In 2004, Melissa didn’t feel much like talking. After two challenging pregnancies and lifestyle changes, “I was a junk food junkie and a sugar-aholic,” explains Melissa. I craved ice cream, donuts, and chocolate. I didn’t know how to choose the right foods, and I knew very little about supplementation. Life seemed hopeless, and my life kept spiraling downhill.” Melissa prayed for an answer, and in 2005, her mother-in-law introduced her to the writings of Jordan Rubin. She began to follow his plan for eating organic, natural foods, drinking plenty of pure water, resting, sunshine, exercise, and adding just the right supplements to her diet. Her waistline began to reappear, and her energy levels soared. When her Toledo Pastor, Tony Scott, asked for volunteers to join Rubin’s Perfect Weight America™ program, she was thrilled. She wanted to take her health to an even higher lever, and she yearned to lose additional pounds that stood in the way of her happiness.
At her heaviest, 5’ 11” Melissa had weighed in at 245 pounds. Now, her 160 pound figure is approaching her perfect weight. Her eyes sparkle as she describes her new-found self confidence and her mission in life: “I feel like a new person, 15 years younger, and all I want to do is to share this message of health and wellness with other people! I want others to know that this change is for life – forever, and that this plan is really doable, unlike so many other diets I’ve tried in my life. On one diet, I used to save up a week’s worth of points, just to blow them on a chocolate sundae. The only thing that did was to deepen my sugar cravings. I thank God that I found Rubin’s books just in time, and I thank Jordan for the mission he has for empowering others with extraordinary health.”
As Melissa changed her shopping habits, her cooking methods, and her entire pantry and refrigerator contents, she gradually lost excess weight. Her sleep patterns returned to normal. Exercise evolved from drudgery into fun. Melissa grew up in Michigan and Florida. She worked as a certified nursing assistant for two years in Tarpon Springs, and then felt called by God to serve as a missionary in India through Youth With a Mission (YWAM). During her six years as a health missionary, her diet of spicy Indian vegetarian dishes and flat breads helped her maintain her weight of 145 pounds. After returning to the United States and marrying her husband Jeff, she settled in Findlay, Ohio. Her dietary habits changed to the standard American fare of starches, sweets, chocolate, and junk food. Gradually, she gained weight. She hid her chocolate addiction from husband Jeff by hiding bags of chocolate treats in between the couch cushions. Jeff would head for work, and Melissa would head for the local ice cream parlor. During her first pregnancy, she justified her chocolate and ice cream indulgences since she was “eating for two.” Pregnant with Carson, she gained 100 pounds. She was heavy, and miserable.
Speaking with Melissa today, it’s hard to imagine she was ever overweight. The picture of health and vitality, this mother of two, fulfilled wife, and part-time massage therapist, Melissa exudes joy and self-confidence. She credits the principles she learned from Jordan Rubin for her current happiness and health. “Jordan Rubin saved my marriage, and he saved my life.” After following all the phases of Perfect Weight America, and continuing to maintain this lifestyle, she is a changed person. She has an engaging smile and a contagious dose of enthusiasm. “I’m getting all the nutrients my body needs, so I don’t even want sugar or chocolate anymore. I now know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to help others find their perfect weight, and to be a living testimony that anyone can achieve these same results with Perfect Weight America – everyone and every body!”