05/12/2023
Thank you for visiting our page and welcome to Red River Nutrition!!
My name is Ryan. My wife Lisa and I are new Herbalife Independent Distributors.
My story:
2023 is the year where I turned 50 years old. On January 1st, I made a New Years resolution to be “fit by 50”… Actually I had made this resolution 2 years ago but like most resolutions, it never happened.
Growing up, I was a pretty skinny kid and was very athletic up until I was about 25 years old. I played hockey, baseball, & football and was active almost every night of the week. Then as I grew older, life got in the way. My priorities changed, I had a career to focus on, life got more complicated etc, etc and my weight started to fluctuate. I would gain a bit of weight, then I would lose it, and then one day I just gained and gained and gained… my diet basically consisted of Fast Food, Pizza, Burgers, Beers and basically anything else that was processed or deep-fried. I didn’t really care what I ate or how much of it I ate or drank.
For my work, I travel a lot, pretty much every other week. I think we all know the challenges of eating healthy while on the road and living out of hotels. Its also next to impossible to commit to any kind of a sports team when you are on the road all the time… By age 43 I quit playing sports all together. I was a textbook couch potato and continued to eat whatever I wanted with little to no exercise… not a good combination but if you are looking for a quick exit in this world, thats probably the way to go.
So let’s skip back to January of this year, when my brother in law reached out to me and asked what my game plan was to achieve my so called “Fit by 50 New Years Resolution” HaHaHa, what plan? of course I didn’t have a plan. So he asked if he could help… ok, hold on, he’s being serious… I had no plan, I knew nothing about nutrition or how to lose weight. But deep down inside me, I knew that it was time to take some action and do something about my health, so I accepted his offer.
Quick side story: so you know, my brother/sister in law are Herbalife distributors and they invited me to join them in a weight loss challenge that they were hosting. My BIL admitted that he was actually pretty nervous in reaching out to me because I tend to get a bit crusty when personal stuff comes up, especially when it involved something such as my health. But he held out his hand and I was either going to take it or bite it off. I still think his money was on the bite. My BIL is a bit of a Herbalife success story in his own right, and I watched him walk a similar path, so he knows what he is talking about..
>>Thank you to both of you for reaching out and supporting Lisa & I to become the best versions of us!!! 💚
So anyways, back to my journey. Our very first weigh in was back on January 28th, and I was dreadfully embarrassed to share my all time high weight of 309 lbs with a group of complete strangers… 309 lbs whoa, thats what I said too!! I hadn’t stepped on a scale in a few months so it was rather shocking.. “What the hell did I get myself into” I thought. I was so reluctant to share my weight and almost had myself convinced to back out, but I literally looked at myself in the mirror and told myself that I am doing this, and I’m going all in… so I shared my scale picture with the group and I was on my way. It was a pretty emotional and humbling moment. They say the hardest part is getting started and I fully understand that now.
I am now down 50 lbs and enrolled in my 4th Weight Loss Challenge. In April, I turned the big 5-0 and have probably given myself the best birthday gift ever… focusing on my health & wellness. I now live by the motto
The benefits of losing 50 lbs, isn’t just the weight loss… ya sure, thats a huge achievement in itself but there is So Much Much More… It’s the overall rejuvenated feeling that I have. I have way more physical energy. I am mentally sharper and more focused in my life and my job. I fit into clothing that I haven’t fit into for years (even though they are out of style now, they still fit lol). I have an actual daily routine that I follow. I now know what eating smarter on the road actually means, what it looks like and how to do it… and yes it is very possible without having to sacrifice too much. I have a workout routine of walking 5km/3.2 miles almost every day on the treadmill and I have a daily goal where I aim for 10,000 steps… That’s right, all I am doing is walking… I now take advantage of hotel fitness centres and take the stairs instead of taking elevators. Sitting up in my room snacking in front of the TV or while working all night is a thing of the past.
The biggest change that I notice, is my sleep. I sleep way better and I wake up feeling rested and re-energized. I’m still not a morning person by any means but getting out of bed every morning has become so much easier. I wake up eager to begin the day where before I dreaded just getting out of bed. Generally, I am in a better, more positive mood and Lisa even says I’m not crusty. I even have better posture now.
Most Midlife crisis involve buying a Boat or a Harley. I chose to invest in myself and it is the best single decision I have ever made.
So what made me decide, now is the time to start this journey??? Did I hit rock bottom?? Well maybe partially, I did weigh 309 lbs... or its because I have been on 2 medications from my doctor for the past 5 years for High Blood Pressure & Pre-Diabetes. I knew that things needed to change, and why I didn’t act upon this 5 years ago???? Not sure… So, with 50 fast approaching, I felt that if I stayed on the path that I was on, I probably wouldn’t see 60 or 70 and if I did, what would that quality of life look like? Besides, It will only get harder to lose the weight the older I get (& probably heavier) .. Like who wants to retire and be tied to a hospital or weekly doctor appointments. I don’t… I have big plans!!!
So what is this Herbalife Weight Loss Challenge all about you ask?? My meal plan, I drink 2 Herbalife meal replacement shakes everyday (Breakfast & Lunch). I also have 3 snacks throughout the day followed by a smart supper (6-8oz protein, veggies & a little bit of rice, potatoes or pasta). I’m taking in approximately 1700-2000 calories per day. I am never hungry and I am trying to run a caloric deficit by exercising. As I mentioned, all I do is walk, I aim for getting in 10,000 steps every single day. When I first started walking it was 5000 steps and every week I aimed higher. Just do better than yesterday. I also never eat past 7:30pm and so I am basically fasting for 12 hours every day until my 8am breakfast shake.
We do a weigh in every Sunday morning for 4 straight weeks. It is based on the highest weight loss percentage, not total weight loss. This totally levels the playing field. In each of my previous challenges, I have lost the most total weight, but I have yet to win a challenge. I’m a big guy with lots of weight to lose but 10% of 300 lbs vs 10% of 150 lbs is a big gap to make up.
The biggest benefit of these challenges is the much needed support you get from them. They help keep you focused on the program, hold you accountable, and teach you all about nutrition… oh and we have a ton of fun doing them… after all, everyone who joins, is there for the same reason you joined. You want to become the best version of you.
One thing I constantly get asked is “Is it expensive?” Well, considering when I am on the road for work, I was spending close to $8-15/day on breakfasts at McD’s or Tims & $15-20/day on drive through lunches… so lets say on average thats $25-30/day just on breakfast & lunch during the week… I wont even bring supper or weekends into the equation.. when at home, Lisa & I typically ordered take-out 4/7 nights of the week, and on weekends we would junk out on chips & pop in front of the TV.. so do the math.
On the Herbalife meal replacement plan I’m spending a fraction of that on shakes and our monthly grocery bill is roughly half of what it was… Bottom line is we are saving money, losing weight, learning about nutrition and getting healthier all at once.
So far in 13 weeks, I have lost 50 lbs, and have gone from a 42 size jeans into a 38 and soon to be a 36…. Oh and of ladies, of course I can’t forget to mention Lisa, she has lost 25 lbs in the same amount of time.
My ultimate goal is to be 200lbs (hopefully by Christmas)… (58 lbs to go) I’m 6’ tall so that is a healthy weight for me.
In all honesty folks, we find Herbalife products to be pretty amazing. We are extremely satisfied with our results and find the meal replacement shakes so quick and very easy to make.. and they taste so delicious. Ask me about Ice Caps.. I mentioned that we are “all in”, so we decided to become Herbalife independent distributors ourselves.
So there it is… thats my journey in a nutshell (so far). I’ll keep posting updates frequently.
I am sharing my journey with you because my brother in law reached out to us to guide us back onto the path of health & wellness. I am big on karma so we want to pay it forward to you.
If you struggle with your weight and/or health or even if you just have a few winter pounds to shed.. We hope we can be inspirations to you. Please feel free to reach out to us. We would love to support you on your weight loss journey and help you become the best version of you.
