Raysa Castillo

I came to the United States in 1985 with my husband and my older son. Prior to that, our lifestyle included a relatively healthy diet, with a lot of natural, low-fat food, boiled roots and vegetables, and tropical fruits. With our arrival came a drastic change in diet.

My husband was attending college full-time and all of a sudden our food was very processed and rich in fat. We started gaining weight almost immediately. I was not very self-conscious about it and basically all I did for a while was buy larger size clothes.

After my son Jonathan was born, I gained almost 70 pounds in a short time. I became self-conscious about my weight and the health risks.

My older sister, who came to live with us for a few months, had been diagnosed with diabetes a few years before. While living with us, she had to get a toe amputated. Then she traveled to Dominican Republic where she suffered a heart attack as a result of her diabetes and passed away before turning 51.

My self-consciousness now turned into panic. All of a sudden I realized that I could go through the same experience and I decided to take action and started looking for a weight loss solution. I was placed on a doctor supervised diet several times, I tried other diets on my own, others suggested by friends, I joined Weight Watchers, I joined Jenny Craig and every time I lost some weight just to gain it back and then some. I tried pills, shakes, teas, etc., to no avail.

Meanwhile I became depressed and irritable, I was tired all the time, and as I saw the years passing by, I was sure that I would suffer the same fate as my sister.

The latest doctor check up indicated that my weight was 280 lb., I was at the verge of developing diabetes, my triglycerides and low density cholesterol were high, my high density cholesterol was low, my blood pressure was high and something I did not see coming, my bone density was low and I was developing osteopenia, the precursor of osteoporosis. My outlook was not very good.

A friend called me and asked to come by our house to show us a new project they were working on, we accepted the invitation and they showed us these product made by YOR Health that could help us lose weight and become healthier. I was very skeptical. I saw another "gimmick", another plan, similar to the ones I tried in the past. But I was curious, and had nothing to lose and so, to help my friend, I decided to try the products for a month or two.

At that time, our lifestyle was very sedentary. We had repeatedly joined a gym, just to attend a few times a year. As I started using the products, I immediately noticed a change. During the first week I lost 6 pounds and in the following 4-5 weeks, I lost almost 40 pounds and finally this company and its products caught my attention and my husband also started to use the products. The next decision we made was to become Independent Representatives together because we wanted to share this newfound wonder. My outlook changed. I was no longer depressed and in fact I became much happier.

A couple of months after I started using the products, all my health indicators went back to healthy levels and my energy went through the roof. It was an outstanding improvement.

For the next few months I lost weight steadily although not as fast but most importantly, the weight stayed off and my health just kept on improving. At that time, going back to the weight I had before I migrated to the US was not an option.

Then I saw a few people become members of the "100 Pound Club" and I decided I wanted to become part of that incredible elite. As my health improved and I lost weight, I was actually motivated to hit the gym. That changed everything for me. When the 8-Week Challenge was launched, I had already lost around 80 pounds with the YOR Health product line. Since I joined the challenge, I have lost about 32 more pounds. That makes me 112 pounds lighter than when I started my journey.

Now I work out 4-5 times a week. I can say that I have been blessed beyond my wildest imagination by losing all that weight and being able to go from a size 24W to a size 12. Today I am able to walk and climb stairs without gasping, exercise, work all day and still have energy to do the things I enjoy. I feel like I’m on top of the world. I feel that I can achieve anything. I feel sexy and my self-esteem is incredibly higher than two years ago.

The changes we have achieved have put a new spark in our intimacy, making it better than when we were newly weds. We are now committed to a common goal of better health and better quality of life and it is our mission to help others transform their health and their marriages.

This change has also significantly improved my working life, and my relationships with family and friends. I laugh a lot more now, and I'm much more confident talking to people (even strangers) and don't mind been in public places. I enjoy life more intensively because I feel I deserve it. I now know that I will live a long and healthy life.

A few years ago, I hated going shopping and I only did it because what I had in my wardrobe was too tight. Today, I enjoy shopping because what's in my wardrobe is too big, and that is an awesome sensation. I even discovered the pleasure of shopping for exercising clothes.

But, as if losing all that weight was not enough, I am part of the most amazing group of people, all with one single purpose, to improve people's lives. During the ups and downs, everyone was very supportive and the encouragement of friends like Robbie Hendricks, Steve Clement, and Aaron and Rachel Pitman really kept me on track.

Today I have become very purposeful about sharing what I've found with people that have the same need that I had. I can now assure them that it works, and it's a thrill to be able to help them experience what I am experiencing today. And I now have a wonderful new circle of positive and encouraging friends!

I will forever be grateful to the YOR Health family and it is my commitment to Share Happiness!