those are the best benefits of LEAP, and ones that I am now not willing to trade in for anything I have had to give up. I do not want to go back to the life I had before, because it was not an abundant life. I felt crappy, I looked crappy (pictures now confirm my puffiness and bloating) and I did not have a happy heart. 

When I weighed in Friday, I realized I had lost 20% of my body weight. Even though I have been going on about LEAP not being a weight-loss plan, I can't say that I am not thrilled about this milestone, because I know the health benefits I will reap. Healthier heart, lowered risk of diabetes...I am out of the "obese" category on the BMI chart. It's very empowering for me. LEAP gave me back my confidence, and allowed me to heal my body inside-out. 

Wanna take a LEAP of faith? How to start? My best resource is the person who started me on my LEAP journey, the person I keep talking about, :) Emily. Check out her website on all things LEAP for detailed info. She was simply a blessing in the midst of all of my confusion about where to start and what to do, and she gave me the kick the the rear (lovingly disguised as encouragement) I needed to get me going. I went "all in" and took my LEAP of faith and I am so happy I trusted the process, which I do not think I would have done without Emily. She will work with you long-distance (I am in PA, she is in Utah, and she might as well have been right next door because she was always there for me.) 

Let me say that I have absolutely, positively nothing to gain by talking about LEAP or Emily. You can try to find someone near you if you want. But I know that my experience with Emily made all the difference (Emily I know you are reading this and I apologize if I am making you blush!) I simply am so excited about this new abundant life of mine and I want to share however I can, because I know there is someone out there who is just like me and looking for answers and if I can help just that one person, then I am paying it forward. LEAP made me want to go back to school to take some nutrition classes because it literally changed my life. I get asked questions, so I am providing a resource for answers. Do your own research and see if LEAP is right for you based on what you might be going through. Make an investment in yourself like I did; it is a priceless gift and one that I am thankful for every day. 

There are sacrifices; there are things you "love" now (but do not love you back!) that you might think you will "miss" - but LEAP helps you get over that emotional attachment to food, once you realize the physical (and mental) benefits. When my mom realized that I do not eat dairy, she said "Well if I am reactive to milk I am not giving it up because I enjoy my lattés too much." Another friend said that she was "afraid to do the test because it might say something she didn't want to hear." Lemme tell ya, if you are not willing to give up a certain food even after you find out it is making you sick, you are SO not going to do well on LEAP. Why even bother?  I made up my mind that after trying everything, I was willing to do what I had to do. Because I was sick & tired of being sick & tired, cow's milk be damned! 

I am not a paid LEAP spokesperson (but will happily take the gig if it's available, haha) - I am just an average person who went way too many years being misdiagnosed for things that could be treated with simply eating the right food. I do not want to lament the years that I feel were "wasted"- but boy oh boy, am I cherishing the years my days are making now, because I have literally never felt so good in my life. I am still "all in" and loving every minute of it. This is what LEAP did for me! Feel free to comment if you are a fellow LEAP-er to encourage those who might need it. 

Diana 

P.S. The picture on this blog is from Christmas; I celebrated my 30-pound milestone. Now, in July, I am at 37 pounds. Doing the math, you will see this is a "slow and steady" kind of thing. I was in maintenance for a while and am now pushing towards my goal in a healthy manner using WW to count my "points" as I follow my LEAP program. I need this because if I do not 'count', I tend to under eat. This is what works for me; in the beginning of LEAP it's important NOT to focus on the counting (calories or points or whatever) as you calm down your immune system.