​​I would like to share with everyone my personal experience I've had in doing the Nutritional Medicine Profiling protocol that we offer here at Nexus. Eating healthy is something that I've always had a passion for and has always given me an edge in my health and fitness journey, or so I thought.
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One afternoon I received an e-mail from the owner of GOALS Training Academy, Marc St. Pierre. He requested that we meet to discuss potentially working together to provide our clients with personalized nutrition programs. We agreed to meet Marc here at Nexus to show him our newly renovated facility and to see what his nutrition programs are all about. At this point I thought I had a good handle on my eating and overall nutrition, I was meal prepping every weekend to prepare for the upcoming week so things would be quick and convenient. When speaking to Marc, I was quick to realize that this guy KNEW what he was talking about, not to mention he is one of the best in the area and has worked with over 8,000 clients. Marc touched on many different topics of nutrition, but two things stood out to me.

1. Nutrition starts with the digestive system, and if the digestive system is not functioning properly, we have to correct this.
2. Every single person is different; no two plans will be the same.

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Both of these points make perfect sense when you think about them. Everyone is different and unique on the outside, and that goes for the inside too.

So I decided to try out the Nutritional Medicine Profiling protocol for myself, I mean what did I have to lose? Marc forwarded me the initial digestive questionnaire along with the suggested supplements. I quickly discovered how specific this process was and that these questionnaires are very detailed and specific.

DAY 1: 
I decided I should take some progress pictures of my journey.
The picture below is the night before I began the protocol.

DAY 1-14
I was very excited and ready to follow my new plan! Part of the ​protocol is you have to follow it nearly 100% for the first 14 days, and you cannot have any alcohol, and after the 14 days, you're allowed a cheat meal. And let me tell you, it's worth the wait!! Keep in mind that the foods I was eating did not change a whole lot. I did, however, have to let go of my precious morning overnight oats which I thought would just about kill me (but I thought, what the heck it's only 14 days, I can manage).
The plan allowed me to eat 4 meals instead of 3, which helped me get over scraping my oatmeal. I was also sent 4 suggested supplements to take at certain times of the day to make up for the current deficiencies that I have. 

The first 1-4 days were surprisingly quite manageable. I did not have cravings for the foods I would usually eat, which surprised me. I had increased my protein levels throughout the day, and I found that this helped crush the cravings. It was the 5-8 day period that was the toughest for me since I started on a Monday, that meant day 5 was Friday. Sticking to my plan was tough, but I managed to make it through the weekend with no alcohol or treats and stayed on track.

By the time Monday came around my confidence level had skyrocketed, I had made it through the first week, and I felt fantastic. I noticed I had much more energy than usual, my 3-4 coffee's per day downgraded to 1-2 per day. I started to notice that I could focus far better than before working on the computer, which has always been a struggle for me. By staying busy with work and reffing lots of playoff games, the week flew by. 

Day 14 came, and I was extremely excited because I could have a cheat meal. I opted in for one of my favourites, all you can eat sushi.
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Before my cheat meal, I decided to take another progress picture.
I was amazed at how much my body had changed in the first 14 days of this program.
The picture is below:

DAY 14-30
Pretty crazy right?
After only 14 days of switching my meals up, my body had changed SO much. Most of my inflammation around my abdominal muscles had disappeared, and I was feeling FANTASTIC. I lost a noticeable amount of access fat off of my entire body. My usual brain fog in the morning had vanished, I was sleeping better, my mood had drastically improved, and I had a ton more energy! I should also mention, I was working out at my usual 4-5 times per week. I did not ramp up my workouts or change anything. These changes were directly from what I was putting inside my body.

After the 14 days, my protocol allowed me to have a cheat meal once per week going forward. This was mine, but everyone's is different! As I came into my third week of the plan, I kept things fairly similar from the two weeks before. I was meal prepping my whole week on a Sunday so that there was not a chance I could slip up and get food I shouldn't be having.
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At this point, I was down 8 pounds, and I was feeling pretty good about everything. I kept the plan going for week 3, I started having cravings for the foods I usually ate before beginning this program (oatmeal, bananas, cereal, rice), but I stayed strong mentally and pushed through. When day 28 came around I took another progress picture. This one amazed me yet again!
​The picture is below:

DAY 30 - PRESENT
Another significant change from the 14-day mark.
​I finished the first 30 days of the nutrition program, and I think the results speak for itself. I'm down a total of 12 pounds, and feel fantastic! My energy levels had continued to climb, I was having better workouts and noticed that cardio was easier to perform as well! 

Going forward, I've made this my new lifestyle change. I don't think of it as a diet or a cleanse; it's just what I do now.
​I believe in this program, and I am lucky to have experienced this first hand. The results show!

We currently have about 15 members on this program, and they are getting some serious changes, most of them are getting better results than what I've had! Mel Lambert, our new in-house nutritionist, has been amazing with the members that have committed to the program. Mel is your first point of contact when you choose the Face to Face program here at Nexus. Mel works hand in hand with Marc to ensure you succeed in your GOALS! 

If you would like to make a positive change in your life, I challenge you to take the leap of faith and do one of our programs. You won't regret it.