Meet The Winner of Our Fall 2015 14-Day Detox Challenge

We just wrapped up our Fall 2015 14-Day Detox Challenge, and the hands-down winner is Joe Garza, a 44-year-old mortgage underwriter for Rushmore Home Loans in Irvine. Joe and his wife, Jennifer, have four young sons, and what Joe accomplished in just two weeks has everyone in his family very proud of him.

We sat down with Joe and asked him about his experience with Restoration Healthcare and in particular, undergoing an intense two-week health challenge. Here is what this Irvine resident had to say:

Restoration HealthCare: Why did you join the 14-Day Detox Challenge?

Joe Garza: Simply, I did it for my family. I came in to see Dr. Sunny Raleigh for some swelling I was experiencing around my neck and she did a basic check-up on me as well. My blood work revealed some scary stuff. I had very high triglyceride levels. So she let me know I had to make a change. I knew I was a bit overweight but I didn’t know it was that bad. This all just happened to coincide with the start of the Fall 2015 14-Day Detox Challenge. My wife Jennifer, who was extremely supportive, thought it would be a good thing for us to try since I needed to change up my diet drastically. So we accepted the challenge.

RH: How much weight did you lose during the challenge and how did your body composition change over that two-week period?

Joe: During the 14-day challenge I lost a total of 15 pounds, and reduced my body fat percentage by four points. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I lost. I didn’t do any exercise during the challenge, so I didn’t expect to lose that much weight.* A lot of the weight I lost came off my face and mid-section. I am not as round as I was in those areas. My wife says “It’s like you’re a completely different person!”

*Editor’s Note: We asked Dr. Tom Bakman, founder of Restoration Healthcare, to weigh in (pun intended) on Joe’s exercise level during our 14-Day Challenge. As we note at the end of today’s post, Dr. Bakman explained that for some patients who suffer from inflammation, changes to their diet alone can prompt a significant reduction in weight the first two weeks of a new regime.

RH: What do you think was the key to your winning?

Joe: I really didn’t think I had much of a chance at winning the challenge but thinking about it now, I would say just sticking to the program was the key to winning. I had extra motivation in getting my triglycerides down but I really just stuck to the program. It helped a lot that the program is very simple and easy to follow. It started off a bit rough. I was a coffee drinker, so the first couple of days of coming off caffeine and sugar caused some headaches. The program also calls for keeping hydrated and that really helped.

RH: What are your health and fitness objectives and how is Restoration Healthcare helping you meet them?

Joe: My main objective is to get my weight down to where it should be. After the 14-Day Challenge, I remain on a low fat, very low carb and sugar-free diet. I plan to start being more active and exercising when I get close to my goal weight. I like to play basketball but have put it off because I feared carrying the extra weight while I played would be detrimental to my knees and ankles. So I’m looking forward to that. Restoration Healthcare is helping me greatly by monitoring my progress with their wonderful InBody 770 machine. It offers such valuable information. And then there is Dr. Raleigh and the staff. They all offer so much fantastic information, support and motivation. They are awesome!

RH: What advice would you give to someone participating in our next 14-Day Detox Challenge?

Joe: My advice to anyone doing the Detox Challenge would be to “Just Do It!” What helped me get through the tough times of the cleanse was thinking about it in the grand scale of your life. Really, 14 days is so miniscule in the scope of your life. It really made it seem far less of an obstacle and more like a little blip on the radar. Also I would advise people to really stay on top of their water intake during a challenge such as this one. It helps so much.

We thank Joe for his effort and congratulate him for his weight loss and for reducing his body fat. As we mention above, Dr. Bakman says that for some patients who suffer from inflammation, changes to their diet alone can prompt a significant reduction in weight the first two weeks of a new regime. That’s certainly an incentive to start a new program that can change your life!