So back in the early 90's I was diagnosed with Bipolar, Depression, and Tourettes around 93 is when it first started. I was taking antidepressants since 93. So Spring of 2012 since I had been seeing a Psychiatrist he told me that I was going to be on prescription medicines for the rest of my life and I was like uhm no I don't want that. I was already 19 years on them I'm done I was not planning on doing another 20, 30, etc years more on them. So I started looking into a way to get off them naturally. Now I tried to stop them completely without anything supplementing and would literally have withdrawal effects like shaking, nervousness, insomnia. I felt like a drug addict without his drugs and I was like this is the pharmaceutical industry and this is legal?
So when I was at a Networking Event I met Kim Gonzalez my mentor that brought me into USANA she told me a bit about USANA and I made the decision to take a chance and see. Sometimes you have to take risks and think outside the box otherwise you are going to become average and ordinary and I was not a guy that thinks inside the box. So I started as a client in June/July of summer taking the Essentials, Biomega, and Vitamin D and within 3 months I noticed a difference in my health that I said you know I actually feel better rather than worse so I said well I am going to take another chance.
Now I knew if I had told my doctor I was taking USANA he would try every trick in the book to tell me not to because I knew he was one that was in for the money that loved getting kickbacks from the pharmaceutical industry so I didn't tell him just yet. I started lowering my doses on my prescriptions on my own. I was taking Effexor XR 75 and 150 MG and Geoddon 80 MG I believe. The Geoddon was 1 in morning and 1 in evening the Effexor XR was 1 of the 150 MG and 1 of the 75 MG in the morning so I started to lower the Effexor by taking the 150 away, and then not to soon after I took the Geoddon in the AM away and sure enough I started lowering all the way that by Christmas of 2012 I was completely prescription drug free. 19 years of being on Prescription drugs gone as of Christmas 2012 that was one of the biggest accomplishments for me ever.
I still went to see the doctor though but I never took anything else he gave me. I would sit in the patient room seeing patients drugged up on prescription just nodding back and forth it was bad. You would wait over a hour or 2 just to be seen and when he seen you it was 5 minutes how you doing? okay see you in 8 weeks here's a prescription bye. Like that is what got to me
because I knew he was only in it for the money from the pharmaceutical industry.
They did a study on Fox News in June of 2013 that said 70% of Americans were on at least one prescription drug. I can now say I am no longer a statistic. That would mean 70% of those doctors are only caring about the kickbacks from what I would believe. I tell people my story because its like why wouldn't I share it? Thousands of people are dying each year from Prescription medicines in North America and I am showing people there is hope and a better choice, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that is USANA and Dr. Wentz vision.
You would think my story would end there as a powerful story but it doesn’t. Back on November 9th, 2012 I had weighed 273 pounds. One of my goals was to be 200 pounds before my 29th birthday on September 20th, 2013. I was determined on achieving this goal. When the better half of my life Andrea McCarthy came into my life along with USANA she increased not only my confidence but also my determination to take better care of my health. For many years my close friends would say you should start reading labels but I was never serious about it. Till Andrea came into my life back on May 22nd, 2013 when we first met and even more serious when we became a couple on June 1st, 2013. Andrea being a certified Health Coach and me still new in the Health and Service Industry what we didn’t know at how well the two of us were meant for each other as well as how the two of us being the rockin kick butt Fedora Hat Couple we would really make waves in 2013.
I was 273 pounds back on November 9th, 2012 and now I am 179 pounds as of November 9th, 2013. I lost 94 pounds within a years time frame but since being in a relationship with Andrea and having her in my life I’ve lost 58 pounds out of the 94 pounds in the year so that’s 61% of my weight transformation is also thanks to Andrea big time along with USANA. Her knowledge about healthy lifestyle food choices along with me making the lifestyle choice to go Gluten Free since Andrea is Gluten Intolerant I now understand that the benefits of going Gluten Free can really help in the long run. I made the choice to start supporting her from day 1 by trying Gluten Free Foods and it tastes just like anything else you eat just offers a more healthier choice in the long run for you. At first I didn’t realize it till I calculated that since being in a relationship I really do owe a big amount of credit to my better half, girlfriend, best friend ever, and future wife Andrea McCarthy.
My goal was to be 200 pounds by September 20th, 2013 I achieved that on September 9th, 2013 which was 11 days before my birthday. Went from a size 50 to a size 34 in jeans and a 3X to a size Medium in shorts and a t-shirt. Also went from a size 11 to a size 10.5 in shoes. I tell people I am not a paid actor that you see on the late night infomercials I am the real deal.
In February of this year I walked 3.4 miles from my apartment to where our train line was located and 3.4 miles back so 6.8 miles in one day round trip. Took me 3 hours round trip and 1 and a half hours each way. I did my first official 5k at the convention last month and did it in 50 minutes. I did another 5k with my girlfriend in September for Lung Cancer Research since both our dads passed away from Lung Cancer years ago so it was an emotional moment. It was my girlfriends first 5k and my 2nd official 5k. I was worried about her since its something new she hasn't done and she was worried about me because I had a car accident a few days beforehand and someone hit my car from the back so there fault and I still did the 5k. (I was sore but I recovered fast thanks to USANA)
We did the 5k in one hour and 10 minutes. We walked so we were at the back of the line and the last to cross the finish line. So official 5k's 2 but if we calculate the ones in February not as official but walking I would say total of 4 :)
Today its November 29th , 2013 and so far I weigh 172 pounds so that’s a 101 pounds lost since November 9th, 2012 which means 65 pounds of that 101 pounds is thanks to my beautiful better half Andrea Mccarthy she is the reason I strive to do my best and why I will continue to take it to the next level.
I’ve come a long way and its only the beginning. For those that don’t know me my name is Julio Carrasco and I am the next Steve Jobs….in health and service. In 2014 that all begins to take surface so be ready because when people say the sky is the limit I say there is no sky and the universe is yours for the taking. You can do whatever you put your mind to if you just try it and just do it. Napolean Hill said what the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve and baby its all starting to formulate into achieving. Anything is possible when you just have faith and belief that everything will work itself out. When you meet me you are either going to like me, hate me, love me, envy me, be jealous of me, either way you will eventually see me and if none of those options you will think that he is one crazy Chicagorican Fedora Hat wearer and you know what? Yes I am and its true oh its damn true so ROCK ON and stay for the ride because its already done started. BOOM….
