January 20, 2012
Doctor Jon
There is so much pressure on models to look a certain way but no one really cares how they achieve that look. As a model I know looking like a model and staying healthy do not always go hand in hand. Without realizing it, it is very easy to stay skinny but risk your health. Many models starve themselves by eating only five to six hundred calories per day. I did this for a few months and on the outside I looked perfect, my hair didn’t thin, my skin didn’t look bad, and I was skinny. My actual health was a different story, I was always light-headed, hungry, and I never had energy. A person’s body cannot function properly on six hundred calories. After a few months I started eating normally again but I was also gaining weight and didn’t know how to deal with it in a healthy way.
In November, 2011, I was introduced to Doctor Jon by Stacey Eastman, the owner of Pulse Model Management. Doctor Jon had put together a nutrition program for some of Stacey’s models. The whole point of the program was to allow models to maintain the body weight they need, without harming their health. Doctor Jon explained the benefits of the program, and my parents and I decided to give it a shot.
The program is very simple but takes a lot of dedication. Dr. Jon explained that the major reason why models put on weight is due to inflammation, and he explained what causes the inflammation. While using the program I cannot consume gluten or sugar because both of those cause inflammation. In modeling, a quarter of an inch makes a major difference in measurements, so if I am inflamed or not could be a deciding factor for a job. Cutting gluten and sugar out of my diet was not easy and it still isn’t, but the rewards have been great. That is where the dedication comes in, it would be really easy to give in just once but it takes three to six months for sugar or gluten to fully leave your system.
One thing that Dr. Jon really stresses is eating every two or three hours so your body constantly has fuel. Another thing that causes inflammation is your blood sugar. When you go hours on end without eating, your blood sugar is going to drop. Once you eat, your blood sugar shoots up and it’s not good for your blood sugar levels to be on a rollercoaster. Every few hours I eat a handful of almonds, or a cucumber, something to keep my blood sugar even.
Aside from the benefits of the program Doctor Jon has been a Godsend for me on a personal level, too. We message each other a few times every week just to keep in touch. When I have any questions or I am struggling with my diet, I message Doctor Jon and he is more than willing to help me. While in Tokyo, it was hard to find food without gluten, but Doctor Jon has been a big help with giving me suggestions. Also, I am the type of person who loves to work out but when I work out too much, my muscles bulk up so Doctor Jon helped me find a workout regimen that works for me.
Since I have been on Dr. Jon’s program and really stuck to it, my measurements have been perfect. I’m not sure what I would look like right now or how healthy I would be if it weren’t for Doctor Jon. He knows what he is talking about and really cares about my health. I promise the program works but it takes full dedication to be successful.
McKenzi Hendricks
