The days dragged on. Debbie Hoffman ate healthier meals with no results. Surfing the internet for help, she only saw the same old plans. They’ve all stopped working for me, she thought. In college, she had gained and lost 50 pounds. Then the pattern repeated itself over and over again, with each ride on the diet roller coaster less effective than the last. Meanwhile, her cravings for pizza, sandwiches, and sweets grew stronger. By Debbie’s third pregnancy, she gained 100 pounds and felt the first throbs in her joints. When the throbbing became unbearable, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and a condition called scleroderma. Strong medications, cortisol injections, and surgeries had mostly kept it under control, until now thanks to a simple probiotic diet plan.
“Hi, Mom,” said Sarah, Debbie’s daughter, who had stopped by to check on her. Looking at her mother’s computer, she asked, “Are you starting a diet?” Debbie shrugged.
“Well, I’m starting one,” Sarah said. “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” She began to describe a challenge she had heard about with healthy eating and probiotic supplements. He was endorsed by famous athletes. I hope I’m not wasting too much money, Debbie thought.
Fast forward three months: Sarah had lost 50 pounds. “Do you want to try it, mom?” Sarah asked. Debbie looked at her beaming daughter. She had never wanted to try a diet anymore…
a little something new
By reading the guidelines, Debbie learned that she would eat five meals a day, mostly protein and vegetables, with some fruit and healthy fats. To enhance the effect of probiotics in the regimen, she could add a fiber supplement or get a ‘prebiotic’ starch from options like beans or potatoes. Sarah gave him a sample menu. I’ll follow him exactly so there’s less to find out, she thought. “Prepare as far in advance as you can. So healthy meals are easy to combine,” Sarah suggested. So Debbie made vegetables and chicken for a week.
The next day, Debbie had a simple meal: eggs, an apple with nut butter, chicken salad, hummus, a stir fry. She took her supplements, including vitamins and a probiotic. She had eaten similar meals on other plans, but the probiotic was new. “I thought they were just for swelling,” she told Sarah after several days. “But taking them makes me feel so good!” Debbie had more energy and less hunger than she did on any other diet. “Even my pain is better,” she marveled at herself. She lost 11 pounds in a hurry and realized: it’s working!
joyous days ahead
Debbie’s confidence grew with each meal she prepared, from trendy burrito bowls to old-fashioned barbecue dinners. Her husband and her son-in-law started the show, and she put a big smile on her face as they all got healthier together.
Weighing around 45 pounds, she went shopping for a dress for a friend’s wedding and discovered she was suddenly too small for plus sizes. “I wore a size 14 and received a lot of compliments,” she says. “It was a happy day!”
Did Debbie face setbacks? Like many of us, she won early in the pandemic. At first panicked, she shares, “I heard people talking about a new type of probiotic that led to an increase in compounds to boost them. She also started walking to lose weight.” Debbie added “tribiotics” to her regimen: a powder to mix with drinks or food. The powder contained probiotics and daily specials. “I lost 16 pounds very quickly.” She turned her backslide around and continued toward her target.
Today, Debbie is down 101 pounds from her all-time high. She still takes her special probiotic (more in the box to the right) and finds it very easy to make healthy choices. “I eat ‘clean’ about 80 percent of the time, then I give myself some leeway for the treats. My weight stays down and my joints are fine. No more pain medication,” says Debbie, now 67, whose family lost a combined 447 pounds. “I’ve gone ziplining and horseback riding. I have regained my quality of life. I feel better than 20 years ago!”
A Turbocharged Fat Burning Probiotic Diet Plan
To lose weight like Debbie, start with a daily dose of yogurt probiotics or a supplement. Then opt for lean protein and unlimited non-starchy vegetables (especially prebiotic-rich asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, greens and onions) in three meals and two small snacks a day; also add two servings of high-fiber fruit, some healthy fat, and two optional servings of prebiotic-rich starch (beans, potatoes, and quinoa) daily.
BREAKFAST: Eggs, any style, with vegetables (such as onions and bell peppers), plus an optional serving of plain yogurt with berries.
FOOD: Top a large mixed greens salad with cooked chicken, beans or quinoa and a healthy dressing.
DINNER: Enjoy baked salmon, a side of asparagus and cauliflower, or mashed potatoes with olive oil and coconut milk.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine, women’s world.
