Camper & Parent References

Parent References

Wellspring Hawaii was a great experience for my son Jesse. He lost 36 pounds in the two months that he was there. He has maintained this weight loss since he has been home. Our entire family has continued the program and we have all lost a total of 90 pounds with more to go. I think Hawaii was a good place to have the camp because everyone our son talked to was so enthusiastic about Hawaii. The location of the camp was beautiful, and safe. Jesse told us he had to cross a little creek to get to his sleeping quarters. Jesse made good friends and became knowledgeable about nutrition and exercise. Camp has been a life changing experience for my son. He is much less depressed and reclusive. He is now a normal teen, always with friends, and is even getting better grades. I wish more of the unhappy obese kids I see would be able to attend Wellspring Hawaii.

Julie Aguiar, Santa Cruz, CA

Attending Wellspring Hawaii was the best decision we ever made. I can now say that I do see a successful and "lasting" behavior change. She lost about 35 pounds in eight-weeks. She's been home for more than two-months and her weight has not fluctuated more than a pound or two. She eats very low-fat and makes wise choices. She's been out with friends and at functions where food is a challenge.  It's like she has an inner strength to rise above the temptations. She completed her first quarter of 8th grade with 1st honors - the best grades she's ever received!!  She feels so good about herself. She takes more interest in her looks and even asked to have her hair cut. She went through all of her clothes and tossed all the baggie shirts and pants. She felt so proud. We are looking at private high schools and some are really academically tough. She tells me "Mom, I want that!  I am so ready to take tough classes and study hard!" It's like something woke up inside of her. She's excited about life. She's organized in her school work. She does dishes without grumbling. How can you put a price on this? One thing I learned:  when she came home, I was very anxious that she would gain the weight all back. I wasn't sure I could mimic what she had at camp. I realized that I needed to just relax and give my daughter some credit. As a family, we continue to support her by making sure we have all the right foods in the house. The overeating is something that she just doesn't do anymore. She feels so good and knows what overeating does to her body. She doesn't ever want to be at that heavy weight again. It's awesome! Wellspring Hawaii was the best thing for my daughter.  It's like she's out of her shell and ready to take on the world.  How wonderful is that?  Thank you.  Words can not nearly express my gratitude. 

With heartfelt aloha,

Cyndy Kahalewale, Oahu, HI

Firstly, I would like to let you know that Ashleigh is doing really well and has continued to lose weight since we came home. She is currently going to a Wellness Clinic every Saturday to keep her focused. The best thing that came out of Wellspring Hawaii was that Ashleigh finally took ownership of her weight issues, something we had been unable to get her to do at home. She had an awesome experience with the activities she would probably never have tried here at home. I strongly believe that being in a controlled environment was the best way to help her change habits. It wasn’t an experience just about her weight.  She matured so much being in that environment and this has shown in other areas of her life at home and school. Being around other teenagers with the same issues was an enormous benefit to her. The whole package that Wellspring offers with the support structure and behavioural coaching made it not just about the food choices and I would recommend Wellspring to anyone that was considering it for their teenager, especially those parents who feel they have tried and said everything to make a difference. It definitely was a turning-point for Ashleigh, so a big THANK YOU to Wellspring Hawaii.

Lisa McInnes, Benowa Queensland, Australia

I am writing to tell you about our family’s life-changing experience. This past spring I was looking online and found Wellspring Hawaii. It sounded great. I knew Hawaii would interest her. So plans were made and off she went. Olivia stayed 4 weeks. Olivia came home from camp with a 14 lb weight loss. 4 months post camp we have made a complete lifestyle change. As of today, Olivia has lost 40 lbs. I have lost about 25 lbs and even Alexis who is 7 yrs old and a perfect ht/wt told me she now only buys "healthy snacks at school" like pretzels, juice. Olivia told me just last week "Camp was the best thing that ever happened to me mom it completely changed my life." I just want to say thank you Wellspring Hawaii. Olivia is a beautiful girl who went from a size 19/20 to a 13/14 and continues to get daily compliments on her weight loss. Also thank you for the wake up call we are a much happier healthier family and we owe it all to you!!!!!

Mary Jo Chauvin, Thaxton, MS

My daughter Lehua attended the 1st session in June. I noticed the difference when she came home; she talked a lot about her new friends, she said the hiking trips were awesome, and the water rafting was an experience she will never forget. The culinary, nutrition, and also her individual BC sessions helped her a lot. She is more confident in herself and is more conscientious of what she eats. She checks the calories and fat content of everything we buy when we are at the market! She was never the active type but to my surprise she joined the powder puff team at school (a flag football team for girls). Sending her to Wellspring was the best decision I could have made. I wish she could have stayed longer. I am happy to say Lehua has lost a little more weight but mainly maintained what she lost at camp. The aftercare program is a great idea; it keeps her on track with what she eats everyday.

Although my daughter Lehua still has a long way to go to reach her ideal weight, I know that with the tools and knowledge that Wellspring has provided, she will not only reach her goal but at the same time be a healthier person.

Carole Muraoka, Ewa Beach, HI

Justen has been doing great.  He is down to 260 pounds.  We are amazed.  Thank you for helping him change his life- and our family's life!  We're all going to take turns cooking out of low fat books, and today we all walked together.  Who would have thought losing weight would bring a family closer?!

Yvonne Jayne, Captain Cook, HI

We are so pleased with Kathryn's success!!!! She is continuing to lose weight, and even more her attitude toward food, nutrition, life and her future is so exciting. It appears Kathryn needs to lose about fifteen more pounds to get to a healthy weight, but she is doing great.  We as a family are so excited for her. We are so thankful that we chose Wellspring to give her that great start; now she will continue to lose and I have no doubt with her new attitude and desire she will keep it off and have a much happier high school experience and life.

On Oct 2 she is going to have a return visit with her pediatrician who gave her a physical and sent her off a month or so before she left for Wellspring with a little apprehension. I am looking so forward for him to see her because not only will he be amazed at her weight loss, but she is physically feeling better because of the nutritional program you provided and her mental attitude has changed. Family and friends that have not seen Kathryn and then run into her say, "You look all lit up." Thank you for facilitating this amazing change.

Debbie Driskell, San Jose, CA

 

Ted is doing fantastic. He lost 25 lbs at camp and has lost another 10 lbs since he's been home. My husband's lost 15 lbs. Ted started middle school this year which was a scary thought for all of us. Much to all of our surprise, the adjustment has been minimal. The school is a charter school which draws kids from all over the city, so everyone is new. No one knows that he used to be heavy; he's had the opportunity to start over in so many ways. Without all the social pressures, his academics are way up; he tested into enriched math. Not that he ever lacked the capability, he lacked the motivation. He has many new friends and is playing flag football for his school. He ran for and got an officer position in his temple youth group. A year ago, he would never have considered running for an office. At home, his behavior is cooperative. Someone commented to me recently how his whole demeanor has changed. As difficult as the summer was for all of us for different reasons, it was life changing for Ted in such a positive way. Teresa and CBT were able to bring out his potential in ways that we could never have imagined. The thought of sending an eleven year old off for 8 weeks 2000 miles away was risky, but we received a gem back! THANK YOU!!!

Marci Powers, Albuquerque, NM

Joey is very, very happy with his experience at Wellspring. He started camp weighing in at 341, and at his final weigh-in he weighed 288. Since returning home he has lost more weight. Joey has taken charge of his own food experience, and this was evident even on our trip home. He led and instructed his father and I at restaurants, at Disneyland and Magic Mountain, and at relatives' houses. He has set the goal to never gain the weight back and to continue losing to a normal weight range. I have "put him on diets" before, but this is different because the motivation and commitment are coming from him. He likes to go food shopping with me; this takes forever because he reads all the labels, even of things we have no intention of buying. His knowledge of foods and nutrition is continuing to grow. He fixes his own lunches and often his own breakfast. He helps me prepare dinner. He seems never to be tempted to eat fat-containing foods. He does eat quite a bit, but it is all very low fat.

Joey's father and I are thrilled with the changes we see in our son. He is brighter and more cheerful, and he has a sense of happiness and control about him. He has grown in maturity and in how he deals with people as a result of his camp experience. I credit his excellent counselor, Brooke, and some of the other staff for this growth as well as his own efforts and good spirit. Joey and I are reading through Dr. Kirschenbaum's book, The Healthy Obsession Program, a few paragraphs a day, and I have read the whole thing. It is incredibly inspiring.

I know this e-mail is to be about Joey, but I have to say this one thing about myself because I think the camp program reaches the whole family. I have struggled with weight since the age of 3, and I am now 58. Because of the inspiration of my son and his experiences at Wellspring and because of the inspiration I find in the Healthy Obsession Program book, for the first time in my life I have a very peaceful determination and assurance within myself that I will beat this thing once, continuously, and forever.

On behalf of my son, my husband, and myself, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are more grateful than you can know.

Bettie Gomez, Grants Pass, OR

I cannot begin to tell you the joy I felt when I went to pick up my son from your camp. It was similar to the joy I felt on the day of his birth. He looked amazing. Not only did he lose all that weight, but his skin was clear and his complexion was glowing. He now has more self confidence and is more social than before the weight loss. His behavior has also improved drastically.

Another important thing is that he knows so much more about health and nutrition. He is teaching the whole family what to eat and to follow the same program that he has learned. I myself have lost 10 pounds since he came back. Our entire family is more conscious about what foods we eat. We are all trying to stay below 20 grams of fat per day. In conclusion this was the BEST thing we ever did for our son. Thank you so much for everything.

Summer Ireifej, Upland, CA

Camper References

Throughout most of my life, I have been struggling with my weight. I have always been one of the heaviest people in my group of friends and in my family. Starting in 7th grade, I begin to buy things off the TV because I thought it would change my appearance on how I viewed myself.

My parents have always been behind me 100%. They believed in me and kept telling me that the key to success and weight control is to eat right and workout, but I never listened. All I wanted was a quick fix, I really feel that before coming to camp I tried everything to lose weight and be happy with myself.

While at camp, I have learned that with a healthy diet and exercise I really can lose weight. (My parent’s were right) In addition, before I came to Wellspring, I believed that a product could change how I felt about myself, but I have learned that feeling better about me has to come from within.

Looking ahead into the future, I can tell that the road may not always be smooth, but I know I can get through it with the support of the friends I have made here. After camp, my plan is to go Wellspring Academy for 3 to 4 months. I believe that by going to AOS it will help me out by the added push. I have 2 years left in High School before I go off to college, and I am confident that for the rest of my life I will be a long-term weight controller. I have been given the tools here but now it is my turn to take them out of my bag and put them to work.

- CS

I was worried about my health. I did not want to be dead at 16 years old because I was fat. I say fat because I would rather be called fat than obese. I do not just want to be another statistic. I do not want heart disease.

The best thing I got out of camp was the friendships I have made with campers, counselors and dogs. I love my friends here. They are the only thing that gets me through the rough times. They are my family.

I will know I can stay healthy. I can exercise and enjoy it. My whole family is now trying to get healthier because of me. They have said I am an inspiration to them, which makes me feel great. I know it is possible and I am going to do it.

- PB

As I sit and reflect on my life before Wellspring, I have vivid images of hating the way my body looked, and how I let myself get out of control. People see my pictures and tell me how much my face has thinned out, or how skinny I am getting. I am shocked to be hearing these things because I was always the chubby girl that was made fun of. Here, everyone is in the same position.

Through by friends here and my support groups, I have learned many valuable traits. Such as more opinionated towards by feelings, accepting my body as a temple. I should not pollute with trashy foods. I am slowly but surely becoming more extroverted and that is a giant step for me.

As for the future planning, I have found I might struggle however; I will always have back up from my friends made here. The hardest part I would have to say is exercising since I will be attending school full time. I will also try to join a gym a month after I get situated and use the complex gym daily. Further, down my future, the light will not be dim. There are million possibilities, and I am ready for every single one of them.

- AP

In the past, I had always told myself that I was always going to be overweight. That nothing would ever help. That people were just afraid to get to know me because I was “fat”. It felt like I would never “fit in” I was always self-conscious. I now know that there is a way to stay healthy and lose weight. I find people just like me. Struggling with the same problems. There are people who care and want to help. I had finally found somewhere, where I did not have to worry about the past. I know now healthy way to look at others and myself.

In the future, if I run into a roadblock, there are people I can talk too, people who will understand and help. I know now how to get through criticism and there are people who will always want to be my friend. There will always be my friends from camp. I will never forget my summer at Wellspring and what it has done for me.

- MC