Success Stories

My name is Donald Coburn and I am from Greenacres, Washington.  I am a mechanic.  I heard about Positive Changes on a TV commercial.  Before coming to Positive Changes, I felt bad about myself.  I looked bad.  I think my self-esteem was down on the ground someplace.  I decided to call Positive Changes because I had tried different things to lose my 'basketball' as I called it, and nothing seemed to work.  I thought, 'Why not give it a try?'  I was overweight for six or seven years.  To date, I have lost 38 pounds and almost 4 inches.  My clothing has reduced from a 2X to a large now.  I have to get some more uniforms.  It has taken me six months to lose the weight.

I have been to the point counting company.  I tried the diets that you read about.  I have tried the diet pills that they talk about.  I think the most I lost was four or five pounds and it came right back.  I believe my program at Positive Changes Hypnosis made it easy for me to lose weight.  I think the approach that was taken with me was pretty laid back.  There was no pressure saying you have to do this and that.  It was just this is what we're going to do, and it just works. 

I don't remember seeing results right away.  I think it was several weeks before I actually started seeing some results.  For the most part my weight loss has been consis­tent. I reached plateaus where I would stay for a little bit, then I might slide back and gain a pound or two back – but for the most part, it just went steadily along in the loss. 

I don't know that I noticed changes in my behavior right away, but people around me seemed to notice changes right away.  I guess I was more calm, more relaxed, and people approached me with that, saying, 'What are you doing?'  One of my bosses is actually a client here now.  He had been watching me reduce in size in the shop.  He called me in and said, 'I don't know what it is, but I want what you have.'  I explained to her what I had been doing, so now she is a client. 

One behavioral change that I have experienced is attitude.  I say attitude because I don't think I am as hyper as I was.  I think I am more relaxed.  I think I deal with people a lot differently.  I don't let them get under my skin as easily. 

Did I feel in control of my eating habits before coming to Positive Changes?  If you call lack of control, control.  There was no such thing as control.  If it was food, I would just eat.  I think my eating habits have improved dramatically.  Things that I would eat before, I look at them and go nah, I don't really want it.  I don't know if it is because I don't like it anymore.  I just don't feel the need to be eating it.  Since coming to Positive Changes, my eating habits have changed.  I eat a light breakfast.  If I have a snack between breakfast and lunch, it is an apple or I have a protein powder drink.  I don't snack after lunch or after dinner, whereas before I always had a can of cashews on my coffee table and candies and sweets.  It was a constant.  I could have dinner, and in two hours, I was making a sandwich even though I wasn't hungry.  I think it was more out of boredom, you know, sitting in front of the TV ... okay, what am I going to do?  I'm going to watch this, then a commercial would come on, and I would go eat.  Now I am more apt to have some fruit or something, or drink some water, whichever. 

I have been to my doctor twice since I have been with Positive Changes, and both times he just tells me to get out of his office, I am fine.  I say that because previously I had high blood pressure and my cholesterol has always been out of whack, and my weight, of course.  He likes the numbers he sees now.  I told him what I was doing, and he said, 'Well, whatever it is Don, it's working just fine for you.'  I still have to take my blood pressure medication and my cholesterol medication, but whereas before my numbers would be way out there, they are more even now.  I'm also not out of breath all the time.  I can walk up a flight of steps and not stop there and huff and puff for ten minutes.  I am doing some things with my son now that I couldn't do before.  It has made a lot of changes in me.  In my mind, it is almost like coming to Positive Changes and doing this has given me that second chance to do those things. 

For the most part, my friends and family have noticed my changes.  They say, 'Keep doing it.'  As far as my relationships having changed because of Positive Changes, I don't know with my family – I have always been close to them, but I would have to say with some of my friends, yes.  Losing the weight has given me more confidence.  My chest sticks out further than my stomach now.  I stand up straighter.  Regarding changes in my social life, I am going to say yes and no.  As a single parent, I work most of the time.  I don't, how would I say it, I guess I am not a social butterfly but I get along better with most people. 

I feel the cost of my program is well justified.  How could it not be?  The amount of money that I would spend at all those fast food restaurants, if you look at it that way, the cost of the program was a drop in the bucket.  The financial benefits are that most of my meals were at the fast-food places.  The junk food and the snacks are non-existent now.  You have to save money. 

I am enjoying more of my son.  That sounds kind of repetitive, I guess, but I have to think that there are things that he wants to do, and he would rather do them with Dad than the guy down the street or the uncle.  We go up to my brother-in-law's place pretty regularly and my son loves to go out and run with the dogs.  I can now run with him without being so out of breath. 

The most valuable benefit I have received overall as a result of coming to Positive Changes I would have to say is my health.  The staff at Positive Changes is incredible.  To me, that has been a big plus.  I believe my weight loss is going to be permanent. 

I would recommend Positive Changes to anyone who wants to lose weight, and I have, because people have asked me what I was doing.  They may have noticed, they may not have noticed, but it goes back to, 'This is what happened to me.'  They want some of that.  They say, 'How did you do that?'  So I explain to them what I have been doing.