Maximum Health Weight Loss Clinic's clients in the Ooltewah area have been losing weight quickly and safely since the program began this January.
"I was a little skeptical," said McDonald area resident Paula Banner, who as a mother of two and full-time worker had assumed she didn't have the time or energy to diet. "I get up at 6 a.m. in the morning, get my kids ready, take them to school and then I am at work until 6 p.m. I don't sit down until 9 p.m., but if you want to live healthy you'll find the time."
She has lost a total of 25 pounds since she joined in January and is striving to lose an additional 23 pounds every eight weeks until she reaches her goal weight.
"We began the program Jan. 5, and up to last week I had lost the most of anyone - I'd lost 22 pounds and five inches off my waist," said clinic administrative assistant and program participant Randy Beasley. "It's a life change. You have to work at it."
The program relies on portion control and supplements to stimulate the body's fat-burning capacity while ensuring the body gets all the nutrients it needs.
Dr. Thomas Klinner, who oversees the clinic as well as Klinner Medical Center, said when most people try to lose weight on their own they end up on a starvation diet, which is unhealthy and makes the dieter feel hungry all the time.
He said his patients have trouble at first because they feel like they are eating too much. The clinic pairs supplements with a nutrition/diet plan, which is tailored specifically to the needs of each person and even offers diabetic and vegetarian options.
The nutrition plan is accessible and teaches patients how to prepare healthier meals at home as well as how to eat out successfully.
Beasley said he still eats at the local Waffle House every morning.
Since the program began, Klinner said his client base has grown as patients see the successful weight loss of office employees like Beasley.
"We're having the results we were told we were going to see," said Klinner. "All but three of our patients' energies have gone up in the first week, and they've lost three to nine and a half pounds the first week on average."
The first week of the program was the hardest for Banner, she said. After that her body adjusted to the change and since then she said it has been smooth sailing.
Her new outlook on food and nutrition has also inspired her family to eat healthier.
"This is for real, hardworking people," Banner said. "In America everything is fast paced and everyone wants to see results fast. Here they will see results and they will see them in the first seven days."