Health and Fitness Testimonials - Real People. Real Stories.

January 25, 2012

In January 2010 I made the typical New Year's resolution and decided I was going to lose 20 pounds in 6 months. At 5'10" and 204 pounds, I was at the heaviest I had ever been, doing little or nothing to change my current situation, and I was scared. I knew I needed a plan. I didn't put much thought into how I was going to make it happen (maybe just eat a little less ice cream and push a little harder at the gym) but was making some progress when I got invited to a Merrill Lynch seminar called EPLT (Essential Partner Leadership Training) in June 2010 where Chris Johnson was presenting his On Target Living program on health and wellness.

EPLT was one of those events in life that hit me at just the right time. After spending a few days with Chris, everything he said made perfect sense. I finally had a "real" plan and I dove right into it! I went home and immediately began adding the recommended Super Foods into my diet, stopped drinking soda, began reading labels closely, and cut out most of the junk food. I picked up my exercise game as well. After 25 years at a desk job and putting on 40 pounds, I started riding the exer-cycle really hard and working with a personal trainer in the weight room.

In October of 2010, at 59 years old, I went back to another EPLT program. Everything was moving in a positive direction, but I needed more of a push and Chris encouraged me to devise an athletic goal. I decided to do a triathlon by the time I was 60. In order to prepare, I joined a master swimming group and began running (indoor and out). I even pulled my 30 year old Italian racing bike out of the garage, tuned it up and began riding. (Eventually buying a newer bike last year) I'm pleased to say that I completed my first sprint triathlon in March 2011, placing 2nd in my age group. I enjoyed the challenge so much that I ended up completing a total of 5 triathlons by the time I was 60. (All podium finishes)

This year I am increasing my goals and have signed up for the Navy Seals Triathlon in San Diego and an international event which also happens to be an Olympic qualifying event. I'll get to see the world's best that weekend. No, I won't be racing with them, I'm in the age group crowd and they will be with the pros and Olympians.

What do I weigh now? I am down to 166! It's tough to describe how much better I feel. I have so much energy during the day compared to 3 years ago. I sleep better, and no longer require cholesterol, thyroid or allergy medications.

Chris, I can't thank you enough for educating and encouraging me to live a healthier lifestyle. It has truly been a life and "game" changer for me and for my family!

Jeffrey Sweers, Senior Vice President Investments at Merrill Lynch

After hearing Chris speak at a conference in the fall of 2008, I read his book. I immediately made some fairly significant changes to my diet. I started eating smaller and healthier meals, more frequently, throughout the day. I noticed my energy level was higher and I didn't go into a food coma two hours after a large lunch! I felt better, slept better and after two months of eating healthier, started dropping the extra weight. Over the next few months, I lost thirty pounds.

Two years later, I am still going strong! I continue to upgrade my diet and exercise regimen. I have not given up ANYTHING that I like to eat or drink. I'm not going to lie, the changes to my diet took a while to adjust to, but not only do I LOVE what I eat, I do not feel like I am sacrificing. I have just learned to really enjoy eating some new things that are healthier. I am also teaching my children to eat healthier.

The outcome: more energy, better sleep, and at age 43 I have the same waist size I had in college. I feel so blessed to have learned how to take care of myself before it is too late. Chris Johnson and the On Target Living program have had quite an impact on my life.

John Schmitt, Merrill Lynch

Dear Chris and team:
I just wanted to let you know I saw Iris, my NP at Dr. Beals office, last week. I am down 12 pounds since attending your conference in June in Bath. I have been eating breakfast (the oatmeal that I used to hate), I have also switched over to soy products totally. I feel so much better! I have been given permission to go off my gastric meds from that doctor (4 meds), I also have dropped, albeit on a trial basis, 7 more meds from Dr. Beals, with her blessings, and with my promise that if/when I start to feel any symptoms I will call her and go back on whatever she says. I am walking at least 3 miles every evening. The first week or so I could only do around the block. Now I go across the street and walk the track.

Dr. Beals has also asked to look over the materials I got at the conference. I LOANED them to her! We are getting a different principal for the new school year and she has been very excited about allowing me to continue my "Wellness Room".

This has all helped me deal with the sudden death of my beloved Maltese, Katie. She was my little baby and had to be put down last week. She was 15. She couldn't go on walks with me anymore and had a seizure a few days before. But, being healthy myself gave me the strength to put her out of her pain. Thanks, Chris and team, for helping me HEAR you! I feel I'm getting my life back! My chiropractor said my spine is that of a 30 yr old and I will be 52 next month! So, I say to my self, "go get 'em girl"!! Thanks.

Luann Gibbs

Thank you Chris! You have been GREAT! Just for a little feedback, my wife is a kindergarten teacher and she gets sick every 2-3 weeks like clockwork. I severely sprained my ankle on the first of October and have been having problems getting it healed since it happened and I had been in the worst shape of my life because I was not able to be nearly as active as I normally would be with a bum wheel. I played probably 4 minutes in a basketball game, just before I started the CLO, Flax Seed, and Spirulina/Chlorella and I could not breath, it was the worst feeling. We have been taking CLO and Spirulina/Chlorella for a little over a month now. (I have also been taking the flax, but my wife has a hard time with that one) I am happy to report my wife is feeling better than she has ever felt; she is clear minded and hasn't been sick since we started! I had not played basketball again until last Sunday; I have been a bit more active than I was a month ago but not that much. I was able to play the whole game without significant stress!!! We feel GREAT!!! Thanks Chris!!!

I'm thrilled to say that your presentation hit me at just the right time. I'm 48, was about 20 lbs. overweight and feeling lethargic. Since our meeting I immediately began with the "green pills", the cod liver oil, and flax seed. I have also mixed in the wheat grass and extra virgin coconut oil, but not as consistently. Since then I've lost 15 pounds and feel terrific. I had my blood work done recently and my doctor wrote me a note with the results that they were my best ever. My total cholesterol went down 50 points and the ratio improved dramatically. I can't thank you enough for the positive changes I've experienced.

Marc A Johnson
Senior Vice President,Investment Officer
Senior PIM Portfolio Manager

Same ol, same ol... I've tried all kinds of diets. Never worked. At the most I had about 20-25 lbs to lose. But I always gained the weight back & then some. I Attended a meeting where you spoke (Grand Rapids, MI). Then, my REASON/MOTIVATION was either lower my cholesterol or go on meds. I didn't want to go on meds so I purchased your book, and I read it twice. I Started following many of the healthy things you taught in January.

Without trying to lose weight (that's not really our goal), I lost 10 lbs and my husband lost 15 just by eating the healtier food I cooked.

I'm now getting good at stir-frys. I use olive & coconut oils, make bran muffins at least 1x each week, and I even took some with me on our recent trip to Hawaii. We gained less than a pound while on that vacation! I've had much fun trying a different vegetable each week: kale, bokchoy, artichokes, quinoa, tofu. I sprinkle oat bran and flax meal (freshly ground) on lots of things and use fresh-squeezed lemon in my water. I'm even sprouting my own alfalfa seeds and broccoli seeds. Delicious!

I'm having a ball! I've maintained my weight over the last 3 months, which is remarkable for me!

I still have some areas to improve but little by little. The 80/20 rule helped give me encouragement when I'd want that occasional treat.

And best of all, my cholesterol dropped by 26 points in 6 weeks! Can't wait to have it checked later in the year!

Thanks for making a difference!

Marcia Leese
Grandville, MI

Too many cooks in the kitchen—we've all heard that before. That's the situation I had in 2008 except instead of cooks, it was too many doctors. In October of 2006 I came down with a viral infection at a time of high stress in my life and I became very ill. I couldn't keep foods down and lost 25 lbs. in about a very short time. My body became prone to one infection after another and debilitating fatigue set in. In August of 2008 I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other autoimmune disorders. I had many doctors telling me what I could do or couldn't do and was on many medications.

Previous to becoming ill, I was an active runner and was part of the Crim Training Program in Flint, Michigan. On Target Living gave a seminar for the participants and it was then I first heard about the food target and how you can make small steps toward better nutrition and health. I went home with good intentions and made the switch to natural peanut butter and that was about it! After becoming ill, I finally went to a specialist that deals with autoimmune disorders and he was the first one to say I needed to change my nutrition habits and wanted me to drop all the whites in my diet—sugar, flour, rice, etc., I went home and didn't know what to eat. In talking to a friend, she reminded me of Chris Johnson and offered his nutrition book to me. As I read his book, what clicked with me throughout the book was you can take small steps and initiate change slowly. I was too sick and overwhelmed at the time to try and change everything at once. The more I read, the more I began to know that I could make small changes and also for the first time I started to understand nutrition in a whole new way. Healthy fats??? I had never heard of them. Letting foods become your medicine? I had never thought of it that way. This was so different than any diet or nutrition plan that I was accustomed to hearing about.

Fortunately, Chris came to Flint for a seminar during the time I was reading his book and this time I really listened. By the end of the seminar I knew I was ready to make more changes and set up a time to see Chris. In addition to nutrition, I was determined to somehow keep my body moving as I had not been able to return to running and aerobic exercise was difficult for me. At one of the early sessions, Chris asked me to bring my medications with me. I had so many I had to bring them in a bag. I was still attached to my medications thinking I had to have them to address the deficiencies in my body. We talked about letting my healthier lifestyle and healthy fats begin the healing process.

Taking that first step towards change was the hardest, but breaking it into small steps has really worked for me. Slowly, I added healthy fats to my diet and added more and more foods to my diet from the inner 2 circles of the food target. Chris designed exercises for me that I could handle and taught me how to listen to my body. When I first came to see Chris I was really grieving my old life, but with Chris's help I have set new goals and now focus on what I can do instead of what I can't do.

Now for the good news--I am proud to say that currently I am down to one prescription medication and some natural herbs. It's a wonderful feeling to not depend on pharmaceutical medications and let foods become your medicine cabinet as Chris talks about in his seminars. Also, through Chris I had set a goal to get back into community service and I just completed my first term of service and it was a very gratifying experience. This experience has helped with my healing also. My immunity issues have been my greatest improvement as I just completed my first complete year without infections of any kind. I didn't think that would ever be possible. I thank God for bringing Chris Johnson and On Target Living into my life. My faith in God is important to me and I know On Target Living has been an answer to prayer. My health is coming back to me one small step at a time. I can honestly say my body now craves many of the foods from the inner two circles.

My advice to anyone that would listen is don't wait until you are sick before making positive changes in your nutrition and health. You can do it, one step at a time! I share the news about On Target Living with anybody that will listen and am hoping to have a positive impact on my young grandchildren. Like Chris, I was raised by wolves back in the day when you could run the streets and not be home until the street lights came home, but unfortunately I also drank Kool-aid, ate sweetened cereals and processed foods. I passed that on to my own children, but hoping to implement positive change with the newest generation in my family.

Carol

...what a difference 156 pounds makes! I have surpassed my previous goal of having lost 150 - now an additional 6... so going good! I still can't believe it...those pictures don't look real to me, yet something I've always wanted. Thank you for your support, Chris!

Ingrid

It all started about 2 years ago when the author of this book gave a talk at my company to about 2,000 people. At the time I was lazy, obese, and didn't know the first thing about true health and well-being. I was just like most everyone else there, I thought all fat was bad, carbs were bad, and didn't even realize the PH imbalance due to my diet was what was causing my acid reflux. I used to lift weights when I was younger and I had done some dieting in college and lost a lot of weight, but it soon came back and I was nearing my all time high of 240 and 40 inch waists were only a few weeks away.

So after Chris spoke to us I had some really conflicting concepts, he made me question what I thought about eating healthy. I ended up buying his first book and applied a few of his ideas from the seminar to my daily life...but for some reason I still didn't get around to reading the book for almost a year so not much really changed for me in that first year. Then I read the book and all of those seeds of knowledge that he had planted the year before began to grow and I couldn't believe how clearly I was starting to see things. Don't get me wrong there is no one thing that just clicked, we are talking about extensive diet changes, but if you make them a few at a time they are entirely attainable.

So over the last year I started riding bikes, lifting weights again and trying to eat healthy. I went from 240 in January to about 210 in October and then things kind of stopped. Then I heard that there was a new book out, so I got it as soon as I could and read it. This time around the seeds that started to grow when I read his first book (which is very much the same as his second) really took off. As I read a chapter about fat or protein or what we drink I actively applied that to my life. I now try to eat much closer to whole unrefined foods and try to make sure to eat 5-7 smaller meals a day and many of the other things outlined in the book. I am now down to 192 and falling fast and the great thing about this whole thing is that it is NOT A DIET...I am not hungry, I have lots of energy, I feel great. I simply replaced crappy low quality refined foods with balanced, high quality, whole foods that taste great and make me feel better than I have ever felt.

I no longer take my acid reflux pills, I don't get headaches anymore, I'm not always tired like I used to be, I need to buy new clothes because mine are too big instead of the other way around and my overall outlook on life has never been better, words can't say enough about how much this has changed my life, it has been a 2 year process so far, and things just keep looking better.

There is nothing complicated about this book, all of the chapters are very well organized and easy to understand and relatively short and to the point. There is also a food target in the back of the book that gives great examples of poor, fair, good, better, and best food choices from fats, carbs, and proteins... the closer to the center of the target you eat the healthier you become I have done this and it is amazing. So if you really want to know how to be healthy and don't want any gimmicks or fluff this book is by far the best thing I have ever seen or heard on the topic. I hope you can benefit from it as much as I have and continue to do, it is my one and only reference when I have questions about food. I think about the only thing that would be better is if Chris were my own personal trainer so I could get constant feedback and updates on what he has learned. I really hope he does more books in the future to keep things updated.

Read this nutrition book and take some of the steps it outlines, you will not be disappointed.

I bought this book and was hoping it wouldn't be one of those very complicated diet books that I have so many of. The buzzword these days for diets is "it's a lifestyle change" - so many times I haven't been able to sustain those "lifestyle changes" because I bit off (pardon the pun) more than I could chew. Each time I thought "this is IT" - I get it now and now I've got the magic key to get healthier.

As Chris says, there is no magic key here. That's another thing I've heard before. What's nice about this though is he gave me enough nutritional knowledge in layman's language to really get the effects of my current lifestyle. I know intuitively why want to get healthy more clearly - I can imagine having more energy now in a way that I couldn't before because he gives lots of options for "baby-stepping" your way through this. Many of them are such common sense and things we have to do anyway.

One of those common sense options is breathing. We have to breathe anyway as long as we're living and it doesn't take any longer or cost anything to take deeper breaths. That increases our metabolism as well. Such a simple thing... I'm doing it anyway... and so are you if you're reading this. So, take a deep one right now... see, doesn't that feel better!

It puts exercise, lifestyle and nutrition all together in simple layman's terms and takes out the overwhelm replacing it with sensible alternatives that you can choose based on whatever suits you.

Well done, Chris!! Thank you for a priceless addition to my library.

Chris' message is all based on the fact that you should get moving. As a busy professional, that's really hard to do, especially when your concept of a workout is a couple of hours in a gym. It's nice to have something that is highly effective and only takes 30 minutes to complete. It's fast, it's simple, and it works. No bulky gym equipment, and the end result is that you have done wonders for your health.

Michael Massey
Regional Vice President of Sales, Nationwide Financial

Chris has instilled the confidence in me to know I can accomplish the next phase of my goal, which is to continue to lose more weight and maintain it, while living a healthy life for a long time to come.

With much respect,
Divyakant B. Gandhi, M.D., FACS, FRCS

-- Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon
-- Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery
-- College of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine
-- Michigan State University

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Finally, a nutrition book that is straightforward, brilliantly simple and profoundly effective in helping anyone achieve and maintain vibrant health. This book is packed full of tools that allow people of all ages to live healthier.

This comprehensive book is a fun and creative approach to wellness that is clinically proven. It is a guide to living well for all, whatever level of health you desire. If you use these simple yet effective concepts you will avoid diseases associated with poor health and develop a stronger immune system. I recommend this book to all my patients.

This book made such a difference in my life. I feel I must spread the word. I want everyone to have the opportunity to feel as good as I do-I truly believe this book saved my life. If I can do it, so can you. There is hope.

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Best of all, I have no intention of EVER, EVER, dieting again. This book showed me an end to the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting. I feel great. Thanks, Chris, for helping me liberate my body, mind, and spirit!

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I have prescribed On Target Living™ to hundreds of my patients for many reasons--diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, fatigue, even fibromyalgia. On Target Living is a comprehensive approach to healthy eating and healthy living. Ninety-eight percent of the people who bought the On Target Living book said it had a positive impact on their lives and they would buy it again. As a doctor, I find it particularly noteworthy that the most recent nutritional recommendations for heart disease incorporate the same core concepts that Chris Johnson has taught for over fifteen years.

On Target Living has played an integral part in my personal and professional life. I have used the various knowledge and principles from Chris Johnson to increase the quality of my clients' health and fitness goals. I feel that Chris has done his homework and has brought such a powerful and life-changing book to the top of the industry. I have helped people of all ages, from young to old, to top athletes using Chris's On Target Living information. This book has brought my training and nutrition principles to the next level.

After years of riding the diet roller coaster, I had lost hope. I love to eat and cook, but had to do something healthy. I met Chris Johnson and my life changed. His program showed me healthy eating was not full of sacrifices. So I mixed my cooking talents with the joy of his program and voila-a tasty new way to be healthy.

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Starting with healthy foods, portion size, meal timing, a balance of healthy fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and a few supplements, my mind and body started to change. Within four months I lost twenty-eight pounds! I have a substantial increase in energy, a stronger resilience to stress, and an overall positive outlook regarding my health. But the best part is that my latest blood tests show my liver enzymes have changed from a dangerous level to normal. My doctors are enthused and have encouraged me to continue following Chris's program. Chris Johnson's plan has changed my life. These changes are now my daily habits and will be forever. My family and I are eternally grateful to Chris for all of his guidance and compassion.

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On Target Living has had an immeasurable deep effect on my life. I basically took my body fat from a post-pregnancy high of 30 percent down to 15 percent with the knowledge gained from Chris and regular exercise. I am truly grateful to have found Chris Johnson when I did and to have the opportunity to instill healthy eating habits in my two children.

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The contribution of Chris's mentoring, guidance and caring has had a profound impact on my life. The circumstances of my need for his message are ones that I would not wish for any of you. I do, however, wish for each of you to be receptive to his message. It truly can change your life. It certainly changed mine.

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I think this is the greatest book I've read on nutrition and fitness. I've literally thrown out other books because they do not completely educate you on nutrition like this book does. I am eating nutritiously and well-balanced for the first time in my life. I've been trying to eat more nutritiously for many years, but I never realized what that fully meant, until I read this book. Thanks for the section on "expect bumps in the road" because last week I fell off the wagon. The other night I sat down to reread some sections of your book and serendipitously I turned to the exact page with "Expect bumps in the road." I was feeling guilt and shame about some of my food choices over the past several days and needed the healthy encouragement. Now I feel re-energized!

Progressing through On Target Living, Chris began showing me that true control was going to come from creating balance in my life. I began eating high quality whole foods, and created a self care environment by realistically decreasing work time, getting more sleep, and actually writing workout times into my schedule book. I physically and mentally feel the best I have ever felt. I have more energy, the tone of my self talk is more positive, and I feel much more comfortable in my own skin. I now spend my time living a well-balanced life. Oh! I almost forgot, there has been no return of the cancerous cells and I no longer have clinical depression.

Personally, learning On Target Living™ changed my life. I thought I was eating fairly healthy; I was maintaining my weight and thought everything was fine. I didn't realize how much what you eat affects your overall health. I was only in my mid-twenties at the time and felt pretty healthy. Now I am in my thirties and have two kids and I have continued to follow Chris' way of eating. My pregnancies were healthy, my children are healthy, my weight is good, my energy is great, and I have never been healthier. The best part about On Target Living is that it gave me the knowledge to know how to make healthy choices in any situation, which made it very easy to incorporate into my daily life.

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