Venturan's weight-loss infomercial features local testimonials
Alicia Doyle - http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/jun/14/venturans-weight-loss-infomercial-features-local/

The creator of the Food Lovers Fat Loss System, Robert Ferguson, says his passion to help others goes back to the pain and frustration he witnessed watching his mother lose more than 1,500 pounds over the years.

"Diets are very much like bullies and I am no fan of bullies," said Ferguson, 40, of Ventura. "My goal is to put diets out of business.

"Today my mother is enjoying newfound happiness and freedom as a result of the information offered in my Food Lovers Fat Loss System," said the proud son, "and I want everyone to have this same opportunity. I am dedicated to helping others be lean and healthy for a lifetime." With that, Ferguson is now reaching millions of Americans through an infomercial that features Ventura County residents who have reaped success from his promise that you can eat all your favorite foods at each meal — and snack in between — and reduce your waistline every single week.

"The key to my program is carbohydrate metabolism and learning how to optimize your glycemic profile," said Ferguson, whose 30-minute infomercial produced by Alchemy Worldwide airs on networks including USA, Lifetime, Food Channel, TV Guide and Women's Entertainment.

"Simply put, instead of focusing on the negatives of carbs, my program teaches you how to eat them — any carb to include pasta, pizza, desserts and even wine and chocolate in the right combinations and amounts so that your blood sugar levels are in balance and you are in fat- burning mode instead of fat-storing mode," Ferguson continued. "This makes it diabetic-friendly, heart-healthy and adaptable to any taste — even vegetarians." Ferguson, who has offices in Ventura, Malibu, Sherman Oaks and West Hollywood, said his system is different from other weight-loss methods because you learn how to eat the foods you love and lose all the weight you want.

"You're never hungry, you don't have to deprive yourself of a single one of your favorite foods and you never have to eat a food you don't like," said Ferguson, who works with area clients at the Diet Free Life Center in Ventura. "You can lose all the weight you want without buying prepackaged food, having to deal with complicated calorie counting or giving up foods. No other program promises what Food Lovers delivers on."

Testimonials

As is fitting an infomercial king, Ferguson can line up the satisfied customers. They are convincing.

Kathy Barrett of Camarillo, who says she has lost and gained well over 1,000 pounds in the past 30 years, said Ferguson's system has "given me back my life." "I truly thought I was destined to die a very overweight and unhealthy woman," said the 47-year- old, who has dropped nearly 220 pounds in 16 months. "That is not the case; I have my life back and I am forever thankful."

Gloria Tracy, 71, of Port Hueneme said even though she's been a pretty upbeat person most of her life, "there was always the constant of either dieting to lose weight or out-of-control eating while putting the weight back on. Anyone who has been there knows what I mean." When she went to Ferguson's program seven years ago, she said, "I didn't know if I had it in me to lose again. I thought I had ruined my metabolism with my decades of yo-yo dieting. Robert's words, ÔI can show you how to change your metabolism,' gave me hope." In 10 months, Tracy lost 55 pounds, and has kept the weight it off. "And all the foods I love are still part of my life!"

Kim Lester, 40, of Camarillo, who has lost nearly 100 pounds and gone from a size 16 to a size 10, credits Ferguson and his system — and her own positive attitude — for creating the right combination for success in the program. "Because I am physically healthy and stron

g, it is much easier to tackle the ups and downs of everyday life," Lester said. "I wake up each and every day happy and ready to embrace my life. "The strength and extreme joy that I feel each and every day is amazing. I don't deprive myself of the foods I love and eat more than ever before."

About Ferguson

Born and raised in Anderson, Ind., Ferguson came to Ventura County by way of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1987, when he was stationed at Point Mugu. Currently a doctoral candidate in sports psychology at the Optimal Performance University in Sunnyvale, he holds advanced personal training certification from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America in Sherman Oaks and is a clinical nutritionist with certification as a performance nutritionist from the International Sports Sciences Association in Santa Barbara. He and his wife, Krista, own and operate the Diet Free Life Center in Ventura in addition to raising their daughter, who is 20 months old.

Ferguson is currently in development with BET and VH1 for his own weekly TV show. "And I am laying the foundation for a huge Food Lovers Fiesta tour where we go to cities throughout North America and educate and entertain communities on how to be lean and healthy for a lifetime," he said.

"The goal is to get a Food Lovers Fat Loss System in every home in North America," Ferguson said, "and give people the power by providing the knowledge and plan to win at weight loss and be healthy for a lifetime."

About the plan

Robert Ferguson's Food Lovers' Fat Loss System is based on what he calls optimizing your glycemic profile, "which is nothing but learning to eat foods you love and keep your blood sugar levels even — not too high or low," he said. "What I do is ask a person to tell me exactly what they want to eat or prefer to eat; then, I categorize the foods for the person by placing them as a fast carb, slow carb, protein or fat. So, if you want to eat rice, bread or pasta — all are fast carbs — the key to the program is combining those fast carbs with a protein and/or slow carb to help you keep your blood-sugar levels in a healthy range."

With regard to exercise, Ferguson said: "I like to first focus on food and then teach people how to maximize the activity that they prefer. For instance, if someone prefers to walk, then we show them how to use resistance training and possibly yoga or Pilates to improve their walking. If someone likes golf, then we do the same thing. The key is getting people to get waistline results doing an activity that gets them excited."

No pills or supplements are involved, Ferguson further emphasized. "Our first goal is to encourage the consumption of regular, everyday food," he said. "However, we do educate people on supplementation and how they can be an asset to their overall program if they are interested in that."