How Craig and Sari Ness Lost 52 Pounds Together in 10 Weeks

Have you ever had a spiritual moment and you feel like something greater than yourself is at play?  I felt that way when Craig Ness, the Director of the TV show Making It Grow drove me (unexpectedly) to the airport in April…

I was on his Public Television Show ‘Making It Grow’ to film two cooking segments.  As the Director, he watched (and worked) live as we filmed.  Once we finished filming (that’s a wrap!), my original ride to the airport asked Craig (whom I had just met) to take me instead.  The airport was on Craig’s way from Sumter, to his home in Lexington, South Carolina.   

The most beautiful thing happened on that car ride (that was never supposed to happen!)...

Craig, on his own accord, started opening up about his health and weight concerns.  He was concerned with 75+ pounds of weight, medications, and a lack of energy (he couldn’t mow his grass anymore).  He was worried about being able to be around for a long-time for this son (and fingers crossed, grandchild one day).

We chatted about his concerns, goals, what he’d tried before and his health history for an hour straight.  One week later, from that car ride, Craig and his wife hired me as their Nutritionist.  Well, it’s been ten weeks since they did and WOW, just WOW look at this…

Craig and Sari have lost 52 pounds together as a couple in 10 weeks! A-MAZING!  

Watch Craig and Sari Ness’ interview here…

They lost 52 pounds together in 10 weeks from eating optimally.  There was NO counting, weighing or measuring of food.  There was no “weight loss” pill, product or shot they had to buy.  

They learned an effective lifestyle change where they were told to EAT and to EAT more food – optimal food, that they liked or loved.  No need to eat anything they didn’t like.

Here’s even more health results Craig and Sari achieved in 10 weeks (and as I tell them, this is just the beginning!)...

Craig:

• Lost 30 pounds without counting, weighing or measuring food and there’s no buying any weight loss pills, shots or products.  He ate food that filled him up and supported his health!

• Regained his energy, improved his self esteem, and his ability to be active (more workouts!)

• His clothes keep getting smaller! Lol even his shirt in the video!

Sari:

• Lost 22 pounds in 9.5 weeks (woo hoo!)

• Loves to dance and can do 30 minute Zumba classes again! She’s shocked she’s looking forward to exercising now!  She wouldn’t have believed that 10 weeks ago.

• She’s less critical of herself and is learning how to stop negative thoughts and turn her mentality around to help herself,

Craig and Sari’s favorite weekend meal – optimal whole-grain waffles with maple syrup 🙂

Craig said in our interview…  

“I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel because I'm shedding the weight, exercising, and I'm regaining that energy that I've lacked.” 

What a blessing and a miracle meeting and working with these two have been 🩷

Want to see if having me as your Nutritionist can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably too?  Schedule a time to chat with me here.  We’ll chat like I did with Craig for an hour before he hired me (lol just not in a car driving to the airport!). Schedule a time here. 

TAKE CONTROL NOW

What resonates with or inspires you the most in Craig and Sari’s interview?  Comment below.

In Your Corner,

Trish

Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies from Making It Grow

I had the honor of flying to South Carolina to film two cooking segments on the Public Television show Making It Grow.  I adore this show (they teach you all about plants!).  I LOVE to cook plants and help people Shed Pounds Sustainably by eating A LOT of them (without counting, weighing or measuring!).

On this segment, I show you how to make Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies.

Here’s why you want to watch…

• These cookies are SO easy and simple. 

• My favorite part – before these are cookies, it’s just oatmeal from the microwave!  So, it’s actually two recipes in one! 

• Once the microwaved oatmeal is done, you can eat it as is or bake it as bars or cookies!

Click play below to watch the episode and keep scrolling for the recipe! My segment starts at 16:51 (if you don’t want to watch the whole hour show although I do recommend it — especially if you like gardening!).

Onto the recipe…

Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies  

By: Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN

Ingredients

• 1 cup regular rolled oats

• 1 cup banana sliced (about one large banana)

• ¼-½ cup blueberries (frozen or fresh!)

• 3 TB maple syrup OR date syrup

• Cinnamon

• Water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Put 1 cup of rolled oats into shallow dish or bowl

3. Add the sliced banana and blueberries to the bowl

4. Coat up to the top of mixture with water so top of ingredients are covered and moistened

5. Microwave mixture for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add more water if needed

6. Use fork to smash up fruit to release juices to sweeten dish

7. Add maple syrup and cinnamon on top

8. Mix all ingredients together

9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

10. Use a spoon full of ingredients to form cookies

11. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes 

12. Let cool before serving 

These are excellent as a mini-meal (a snack), for breakfast or a daily dessert.

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Interested in seeing if/how Trisha can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably even if you can’t exercise or have additional health concerns? Schedule a time to chat with her here. She’d love to talk to see if she can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably just like her clients.

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Take Control Now

Comment below and share… would you make these cookies!? 

How to make the daily dessert recipe Ambrosia Fruit Salad from Making It Grow

I had the honor of flying to South Carolina to film two cooking segments on the Public Television show Making It Grow.  I adore this show (they teach you all about plants!).  I LOVE to cook plants and help people Shed Pounds Sustainably by eating A LOT of them (without counting, weighing or measuring!). 

Click play below to watch the episode and keep scrolling for the recipe!

Onto the recipe…

Ambrosia Fruit Salad 
By: Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN

Ingredients

• Two oranges, peeled and sliced into wedges

• One can pineapple rings (unsweetened, in fruit juice). Keep the juice from the can

• ¼ cup Juice from the pineapple rings can

• Two bananas, sliced

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut (optional)

• One cup purple grapes, rinsed and cut in half 

• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the oranges, pineapple, banana and grapes in a large bowl (if not serving right away, don’t add the banana.  Add the banana right before serving otherwise it browns).

2. Combine the pineapple juice and optional almond extract in a small bowl and mix.

3. Pour the juice mixture over the fruit and toss until evenly distributed. 

4. Transfer to a smaller serving bowl.

5. Sprinkle coconut on top.

This is a simple and refreshing daily dessert (you can eat it everyday!) and is perfect for entertaining as well. 

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Interested in seeing if/how Trisha can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably even if you can’t exercise or have additional health concerns? Schedule a time to chat with her here. She’d love to talk to see if she can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably just like her clients.

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Take Control Now

Comment below and share… would you make this optimal fruit salad!? 

How Shelley Lost 34 Pounds Sustainably with a Lifestyle Change While in a Wheel Chair

Can you imagine this scenario?...  You go for a routine angiogram (imaging of your heart arteries) and you’re told, right there on the spot, that you need double bypass surgery right now. You need to get operated on NOW.

You agree, but to your utter horror, when you wake up…

Your leg has been cut off.  

You wake up with one leg.

Sounds like an utter nightmare right?  Unfortunately, this was real life for my client Shelley Fredericks, a retired nurse from Minnesota.  

Shelley developed compartment syndrome during the surgery.  Her leg went gangrenous and blood was pooling in her leg so they had to amputate it.

Shelley hired me as her Nutritionist about five years after this happened.  She came to me very depressed, unable to dress herself or do any daily tasks without help from her husband and daughter.  

I remember the first time Shelley and I ever spoke… she said one of the only things she could do on her own was muster up the energy to go to the bathroom.  She couldn’t help with any chores, would sleep very late in the day and her husband had to help her with everything.

So she hired me.

I am so honored to share Shelley’s story with you today.  Not only are her weight loss and total health results beyond impressive (and not possible solely from following doctor’s advice) but Shelley embodies the beauty of resilience and doing it with humor and grace.  She’s truly an amazing and inspiring woman for how she handled such a traumatic event.  

Watch her inspirational story right here, right now…

In 33 weeks of eating optimally and working with me, Shelley (at 67 years old)….

❤️ Lost 33 pounds!
❤️ Went from from a size 18 jeans to a size 12
❤️ Eliminated medications early on in the beginning of our time together- blood pressure medication within 3 weeks, a pain medication, GERD medication and a stool medication! That’s 4 medications gone within 10 weeks! 
❤️ Is now also off an antidepressant medication! 
❤️ No longer gets heartburn even when eating salsa and optimal chili! 
❤️ Now has regular bowel movements
❤️ Eats large portions of optimal food without counting calories or popping pills
❤️ Feels better and can move herself around now!
❤️ Is happier and laughs more – her self-esteem has improved. 
❤️ Can live longer for her grandchildren <3
❤️ Can do laundry again! And my favorite…
❤️ Loves herself again :)

I am beyond proud of her, honored to know her and inspired by her resilience, grace and humor.

Please comment below and cheer Shelley on AND if you have an unfortunate and traumatic experience that you’re comfortable sharing, I’d like to hear that too.  Medical errors are unfortunately more common than we’d anticipate and these stories (and how to overcome them) MATTER.

In Your Corner,

Trish

How Linda Shed 22 Pounds Eating Optimally at 73 Years Old

Linda first came to me at 73 years old with Celiacs disease. She had zero energy, struggled to complete chores at home, was dragging to work every day, and she had stopped being social. Linda was also struggling with knee pain. She had become very sedentary.  She knew that she NEEDED to lose weight. 

So, Linda made a decision that completely turned almost all of her health challenges around.  And NO, it wasn’t a pill, or a product or a restrictive diet or surgery…. 

Linda hired me, Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, to help her Shed Pounds Sustainably in a way that’s also superior for her whole health – with Optimal Eating.  

After 11 weeks working with me and eating optimally (tailored to her needs) look at what Linda accomplished!  This TRULY is incredible (and common in my program). Linda…

💛 Lost 22 lbs in 11 weeks
💛 Waist is down 5.5” inches and hips are down 3”
💛 Has more energy than she’s had in years
💛 Feels full when she eats (yay for not pushing the plate away!)
💛 No longer craves sugar or deserts 
💛 No longer struggling from celiacs disease symptoms
💛 Has regained her social life and feels confident standing up for herself
💛 Regained her love of cooking 
💛 Swelling in her hands has gone down and she can wear her beautiful tanzanite rings she hasn’t been able to wear in 10 years
💛 Lost her double chin within the first week
💛 Has been able to clean her house and declutter
💛 Is exercising regularly 
💛 Looks forward to buying new clothes!

To quote Linda, “If I hadn’t found you Trisha - I don’t know where I would be today.”

Listen to Linda share her story in her own words by watching her interview above. This is one of my favorite client interviews because Linda really speaks from the heart.

Linda said… “to anyone reading this who is giving up on hope: this is an amazing adventure and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Just go for it because the outcome is so amazing and you’ll never feel better than when you eat optimally!  I’ve never felt so satisfied eating foods that are just yummy. It’s a wonderful adventure and I would encourage anyone to hop onboard!”

I’d love to chat with you, just like I did the first time Linda and I ever spoke, to see if/how I can potentially help you Shed Pounds Sustainably too.  Click here to schedule a time to chat.  Linda said “when I met you on that call Trish I knew that you were the answer.”  

In your corner,

Trish

P.S. If you too want to lose weight in a healthy way and have additional diagnoses/diseases you want to improve using food as medicine (in a delicious, realistic way), then schedule a time to chat with me, Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN here.