Extreme Weight Loss Contestant Cassandra Dumas Drops 18 Sizes

Tuesday night, Extreme Weight Loss fans cheered on Cassandra Dumas from Quartz Hill, California, as she achieved an impressive weight loss of 175 pounds in a year and transformed the way she approaches life.** “I realized that I was not living life the way I imagine,” says Cassandra, a 44-year-old high school guidance counselor and athletic coach. “Within a short time, I had seven friends and family members die. That shook me up — it made me think about life, about the short amount of time we all have.” She asked herself if she was really living her dreams and pursuing her passions, and the answer was no. “I was too heavy to travel comfortably, I wasn’t dating, and I didn’t want to try new things — it was time to make a transformation.”

Growing up with a love of travel

“I’ve always been a go-er,” says Cassandra, who caught the travel bug when she studied abroad in Austria and spent a semester exploring Europe. “I’ve visited so many places —Trinidad, Ghana, London, Italy, Greece. I thrive on learning about different cultures.” An All-American athlete four years in a row in college, Cassandra’s future as a professional athlete ended prematurely due to injuries. A few years later, she started gaining weight. “The point finally came when I just couldn’t travel anymore. On a plane, I was embarrassed — I worried about fitting in the seat, or I always felt like I was taking someone else’s space.” Cassandra hit an all-time high of 405 pounds and started losing weight on her own (dropping 40 pounds in a year) before TV Celebrity Transformation Specialists and Vemma Bod•ē Spokespeople Chris and Heidi Powell chose her for the show.

A program that works

“I have wanted to lose weight for a long time, and I knew generally what kinds of foods to avoid,” says Cassandra. “What Chris and Heidi gave me was the gift of putting everything together. Chris’ program taught me the importance of eating every three hours and exercising. I learned that some foods I’d thought were healthy were sabotaging my weight with hidden calories or high sodium. Chris and Heidi also taught me to believe in myself. At boot camp in Arizona, I learned that we can push harder than we can imagine. We are much stronger than we believe. Your mind will tell you to stop before you really have to.”

Zipping down the scale

Cassandra committed to Chris’ program, ate the right foods, and exercised four hours a day. Since she doesn’t like cooking, Cassandra worked out a cooking schedule that minimized meal preparation. “In college, I was so busy, doing three sports and working at the library, that I had to map out study time in advance. That’s what Chris and Heidi have us do with this program — they have us plan out every workout and all five daily meals in advance. It really makes a difference.” She says that Bod•ē products were helpful in keeping her on track. “When I’d leave for the gym in the mornings, I’d grab a Bod•ē Burn and an apple — it gave me 20 grams of protein and a healthy carb. I love how it makes me feel. I also like the Chris Powell Bod•ē Shake — the chocolate is amazing.”**

She says that both Chris and Heidi played a big part in her transformation. “You see the show, and it’s mostly Chris, but Heidi is always there in the background helping out, encouraging. Heidi gave me a necklace that says ‘fearless.’ It really touched my heart. To me, it says I can do anything I want to.” Chris put that new courage to the test when he flew Cassandra to Costa Rica for one of her milestones, indulging her love of travel and challenging her to try new things. “I went zip-lining in Costa Rica! I was scared to death, but I loved it. I couldn’t have had that opportunity at my previous weight.”

Next stop: adventure

By year’s end, Cassandra lost 175 pounds, looking vibrant, healthy and utterly gorgeous.** She went from a size 30/32 to a 14/16 and achieved a transformation on the inside as well.** “It’s amazing what a difference being more mobile and fit makes in your life,” she says. “I can try out kayaking or hot air ballooning now. I can fly on a plane again! I’ve been to the beach this summer, I’m dating, and in Vegas I went pool hopping with friends and I felt comfortable. I’ve just had a foreign exchange student arrive for the semester and I’m traveling to Brazil in a few months. This feels like the life I imagine. Like my mother says, I’ve got my spirit back again!”

Watch Cassandra and all of the transformations this season on Extreme Weight Loss, Tuesday nights on ABC. Miss an episode? Catch up here: http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-weight-loss.

 *Results not typical, your results may vary. The success or failure of each individual is dependent on their own efforts. The Company has generally expected results which can be obtained by visiting http://VerveTruckers.com

**Results not typical, you may not do as well. Two pilot studies conducted by Vemma showed that 55 participants who followed the Vemma Bod•ē Transformation Plan for 12 weeks using Vemma Bod•ē Burn, Bod•ē Rest and Bod•ē Cleanse, lost an average of 14.8 pounds. Not all participants will complete the plan, or accurately follow the directions and guidelines of the plan. Vemma Nutrition Company recommends you follow a healthy approach to weight loss by consulting with your physician or healthcare provider before starting any new exercise, diet plan, nutrition or supplementation program, particularly if you suffer from any medical condition or regularly use prescription or over-the-counter medications. The Vemma Bod•ē products as part of the Vemma Bod•ē Transformation Plan should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and 10 minutes of daily exercise.

The Bod•ē Tour Kicks Off in Toronto

Announcing an exclusive Vemma guest event that you don’t want to miss! Special guests Chris & Heidi Powell, TV Celebrity Transformation Specialists and Vemma Bod•ē Spokespeople, along with Ryan Sawlsville, TV Weight Loss Contestant will share their stories of inspiration to help kick off the Bod•ē Tour in Toronto the evening of August 22!



Hosted by Vemma Ambassador Linda Proctor, and Vemma Elite Leaders: Colleen Filicetti, Ian Nicholson, Felipe Gabriele, Maria Morgis, Meghan McCurdy and Troy Brown – this is an insipirational night that you won’t want to miss!

Registration is required as seating is limited! Sign up for FREE at http://canadalovesbode.eventbrite.ca. This will be a night of inspiring transformation stories about how Vemma Bod•ē can transform YOUR BODY and FINANCIAL POTENTIAL!

The Bod•ē Tour continues to Dallas this Saturday the 24^th at the DoubleTree by Hilton, located at 4099 Valley View Lane. The event hosted by Vemma Star Presidential Kelli McCamy, will feature guest speaker, TV Weight Loss Contestant Ryan Sawlsville. This event is scheduled from 3 to 5 pm and will cost $5 per person or invite 3 guests and attend FREE! Seating is limited. Please plan to arrive early.

Watch Ryan Sawlsville’s amazing transformation below.



*Results not typical, your results may vary. The success or failure of each individual is dependent on their own efforts. The Company has generally expected results which can be obtained by visiting http://VerveTruckers.com

With Record-Breaking Results, Mike Epstein Loses 220 Lbs on EWL

 

Last night, Extreme Weight Loss fans cheered on Mike Epstein from Voorhees, New Jersey as he lost 220 lbs with the help of Chris and Heidi Powell, TV Celebrity Transformation Specialists and Vemma Bod•ē Spokespeople. Mike started the year at 417 lbs and by year’s end, he surpassed everybody’s expectations, breaking the record for the lowest-body-fat percentage of any contestant ever on the show.** “Since I’m pushing 50 years old, I was definitely concerned about how my body was going to react to such rigorous exercise requirements,” says Mike. “With Bod•ē Burn, I always had energy for my workouts. At night, I used Bod•ē Rest to give me the best sleep possible.”**

Getting healthy for the family

“My ‘Why’ of going on the show was always my family,” says Mike, a father of three who recently celebrated his 20^th anniversary. ”It was always my desire to get in better health for my family and ultimately for myself.” In college, Mike was an avid athlete and adhered to strict eating and weight lifting routines for years, keeping health and fitness a priority until the death of his father when he was in his 20s. That proved to be the tipping point, and the weight started building from then on.

I tried every diet, conventional and unconventional, to achieve weight loss and keep it off,” says Mike. “I was the world’s best yo-yo dieter. I could lose weight, I could gain weight, but I could never keep it off. I could teach every diet that’s out there on the market. I think the difference this time and the reason that it’s going to stick is the way Chris and Heidi helped me approach it. It’s really about transforming your mind first, and then your body will follow. It’s really true about all aspects of life as well. Once you transform your mind, there isn’t anything that you can’t do. You just have to believe! And I did! Chris and Heidi gave me challenges that I never thought I could accomplish. But once I did, there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t do.”

Starting the program

Mike started his one-year weight loss journey on Extreme Weight Loss over 200 lbs overweight and was the first-ever contestant to fail the initial physical exam in California. But under Mike’s excess weight, Chris recognized an athlete at heart who had more than the usual motivation to get healthy. Chris chose Mike despite his medical condition (hardening of the arteries) and Mike rose to the challenge, exercising rigorously and doing an admirable job of sticking to the carb cycling program. “Working with Chris and Heidi Powell was an amazing experience,” says Mike. “They focused on the transformation, not just losing weight. They helped me believe that I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it. When you see my episode, and you see me run a 5K or box 12 rounds with a professional boxer, you’ll understand that someone pushing 50 normally can’t do these things.”

Optimizing workouts with Bod•ē**

“With the requirements of losing so much weight in a short period of time, you need to be able to optimize your day,” Mike shares. “This includes getting the best workouts possible, getting optimal nutrition, getting as much rest as possible and keeping your mind in the right place at all times. Using Bod•ē Burn and Bod•ē Rest, I was able to accomplish all of these goals. I used Bod•ē Burn early in the day and late in the day to keep my energy up and keep my body filled with good protein and plenty of vitamins.** The key to my success was keeping my body burning fat at all times and keeping it rested as much as possible so that I would be ready for my next workout. With an awesome taste, the Chris Powell Bod•ē Shake is a great base for protein smoothies and all sorts of protein recipes.”

Record breaking results

Mike started out wearing 68-inch pants and whittled down to a lean 34-inch waist.** “I reached my goal weight and exceeded even my expectations,” says Mike. “Not only had I lost 220 pounds, but I got my body fat percentage down to 10 percent from a high of over 50 percent.** It was the lowest body fat percentage of any cast member in the show’s history. Not bad for a guy who was turning 50.” And as his body fat percentage tests show, the weight he lost was almost all fat. “In the nine months between taking body composition tests, I had only lost 3 pounds of lean mass and 125 pounds of fat mass.”**

Mike says that since his one-year transformation, he feels amazing. “I haven’t felt this way since I was half this age. I can’t wait to go to an amusement park with my kids and ride all the rides. Simple things like fitting into a restaurant or a chair with an armrest or a seat at a sporting event — even though most people don’t understand this, it’s a huge accomplishment for me. No more seatbelt extenders on an airplane, I’m not even afraid to sit in a window seat or even a middle seat in an airplane. I used to get on an airplane early just to make sure that I fit in the seat. Not anymore! ”

Setting new goals

After losing so much weight in such a short period of time, Mike decided his body wasn’t finished transforming. “At the end of the year with Extreme Weight Loss, I decided that I needed new goals to set for myself and a new transformation began. I gained approximately 25 pounds from my low of 196 and it was all good weight.** I used the Bod•ē Shakes to help build muscle onto my body, and I did pretty well.** Not only did I gain muscle, but I also lost fat — something you shouldn’t be able to do at 50 years old, so I was now proving everyone wrong. And I continue to set new goals for myself every day.”

Mike says his experience on the show with Chris and Heidi has been life changing for his family as well. “Not only have I transformed myself and my body, but each of my family members has benefited from this experience as well. They’ve learned new, healthier eating habits and incorporated more exercise into their daily lives. My wife got into better shape, my children got into better shape, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them as happy as they are now. My oldest son is starting college this fall and I feel really confident that ‘the freshman 15′ won’t be creeping up on him.”

Looking back on the past year, Mike feels a great sense of accomplishment in achieving his goals. “Being a more active participant in my family’s activities is what I always wanted to accomplish,” he says. “Now I can do things physically that I couldn’t do with them before. I am now a participant, not a spectator.” He says he wants to pay this forward by helping other people realize that they can do anything they want to do once they put their minds to it. “My new life has given me so many opportunities and I thank Chris and Heidi Powell every day for this wonderful gift. I feel like I won the lottery! I truly do! Chris and Heidi and their wonderful kids are friends for life. They are a part of our family!”

  *Results not typical, your results may vary. The success or failure of each individual is dependent on their own efforts. The Company has generally expected results which can be obtained by visiting http://VemmaToday.com

**Results not typical, you may not do as well. Two pilot studies conducted by Vemma showed that 55 participants who followed the Vemma Bod•ē Transformation Plan for 12 weeks using Vemma Bod•ē Burn, Bod•ē Rest and Bod•ē Cleanse, lost an average of 14.8 pounds. Not all participants will complete the plan, or accurately follow the directions and guidelines of the plan. Vemma Nutrition Company recommends you follow a healthy approach to weight loss by consulting with your physician or healthcare provider before starting any new exercise, diet plan, nutrition or supplementation program, particularly if you suffer from any medical condition or regularly use prescription or over-the-counter medications. The Vemma Bod•ē products as part of the Vemma Bod•ē Transformation Plan should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and 10 minutes of daily exercise.