Dr. Chufo's Weight Loss & Wellness

I followed Dr Chufo's program for 5 to 6 months and lost 28 lbs. I think the program could work for some people, maybe those who need to lose 10 to 30 pounds and who believe in the effectiveness of vitamin supplements. There is a charge for the program, weeks expected to lose the weight, plus a 6 or 8 week maintenance visits after reach goal. Dr. Chufo seemed knowledgable and reasonable, at first, saying my goal of losing 70 or so pounds might need to be more like 50 lbs when we see how things go (but later she humiliated me for my failure to lose quickly and charged me a lot to add weeks to make up for slow weight loss). I never got a contract copy or itemized receipts for anything, so I don't recall my exact goal, how many weeks I agreed to, etc. The program was very expensive and difficult to follow, for me. It required eliminating all dairy and all grain/bread carbs (minimal fruit is allowable but no other carbs - potatoes, bananas, noodles/pasta, bread of any kind, cereal, oatmeal etc). It also requires many, many supplements at a cost of $600 to $1000+ per month, at some times 5 or 6 pills and other times 8 to 10 different ones. I felt no advantage from the supplements aside from nausea, and did see comparable supplements at GNC or amazon for 1/4 the price Dr. Chufo charged. Aside from first week loss of around 7-8 lbs, I averaged less that a pound a week for all this money. I paid in advnce for 10 or more months and did not get refund, or even a phone call of concern or interest when I stopped coming - the pressure to keep buying more weeks and more supplements for minimal weight loss was too much to handle any more. I don't know the true program cost because Dr. Chufo did not give me copies of anything. I joined at my first visit and it included all the weeks of weight loss, 6 or 8 weeks maintenance, and then 2 months of her supplements, private labeled. That was over $3000. I don't know which supplements I paid, because I didn't get a receipt, so I wonder if I got them all. About 3 months' in, Chufo asked me to add weeks (because with the low weight loss, it would take longer to reach my goal) and she had added the weeks while ringing me up for supplements so I was surprised and I allowed her to ring it up, but I don't really know how many extra weeks I paid for. Another thing that could be helpful or troubling is that each week, Chufo or her assistant would ask me to list all my cheats. It is helpful to know your problem foods, to get them out of the house, but it also seemed humiliating and also a way to insulate herself from warranty claims. I did buy the supplements and products like protein shkes, but even though I sked for more when I ran out, she had run out of the better shakes and pressured me to buy many boxes of a smelly gross shake, instead of buying just one to see if I liked it. I am unsure that anyone can lose weight drinking multiple protein shakes a day in addition to the other food. After many weeks with no loss, and only help offered was to buy more weeks (I declined) and to take more supplements, I stopped coming but emailed a request for refund. Still waiting for that. Most of the other people I saw in the center were older women, some couples and men, maybe long time customers who attended the Healthy Performance centers before they closed. So all in all, Dr. Chufo does have a program that works and provides accountability. I suggest actively asking for copies of everything and receipts.