Nancy LaFond hits the big time with her small figure

Nancy LaFond was healthy and thin her whole life -- until she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in 2005.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. People with this condition have trouble burning calories, and can gain up to 60 pounds as a result.

Despite eating right and exercising regularly, Nancy couldn't stop her body from packing on the pounds. At one point, she even gained seven pounds in a single week!

You can hear the rest of her emotional story here, courtesy of an interview Marnie and I conducted with Nancy last week.



Here's the nutshell version:

After she was diagnosed, Nancy worked with her doctor to stabilize her medication before she could tackle her weight gain. When her doctor gave her the go-ahead to take on her extra 30 pounds, she knew she wanted to join a program that would address her medical condition, while still helping her lose the weight.

This was easier said than done. When Nancy called one popular weight loss program and explained her situation, the receptionist told her she would have to stick with the set program, just like their other customers.

Discouraged and frustrated, Nancy made her next stop at the L A Weight Loss Center in Pineville, N.C. Two of her friends had successfully lost weight on the program, and she knew the program was based on customized meal plans.

When Nancy walked in the center, she immediately knew she'd made the right choice. Her personal counselor, Sarah, told her they were used to tailoring programs around thyroid ailments. In fact, 70 percent of the center's customers had thyroid issues.

Nancy worked with Sarah to refine her already healthy diet into one that would help boost her metabolism. This, along with Nancy's continuing exercise regimen, helped Nancy lose 30 pounds in eight months, bringing her back to her original 127-pound frame!! That was over a year ago -- and the weight is still off.

In fact, Nancy was so successful that L A Weight Loss chose her as their spokeswoman for its 8-Week Body Makeover campaign. She's currently appearing in TV and print ads to share her story, and inspire women nationwide to shape up before Memorial Day.

Here's Nancy before at 157 pounds:



And now here's our spokeswoman at 127 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Nancy LaFond
Hometown: Matthews, N.C.
Age: 44
Height: 5'2"

Starting weight: 157 pounds
Goal weight: 127 pounds
Current weight: 127 pounds
Program start date: July 2005

Favorite foods: Any kind of fruit, especially watermelon, grapes, and bananas.

Biggest temptation: Ice cream.

Biggest motivator: Seeing her "before" photo every day (she kept it on her dresser).

Biggest obstacle: Trying to counteract the effects of her thyroid ailment.

Old eating philosophy: A well-balanced diet, but in the wrong proportions.

New eating philosophy: Learning how to incorporate her favorite fruits and vegetables in the right way to boost her metabolism.

Best thing about losing weight: Being selected as the spokesperson for L A Weight Loss's 8-Week Body Makeover campaign.

Best weight loss secret learned: Weight loss does not equal starvation or deprivation.

Whoopi Goldberg discusses weighty matters on "Today"

You might have seen our newest spokesperson, Whoopi Goldberg, showing off her new figure on our Web site and in commercials aired across the country.

This morning she took her story to "Today," where she chatted with Al Roker, Ann Curry, and Natalie Morales about dropping 45 pounds in 23 weeks on the L A Weight Loss program.

Click on the image below to view the entire segment.



Here's Whoopi 23 weeks ago:



And here she is today, 45 pounds lighter and sassy as ever:



As Whoopi herself might say, "You go girl!"

Jane Blake: From "big legs" to the big time

I'm sure you've seen weight loss ads on TV that show the "before and after" photos and thought, "Yeah, right. That *can't* be the same person." Maybe some weight loss ads from some companies are airbrushed.

But in the case of L A Weight Loss, every person, story, and photo we feature in our advertising and on this blog is 100 percent authentic. Not only do we post actual, unretouched photos; we also post Podcasts of unrehearsed, unedited interviews (scroll down and through the archives to find them).

Take Jane Blake, for example. This San Diego mother of three was featured in a number of national advertisements for L A Weight Loss' Thinner by the Minute program.

She dropped 44 pounds in 16 weeks on the program. She was so successful, she was selected as our national spokesperson for the Thinner by the Minute program.

But things weren't always so rosey for Jane. At 187 pounds on her 40th birthday, her son innocently told her she had "big legs." That was the final push she needed to start shedding the weight she'd gained from three pregnancies over 10 years.

You can read more about Jane's amazing transformation, and how she did it through Thinner by the Minute in this press release we issued back in September.

And if you're a member of the press, you can freely interview Jane, or any of the women featured on this blog, anytime. Just write to me and I'll set it up.

Here's Jane at 187 pounds with her son:



Here she is 16 weeks later, at 143 pounds. No more "big legs" for this mom!



FAST FACTS

Name: Jane Blake
Age: 40

Starting weight: 187 pounds
Goal weight: 155 pounds
Current weight: 143 pounds
Program start date: September 2005

Biggest motivator: She wanted to be the "cool" mom. Her weight kept her from getting involved with her kids' school activities.

Best thing about losing weight: She loves getting up every morning.

Old eating philosophy: Lots of red meat, chocolate, and sweets.

New eating philosophy: Fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.

Best weight loss secret learned: Eat six to seven small meals a day, instead of three large ones.

Carol Ann Parlato to Canada: Turn over a new leaf!

We distributed a press release today announcing the selection of Carol Ann Parlato as L A Weight Loss' Canadian spokesperson for the new Holiday Makeover Campaign.

A lot of work goes into the development of a press a release like this one. A big part is the interview with the key players. With the help of blogging, we can take the people from behind the scenes of a press release, and share the actual, unrehearsed interview that we used for our announcement today.

So as promised, we've turned our interview with Carol Ann into an unedited Podcast!

This is the complete interview that I conducted with my colleague Janelle. It has a lot more information than we could ever fit into a two-page news release. And once you hear her interview, I think you'll agree when I say that Carol Ann is *perfect* for the job of spokeswoman -- she's one peppy L A gal!



Before you listen to the interview, here's some background on Carol Ann. She went through a very tough divorce nine years ago. For a long time afterwards, she just stayed in her shell and ate lots of high-fat and high-calorie foods as a way to fill her emotional void.

As a representative for Lancome, Carol Ann coached and motivated other beauty consultants. But at the end of day, it was Carol Ann who needed a coach to help pull her out of her shell and stop her from binge eating.

Carol Ann became so disgusted with her appearance and unhappy with her life, she finally did something about it. She joined L A Weight Loss, and found the coaching she needed!

With the help of her counselors, Carol Ann lost 54 pounds in just five months, reaching her goal weight just before the start of 2006. Carol Ann celebrated the new year with a smokin' new body!

If you are with the media and would like to interview Carol Ann, drop me a line at Jackie@GregoryFCA.com, or call me at 610-642-8253, ext. 138.

If you're a visitor to the blog, post a comment if you would like to get in touch with Carol Ann, or share your thoughts and feelings about her story.

Here's a shot of Carol Ann before she started her diet, at 182 pounds:



Here she is today, looking smart at 128 pounds. Congrats, Carol Ann!



FAST FACTS

Name: Carol Ann Parlato
Hometown: Ottawa, Canada
Age: 53
Height: 5'4"

Starting weight: 182 pounds
Goal weight: 128 pounds
Current weight: 128 pounds
Program start date: August 2005

Biggest motivator: Each day discovering a little extra bounce in her step.

Biggest obstacle: Getting over the emotional void.

Old eating philosophy: Extra-large portions and extra snacking after supper.

New eating philosophy: Eating foods from each food group, and balancing proteins with carbs.

Best thing about of losing weight: Being able to inspire others to lose weight and find happiness.

Best weight loss secret learned: Be patient!

Meet our new Canadian spokesperson

Of the hundreds of L A Weight Loss clients I've talked to over the years, Carol Ann Parlato of Ottawa definitely ranks as one of the most enthusiastic and articulate. She could easily be captain of the L A Weight Loss pep squad!

That's probably why she was chosen as the spokesperson for our Holiday Makeover campaign, which is already in full swing. We're going to be issuing a press release about her in the next week or so, announcing her appointment as our Canadian spokesperson.

I'm also hoping to post a Podcast interview with her in a day or so. Watch this space to hear her inspiring story, which led L A Weight Loss to select her for their national TV ads.

Checkout her amazing before and after photos. Here she is at 182 pounds in October, 2004, wearing a size 16:



Here she is in July, down to 128 pounds and a size 6:



Way to go, Carol!!!