A fit and trim Donald Norton sheds high praise for the dietary plan offered by NutriMost Wellness and Weight Loss.

By Donald Norton

Before I begin, this is not a commercial for this or any other diet. I have no interest in the ownership of this diet that I am about to talk about. The results might be different, depending on the individual. I can only affirm what my experience is or was.

Getting old is not a good thing sometimes, but getting old and gaining weight is harder to lose than when you were younger. You keep saying to yourself, “If only I could just lose 20 to 30 pounds, I would feel much better.”

And you never do, but what you do is listen to the constant barrage of the many diets that are being advertised. You know we see them all the time, the pills you can order and they guarantee you will lose weight and when you order them they come and it’s take the pills, cut down on this and exercise – you’ll lose 5 pounds (ok, maybe it says more than 5 pounds). You get the pills on your credit card and once they are delivered you find out that you are getting charged monthly and these pills keep piling up (of course, you never take them).

Meanwhile you are listening to more lose weight fast commercials with stars saying “You too can lose 100 pounds” in six short months. You know the ones I am talking about. They show you before and after shots and, of course, they are toned up and look years younger and you find out by asking people that the diet you just saw cost in the end thousands of dollars. Then as soon as you’re off, you gain the weight back again.

One day, an old friend stopped in the office back in August. I hadn’t seen him in over a year. He was here on business and I noticed something different about him. I’ve known him going back to the 80’s in the business and was struck by the way he didn’t seem to age or get fat.

So I asked and he proceeded to tell me about his diet (I was prepared to listen, but like all the diets out there I was leery). He explained how it’s supervised by a once a week visit to a doctor, and that he would text a daily report on his weight.

The first phase of the diet was 40 days lose 40 pounds or more. He explained how he didn’t have to exercise, take special foods or buy shakes. It was based on a total calorie intake count daily. He was limited to 500 calories a day, no breakfast. They give you an outline of many foods you can eat but you had to keep track of the calories.

He told me he was given a diary and every day he would keep track of the food that he ate and how much. He talked about a friend of his that was on it and he got the idea from him. He mentioned that his wife also was on it and lost about 30 pounds. They were far beyond the diet program and hadn’t gained a pound. I got the name and number and immediately called and set up an appointment with the office, which is in Woburn.

I visited the NutriMost Wellness and Weight Loss office and sat with the doctor and he gave me a series of tests showing my body intake and then he went over what I would be required to do. He suggested I be limited to 650 calories a day since I have no medical problems. He spent enough time with me and didn’t rush. He answered all my questions and concerns, and the final straw that sold me was his comment, “You don’t have to exercise. And if you follow the diet you will see results immediately and not be hungry.”

I started the diet on August 22, weighing in at 245 pounds with a goal of 195 to 200 pounds by the end of 40 days, I was instructed not to eat any breakfast for the entire 40 days, just black coffee no sugar, and my meals were broken down to about 300 calories each.

The first day on the diet it’s officially eat all you want with no calorie count, so pig out on whatever you wanted. But starting on day 2, it was down to 650 calories and going with specified foods. He gave me various weight lose supplements and some other vegetable pills to curb the hunger urges I might have.

By the end of day 8, I was down to 231 pounds (yes that’s right 14 pounds). Every morning I would get up and weigh myself, then I would shower and weigh myself again and call in my weight.

On day 8,  I was in total shock and couldn’t believe it. I thought maybe the scale was broken but it wasn’t. The following 8 days it slowed down but I could notice it coming off. I was down to 225 pounds. Actually, I was for the next few days at the same weight with no loss, so he had me eat nothing for the day but 6 apples. That’s it, just 6 apples, 2-hours apart. He assured me that I would break through, and sure enough, 24 to 48 hours total I lost 5 pounds. I was amazed.

Now I could actually see it, and others were noticing the loss of weight too. Over the next 6 or 7 days I was still 220, one day down to 219 but back to 220, so he had me go out and buy raw coconut raw oil in paste form, get a large steak and cook it in the coconut oil and eat just that for the day with a tomato. Sure enough, I weighed in at 215 to 216 depending on the next 3 or so days.

Days 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 I couldn’t get lower, and once again he put me on an Apple Day (6 apples 2 hours apart, that’s it), and on day 29 I weighed in at 212, stayed at this for couple of days and on day 33 hit 210 pounds. Then on day 38 I dropped to 206 pounds.

By now I could see it not only in my arms, face and legs, I was feeling the weight loss in my waist. Originally at the beginning I was 42 inches, now I was at a 35-36 inch waist.

Over the next several days I eventually dropped to 200 pounds. Actually, the reading on the scale was 198 to 200 pounds. This was the end of phase one, which actually ran 44 days for me, and my weight was down from 245 to 200 pounds.

I went into the next phases (2 and 3), eating more calories up to in the following week at 1700 calories to where I am now at 2200 calories.

I am still seeing the doctor once a week, and just finishing seeing him in person on phase 4, and I am texting him the weight and keeping track every day.

Now, the first thing you’re going to say is that’s not enough calories to live on daily, and I thought the same thing myself. But I can honestly tell you I never was hungry, I never had the craving for any of my favorite foods, not even when I would go and get my wife our favorite breakfast out of Ball Square Café. I would sit there and smile the entire time she ate. I never was hungry.

Once I saw the results setting in and actually taking shape I was very much focused on doing this diet and getting down to where I can easily do things that 40 pounds hold you back from.

The best thing about this diet is that it has taught me to eat better, healthier, and be more conscious of what I was eating. I am not crazy for sweets, and I am not going to over-indulge. Do I give myself a treat every now and then? Yes. I have learned how to eat anything but not go overboard with the portion.

I have learned that at the age I am (69) I can be healthy and lose weight. It just takes focus and finding the right diet, and not a scam. The diet is local, right in Woburn. You hear the commercials all the time on the radio, but you can’t believe it’s true. Take it from me, I did it and lost 45 pounds in just over 40 days on 650 calories a day.

Most diets stop and you end up gaining weight back, and more. Most diets are scams and cost a lot, with no results. Go to your favorite pharmacy and see how many different pills you can buy to “lose weight.” They don’t work and you have not learned anything from it.

This diet is for me friendly, no exercise, no strange foods or shakes, no gym exercise (for people my age that’s the best part).

Go to www.newenglandweighloss.com or call Michael Pendolino, DC, at 781-938-9400. Make your appointment today and tell us how you did.

I swear by this diet and I know how I feel. You to can feel better, healthier and stay that way for as long as you want. I know it’s only been a short while, but I also know from others that have done this diet, they will tell you the same thing.

Be prepared to go and ask all the questions you want. I wish everyone the best of luck with it. Let me know how you did by going online to our paper’s website and tell us how your appointment went and how you’re doing with it.

Donald Norton is Broker Owner of The Norton Group, 699 Broadway. Publisher of The Somerville Times. Email Donald with any questions donaldfnorton@gmail.com