M V Nutrition

I went to Sarah in order to learn to have a healthier lifestyle and feel better, If I lost weight along the way that would be an added bonus. Prior to working with Sarah I did not know much about eating right. Sarah taught me a lot about portion sizes, healthy snacking, and how to read labels. When I ran into difficulty lowering my fat intake, Sarah told me to lower my sugar intake. When I stated I didn't think the sugar was the problem, Sarah confronted me in a gentle way by reviewing with me my food chart. Sure enough the sugar was a problem! Sarah developed a simple plan for me to reduce my sugar intake and my fat intake dropped to where it should be. I started feeling great and have now lost 13 pounds! Prior to working with Sarah I tried exercising alone and saw no changes. With a simple adjustment to my diet--- which I can live with--- I now fit back into my old clothing and am being complimented all the time on my figure! This is all without any exercising-- I am only following the diet that Sarah recommended! I highly recommend Sarah as a Nutritionist! I could not have done this without her! Pros: Lost weight in an easy way Cons: You have to be motivated to change more

I lost ten pounds the first year and twenty pounds this year. I learned how to eat what I like and lose weight slowly which I've been able to keep off. Sarah is super nice and non-judgmental. Even when I had a tiny slip she gently pushed me to get back on track. She is a really great person, always upbeat. She has some terrific recipes too. I'm now a size 6 in designer jeans, when I started I was a ""tight 12."" The on-line food diary is fast, easy and keeps you honest. MV Nutrition is worth the price. Pros: MV Nutrition is a sensible effective way to lose weight more

What to eat, when to eat, how to eat -- I've struggled with this as I get very busy during the day, skipping meals, grabbing a not-so-healthy snack in a pinch. Sarah helped me get through it without the nonsense of fad dieting. She and the folks at MV Nutrition are true professionals. Sarah really listens and talks through my time challenges to come up with workable solutions. She's friendly, sympathetic, and genuinely cares about getting you through your hurdles. She's also honest, down-to-earth and doesn't just throw information at you. We've gone through not only what to eat, but also strategies on how to tackle my schedule. She gives you real examples applicable to your life and schedule of how to apply the strategies throughout the day. I've been seeing results and highly recommend Sarah and MV Nutrition to anyone looking for a true change in their eating habits and lifestyle. Pros: Supportive and knowledgeable people, fantastic tools Cons: None - your results are up to you more

I came to MV weighing at 260 pounds, which was the most I had ever weighed. I had been traveling off and on for several years, and had just moved to San Francisco. After about 8 months of work, I have lost 20 pounds, and am halfway to my goal. I am consistently losing weight, and I'm actually glad that it's taking time, because that makes me feel much more confident that this is not just a temporary thing, but a long-term change in my life. I have never been happier with myself physically, and I owe so much of it to Sarah and her help. One thing I want to say is that when I started working with Sarah, even though it took me a little while to lose weight (which was my fault, because I was still traveling and not really sticking to the program we had agreed on 100%), I immediately started to feel so much better, because Sarah was teaching me healthy eating habits. My mood and attitude towards food changed right away: I immediately felt, and still feel so much more in control, and happy about eating. I'm never hungry, and have lost those terrible food cravings and that sense of being completely out of control in relation to food. It's really an amazing blessing, and I am so grateful for it. And if I had stuck more to the program, I would have started losing weight right away! Once I did, the pounds started to come off, and it was actually really easy and felt good. Sarah's style is to be low-key and compassionate and to listen a lot, and then come up with good advice. She is thinking about what you are saying, and getting to know the particular circumstances of who you are. I think people who want to lose weight often feel bad about themselves (which is understandable, given how cruel our society is about fat and weight gain and all those sorts of issues). So part of us wants a drill sergeant, someone to tell us how bad we have been, and that we have to do some extreme thing to lose weight and get our acts together. Well, if those things worked, none of us would be in a situation where we still need some other kind of help. Diets are mostly a scam: if you lose a lot of weight relatively quickly doing something weird, eating in a way that is not sustainable over the long-term (like drinking protein shakes or eating no carbs or starving yourself), not only will you put on all the weight when you go back to normal life, but also your metabolism will be all screwed up, which will cause you to put on MORE weight, and make it even hard to take that weight off the next time. It's a terrible cycle, and I am one of the probably millions of people who have gone through it. It's hard to change behavior. It takes time and effort and thoughtfulness and compassion. I am really grateful to Sarah for sticking with me and our work together. I enjoy eating now, and I am never hungry (unless I skip meals or don't eat enough, which is the opposite of what Sarah tells me to do!), and I have taken off 20 pounds in a way that is healthy and sustainable. I'm confident I will not only lose the next 20 pounds, but be able to keep it off permanently. Most important, I feel I have finally broken this awful cycle of dieting and overeating. Anyway, I recommend Sarah incredibly highly. She's a great person, and a terrific nutritionist. Go in and meet her and see for yourself. I feel so lucky and so much happier, and a lot of it is thanks to her and MV. more

I'm a regular yelper and couldn't believe when I read a negative review for MV Nutrition. I actually met with Sarah 6 months ago and have had tremendous success. Not only was she sensitive to the struggles I was going through, but she actually assisted me with my medical condition, POS. Sarah worked with me despite my hectic schedule. She helped me get organized, stay active, assisted me with a responsible eating plan, and was always sensitive to my physical and emotional needs. I'm back on track now and look better than ever. Best of all....I feel GREAT. Pros: Get healthy Cons: You have to stay focused... more

I just finished an apple as my mid morning snack, pretty unremarkable you might think, unless you consider that about a month ago the concept of my eating a mid morning snack at all was not a part of my mind set and if by chance I ate one, an APPLE, are you kidding me? C?mon there?s tons more good stuff out there to choose from, or so I thought. more

Even though I'm very athletic, I was definitely overweight! By overweight, I don't mean that I was obese. I was NOT obese to start with... just needed to get some stubborn 10-15 lbs off. I worked my butt off (literally) with a trainer at a gym and my pants are STILL feeling tighter each week!!! Got very frustrated!!! Pros: Supportive and knowledgable staff, easy to follow plan, RESULTS!!! Cons: Parking (costly, but you can BART in easily...) more

I like good food, and I've never been interested in a high-fat or a high-carb diet. However, over 10 years I've gained a half pound here, a full pound there and eventually I was about 20 lbs overweight. I went hungry between meals and as a consequence, I over-ate. I never snacked. While I ate healthy meals, my digestion slowed down and I carried glucose pills to bridge those afternoon hunger pangs. My husband and I hired a personal trainer to reinvigorate our exercise routine, but apparently I wasn't getting my heart rate high enough, and I was eating even more. more

I was training for a half marathon and Christina from MV Nutrition came to talk with our group. I've been active my entire life and never really had a weight problem, but I was interested in taking my fitness to the next level. Prior, I'd read a couple of books and tried to change my eating habits, but didn't really have great results. As it turns out, I needed some individual attention to keep me accountable and to point out small changes I could make to my eating habits. Now, it wasn't easy. The first couple of weeks, I kept to my old regimen. However, by the end of four weeks, I'd lost four pounds of fat and gained five pounds of muscle. Plus, I now have more energy. Pros: Great staff, very personable, they tailor the program to your indv needs Cons: It's not cheap, but a fair price more

I still can't believe and can?t get use to my losing 38 lbs and how easy it was. I feel as though I am in my 20's again (I know it's only a dream) and haven't felt this great in years. I never thought I would have such a feeling of transformation. I never anticipated this kind of results with the way I am feeling and all of the positive changes I have made. You should be the nutritionist or an advisor to the ""Dr. Phil Show"". You are heroic and I can't say enough thank you's. And the best is yet to happen. My wife has decided to sign up with you because of the results she has seen in me. I tell everyone about you. Thank you again. Pros: Couldn't get any better more

I have always known that diet & exercise in combination was important for weight loss, and maintaining health. Unfortunately I never really learned how to eat well so most of my diet and excercise results were short lived. Chances are if you are reading a review about a nutritionest, you have decided or think that nutrition is important. Look no further. Call Manuel and set up an appointment. Manuel whill teach you everything about nutrition. He will correct any fad or pop-culture misconceptions, and guide you through techniques for learning to eat well. One size does not fit all (i.e. food pyramids) and Manuel will tailor your program to fit you as a person and to meet your goals. He can help you eat better to lose weight (I've lost 30 lbs without being hungry), or can help you eat for strength and energy. Manuel uses scientific tools like measuring your metabolic rate, and % body fat so you can see real results. If you have any nutritional needs or curiosity I would say to run to Manuel's office and learn about nutrition, but I'm sure Manuel would say walking is good too if you like to walk. Pros: Scientific, Holistic, Friendly Cons: Very busy because he is good so get started soon. more

As head of Global Operations for a major consulting firm, I never seemed to have time to focus on eating healthy and as such had been steadily gaining weight for years. My doctor told me it was time to make a change and so I contacted Manuel Villacorta. I have been working with Manuel now for 7 months and couldn't be happier with the results. For the first four months we focused on weight loss and my numbers speak for themselves. I have lost 27 pounds, lost 6 inches in my waistline and my percentage body fat is down from over 26 to under 13%. In addition, my overall cholesterol is now in the normal range with my good cholesterol raising from 41 to 59 and my bad cholesterol falling from 151 to 129. The key to all of this was that Manuel provided me with the tools and knowledge required to make healthy choices (like how to determine optimum portion sizes or to make tradeoffs between carbohydrates, proteins and fats to create a high energy and balanced diet). For example I learned in one of my early meetings that by increasing my fat and fiber consumption at breakfast and protein consumption at lunch I would have more energy and loose weight. For the last three months we have focused on keeping the weight off and it has been a success all around. many times in the past I had lost weight but as soon as the diet was over I gained it back quickly. With Manuel it was not about a diet, but building my knowledge and skills to make a permanent change in the way I approached what I am eating everyday. Thank you again - Manuel more

I have had a weight problem my entire life. I have lost weight in the past on some extreme programs but invariably when I would return to regular eating the next peak always seemed higher than the last. When I walked into Manuels office eleven months ago, on the advice of a good friend, I had reached a new high weight, had little energy, and was suffering from a variety of weight related physical ailments, including a bad back. I felt much older than my actual age, and I had little confidence that I could lose weight eating a balanced diet of real food. Pros: Personalized plan and supportive coaching more

Ever since I passed the age of thirty I have been gaining fat in all the wrong places, not understanding what was wrong with my diet. At 35 I started a vigorous exercise routine, which helped, but nevertheless did not completely return my body into shape. My trainer recommended I see Manuel Villacorta. Pros: Manuel's personal attention, knowledge and organizational skill more

I had gained 60lbs with my first pregnancy in 02, but it wasnt until my friends started having children that I noticed that like them I have tons of pictures of my son but what they have that I dont have is pictures with their children. I have managed to find two pictures of me and my son together in the first three years of his life. Sad. That was the moment I realized that although I fooled myself into believing that the weight gain didnt bother me, pictures (or lack of) dont lie. It was time for a change. more

I've struggled with my weight since I was a kid. I found my way to Manuel via my Physical Therapist, and since then I've lost more than 25 pounds, I feel noticeable healthier, and I now almost never get sick. Manuel takes a very straightforward approach to nutrition & weight loss. He is honest & direct while being very supportive and friendly. Looking at the experience in retrospect, there wasn't anything magical about the process -- if you're willing to put in the work, there's nothing about it which is a hardship. I was rarely hungry and things progressed pretty much exactly as Manuel said it would. I've already recomended him to many of my friends, and it's hard for me to imagine a more valuable return on my investment of time & money. more

I made the decision that it was time to lose my baby fat. A friend reminded me that Manuel was a registered nutritionist so I figured that would be the best place to start. I didn't think I was in bad shape but I was 208lbs on a 5'10 1/2 frame. To put it simply, Manuel has changed my life. EATING IS ALL ABOUT CHOICES. From day one I was never dieting but making better choices about what I ate. I eat what I want but I'm more aware of how certain foods apply to my daily life. With regular exercise 6 days a week and better eating habits I feel fantastic. I feel like I've been given second chance. I didn't think I was in bad shape but the tale of the tape doesn't lie. Thanks Manuel for everyhting!!!!!!!! more

No one walks into a Nutritionist's office because they're feeling terrific about themselves. I arrived after I had a poor reaction to cholesterol reducing medications and had to affect changes with diet. I had never met with a Nutritionist in my life and walked out with encouragement and practical ways to incorporate some great new habits. From the beginning as well as through our entire process Manuel has been completely available for me; part counselor, part confidante, part buddy- but always in my corner- I've been struggling with those same 25 lbs for as long as I can remember and I'm only sorry that Manuel didn't make it into my life sooner. By the way, I'm on perfect schedule with the weight loss goals we set in our first session and I look forward to continued excellent results in the future! Pros: public trans, nearby public garage, positive outlook more

If you are looking to make a positive change in your approach to food and eating and to understand what good nutrition is, then Manuel Villacorta is the right nutritionist for you. My brain was jumbled with Adkins/South Beach/no carbs/good carbs/eat this/dont' eat this, and through Manuel's guidance I discovered that I had lost sight of what truly healthy eating was. His instruction, food plans, advice on exercise, and insights into health eating have transformed my life over the last year. Under his tutelage, I've lost weight equivalent to the size of a small child, have added regular exercise to my life and love it, know how to splurge on a dessert yet work it into my eating plan without feeling guilty, and now have an honest, healthy relationship with food...no more sneaking or stuffing my face...all thanks to Manuel. If you want to change your life, call him today! Pros: No gimmicks, Convenient location, Lots of support more

I had been doing the atkins/low carb diet for 4 years and wanted to start eating carbs again regularly. I had heard that people who go from low carb back to carbs usually gain weight. My goal was not only to add carbs back into my diet, but to lose weight. Since I've gone to Manuel(2 months), I now eat 5 servings of carbs/day AND I've lost 8 pounds. He assigns a customized formula to you, that allows you to eat alot (more than I was eating before), but he shows you how to eat smart and reach whatever goal you have set for yourself. I am so grateful to have found Manuel. I highly recommend his nutrition system to anyone who is ready to get results and feel great! more