Let us introduce you to Deidre Purcell, who has already lost 5 pounds with Vtrim Online and loves the social support she gets in her weekly online class and live chat.

Deidre Purcell, 45, Clifton Park, NY

Deirdre is too busy to make time for her own health. She works full-time, and she’s a wife and mother, which means carpooling the kids to games, lessons and activities.

 How is Deidre doing now that she’s on Vtrim?

“I am feeling really good. The first 4 days after journaling I could feel that my body was missing or craving more than I was giving it. The Vtrim program is a real eye-opener as to what a person consumes, how many calories, fat grams, etc.”

What has surprised Deidre so far on her weight loss journey?

“What surprised me the most was the calorie intake and fat intake I would consume daily. By journaling my diet I am able to be more conscious as to what is going into my body! It is just amazing how the intake of calories and fat can affect one’s system both physically and health wise.”

What is Deidre’s favorite Vtrim Online tool? 

“My favorite part of the Vtrim dashboard is the Journal. When you write something down and are able to see exactly how many calories there are in a given item/meal it wakes you up as to how easy it is to go over a recommended daily calorie and fat intake.”

What is the most helpful lesson or piece of advice so far for Deidre? 

“What I have found to be helpful is the online chats and sessions. To have the support of others is a huge asset to trying to achieve a goal. In my case to discuss how others adjust their daily routines, what they are doing and what they eat.”

Three cheers for Deidre! We’re so glad you enjoy the classes. Oftentimes, we learn so much from each other and realize that we’re not alone when it comes to weight loss and management.

More Magazine has also profiled our 3 winners on their website.  You can read more here.

Let us introduce you to Catherine Skirnak, who has already lost 12 pounds with Vtrim Online and loves how the online journal keeps her accountable.

 Catherine Skrinak, 46, Henderson, NV

A yo-yo dieter all her life, Catherine gave up on her struggle to manage her weight when her father passed away 17 years ago. When she woke up on the anniversary of her father’s death and realized how long it had been, she knew she needed to change.

How is Catherine doing now that she’s on Vtrim? “First I feel in control. I also feel better knowing that the food choices I’m making are good ones. I don’t eat until I’m stuffed or binge on really bad stuff that was loaded with fat and sugar. I try to make the best of the 1200 calories I can eat.  I want to get my blood work redone to see how my blood sugar and cholesterol have changed. I was heading (if I kept up my bad food habits) towards pre-diabetes.”

What has surprised Catherine so far on her weight loss journey? “If I’m at 1200 calories and 34 grams of fat it makes me wonder about the amount of food I was I was mindlessly eating. Some things were extremely high in fat like the ranch salad dressing I love to eat and all of the junk!”

What is Catherine’s favorite Vtrim Online tool? “I would say the journal and using the pantry. I can’t believe I’m actually saying that because I was dreading the journaling! It has been a very useful tool.”

What is the most helpful lesson or piece of advice so far for Catherine? “That again would be the journaling and being accountable for what and how much I’m eating. For me weight loss really occurs when I am conscious of what I’m eating.”

Keep up the great work, Catherine! Remember readers, being overweight has been associated with 15 major diseases, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Managing your weight is a great way to manage your overall health.

We were inspired by so many stories and sincerely wish the best for all those who entered the contest.

Three women were chosen to win a Vtrim Online course – Brenda Wooten, 47, of Humboldt, IA; Catherine Skrinak, 46, of Henderson, NV; and Deidre Purcell, 45, of Clifton Park, NY.

Vtrim Online is proud to introduce you to our winners. We will be checking in on them from time to time and sharing their progress with you. Feel free to leave a comment or question and we will do our best to have them answer it!

Today, let us introduce you to Brenda Wooten! You will meet Catherine and Deidre later this week.

Brenda Wooten, 47, Humboldt, IA

A divorced mom, Brenda doesn’t want to live her life “in a body I am embarrassed of.” She wants to find love again, but to do that she has to love herself first. Though she wants to change, she suffers from lack of motivation.

How is Brenda doing now that she’s on Vtrim? “I feel optimistic for the first time in a long time about being able to lose the weight and keep it off. I feel so much better when I eat healthier. Eating crap (junk food, fast food) makes me feel like crap!”

What has surprised Brenda so far on her weight loss journey? “How much fat is in some of the foods I ate!  I have done the Weight Watchers thing (along with about every other diet on the planet) where you count “points”, but have never really paid attention to fat intake.  It really makes you think about what you’re eating.”

What is Brenda’s favorite Vtrim Online tool? “I love the online journal…it is so easy to use.  The lookup feature really takes the work out of it for you, and the pantry is great for adding items you eat often but aren’t on the list.”

What is the most helpful lesson or piece of advice so far for Brenda?  “That it’s not about being perfect, because really…how many of us can be 24/7/365?  It’s about taking baby steps…or as I like to say, progress, not perfection.”

Nice work, Brenda. It is all about the baby steps and making small scale changes that really add up in the end!  We at Vtrim are excited to be a part of your weight loss journey!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Dragon Boat Festival, it is a huge summer event where teams dress up in crazy costumes and race boats on Lake Champlain as a way to fund raise for cancer efforts.

Despite the gloomy weather forecast, thousands of dedicated spectators showed up bright and early to the event. The 75 teams made up of businesses, families, and organizations throughout the community came ready to race their hearts out. Even as the storm clouds came through, the racers pushed on with energy and excitement up until the festival was inevitably cut short. More details about the festival can be found at http://www.ridethedragon.org/.

This year, Vtrim sponsored the athletes village, the area where each team could set up a tent and use a staging area, stretching space, and where other sponsors set up shop. As a sponsor, we were also featured on all of the pendants throughout the village.

Let us just say that in a nutshell, the energy and excitement that was in the air that Sunday was inspiring!  It was truly amazing to see so many people supporting cancer survivors, cancer research and most of all Camp Te Kum Ta (half of this years profits went to the camp http://www.takumta.org/).  Vtrim was  honored to be a featured sponsor at this event, which emphasized fitness, fun, and philanthropy all at the same time.  Check out our photos and let us know if you were there!  We would love to hear about your experience.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vtrim/