Business: Lifelong Metabolic Center
Address: 1220 Hobson Road, Naperville.
Owner: Amanda Borre, of Aurora
What does your business do? "Help people lose weight and keep it off for life. ... It's a big job. (Keeping it off) is the hardest part. That's why it's lifelong metabolic," Borre said.
How does it work? "We do DNA testing, a cheek swab. The report we get from the lab tells us how a person should eat and how they should exercise that's just right for their body. I check with them for a period of time (during the program) until they are comfortable enough to do it on their own."
What happens when someone comes in? "We do a health history, talk about diet history, talk about anything in their health that may be related to weight loss. Then we figure out what their metrics are. ... Metrics are body fat, muscle mass, BMI (Body Mass Index), visceral fat — which is fat around the organs — level of hydration and metabolic age.
"We determine which program they need, six months or one year. It depends on BMI. ... Around 25 is a healthy number."
What do the test results tell you? "All the food groups in exactly the quantities you should have every day. ... It's about getting the right ratios and quantity of food for your body. ... Maybe you're eating three fruits a day, but your body only needs one. ... It breaks it down to certain percentage of carbs, fat and protein that are right for your body."
Are carbs evil? "It depends. You do need some. You need whatever is right for your body. But we over-consume globally."
What is the four-phase plan? "Phase One is one day. Phase Two is 40 days long. ... Phase Three is three weeks long. Six meals a day, food that is anti-inflammatory and low glycemic, just like in Phase Two. They text me once a week ... we're tracking body fat, muscle mass and weight. That takes you into the DNA program to maintain.
"The body will always go to normalize itself. If you go to 1,200 calories (a day), it will learn to live on 1,200 calories. Eventually, you have diminishing returns. So, we cycle. One day, 40 days, 21 days."
Amanda Borre says patients have collectively lost more than 8,000 pounds in the four years her Lifelong Metabolic Center in Naperville has been open. (Steve Metsch / Pioneer Press)
What got you started? Borre was a chiropractor for about 10 years in Warrenville and switched to weight loss because she wanted to spend more time with her husband, Jeff, and their two children, T.J., 14, and Faith, 12. Borre worked with another weight loss doctor for three years before starting her business.
How are the results? "Our typical female will lose a half-pound a day, our typical male with lose three-fourths to one pound a day ... (My patients) have lost more than 8,000 pounds."
What do you like best? "Success stories. People who are able to take less medications, do more things with their children, have a higher quality of life."
Any drawbacks? "I like to be there for my patients at any time. ... I struggle with that at times."
What's the best part of having a business in Naperville? "There's a lot of community involvement."
How do you get the word out? "Patient referrals, doctor referrals and a bit of advertising on Facebook and social media. ... (Patients) become walking billboards."
What's the price? "The six-month program is $1,275, and the one-year program is $2,150."
Do you have any favorite stories? "I had a patient who lost more weight than she realized. She was trying to wear her clothes longer before she went to buy new clothes because she knew she'd lose even more. She did not have her belt tight enough and her pants fell to her ankles at work. I tell it as a cautionary tale. Get a belt. A belt gets you through until you're ready to buy new clothes.
"I had a patient carrying too much weight and she wanted to get pregnant. They were on the fence about having another child. (After she lost the weight) she was pregnant with twins."
What misconceptions do people have? "That it's a fad or they can't afford it ... There's science behind what we do, and the investment into your health is the best investment you can make."
What advice would you give someone starting a business? "Be patient. When you do what you love, it will naturally show. So, make sure your business is something you love and you're passionate about. That makes it not feel like work."
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
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