“I was in a place where I knew something needed to change as I was tired of being sick and tired, but wasn't sure what to do.  I saw a post on instagram about Merit and started following them.  As I saw how authentic, genuine, down to earth Veronica and Stephanie appeared I decided to schedule the consultation appointment to see if they were the same in person as I saw on social media.  They were that and more.  I felt welcomed, it didn't feel like "doctor's office", and the first thing they said was, " we are not here to tell you what you have to do, we are here to  guide and support you in what works best for you and your goals."  There was no pressure "you must do this if you want to have a successful" type vibe, which gave me that push to try it out.  Also knowing that you weren't "locked in" to a certain amount of time; month to month, allowed me to know if I didn't like it, I wasn't stuck; allowed for me to be optimistically cautious as I started out.  

The ladies are Merit are always excited to see you when you come in, celebrate every tiny success, and are confident in your abilities before you even believe in them yourselves.

One thing that has been helpful is that they don't shame you, they are empathetic to your emotions of how weight gain or loss is just as mentally challenging as physically challenging.  They also give you options with medications if you feel it's needed.  They understand and know that eating disorders aren't just someone who is anorexic or bulimic.  I have struggled with eating disorders from one extreme to the other throughout my life and having them support and offer alternatives to support me in dealing with addictive thoughts and patterns has allowed me to be more attuned to what my body actually needs vs coping with negative emotions through food.”

I believe what has been different this time is I haven't allowed myself to have a certain expectation that "I must lose this amount of weight within this amount of time in order to be successful".  I believe the approach Merit takes in not focusing on calories, setting realistic goals of just adding in more water, increasing your protein level without focusing on your carbs, and not pushing exercise as the only means to make weight loss work.  They don't overwhelm you with making all these changes at once which keeps me from becoming discouraged.  I also believe what has helped me be successful is they genuinely are interested in you as a person.  They are invested in your complete health, not just your physical health.