John Clary

Metabolic Health Educator

Health & Wellness Coach

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About Me

I was born in California to military parents and spent my childhood moving frequently. I graduated from college in Michigan and relocated to Virginia to begin a career in Information Technology. I later earned a Masters degree and became a College Professor in addition to my day job as a database administrator.

In 2016 I became associated with Dr. Jason Fung and Megan Ramos of Intensive Dietary Management and The Fasting Method, progressing from Social Media management to becoming a Health Educator and then transitioning to Health Coach. During this time I was able to reverse my own Type 2 Diabetes and reach a normal weight for the first time in my life, losing 250 pounds.

During my years with IDM and TFM, I worked with thousands of members and clients through support groups, in-person events, webinars, classes, 1-on-1 coaching and group coaching. I’m grateful that I was able to help so many people make a meaningful difference in their lives, as I did in my own.

I retired from my IT and teaching positions in 2021 to concentrate on my work in the metabolic health space. I became a board certified Health & Wellness Coach during this time, earning the credential from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches.

These days I am semi-retired and, thanks to technology, am able to travel full-time. I have two grown children and spend most of my time in Washington, California and Hawai’i.

Credentials

Bachelor of Science, Ferris State University

Master of Science, Virginia Tech

NBC-HWC Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach

Member, Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners

Member, American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Member, Metabolic Connection

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My Metabolic Health Story

I reached morbid obesity by puberty. I ignored it the best I could but by the time I was in my mid 20’s, it was catching up to me. I found temporary success through Overeaters Anonymous and lost 100 pounds, but I regained it and then some. In my late 30’s I reached 424 pounds and underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and lost 75 pounds before side effects required additional surgeries. Most of that weight came back too.

Next came the package deal of disease for so many people with obesity: Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflux and sleep apnea. Inflammation, digestive problems, aching joints and foggy brain.

I tried various diets and eating strategies which, like for most people, worked temporarily, but I couldn’t stick to it long-term and the weight always came back.

Things changed when I learned about insulin resistance. Briefly, insulin is a hormone released from the pancreas when we eat. Insulin’s job is to help the body manage energy from what we eat. The amount of insulin that is released depends on what we eat.

Everything we eat is metabolized as either fat, protein or carbohydrate. Carbohydrates (sugar, bread, pasta, rice) cause the biggest releases of insulin, fat the least. For someone like me who ate a lot of carbs, even “healthy” carbs, my insulin levels were always high. This is a problem because the high insulin puts the fat cells into storage mode. It’s difficult to for the body to access fat cells for energy when insulin levels are high, explaining why when on a reduced calorie diet, the fat just didn’t come off very well and I was always hungry.

By ignoring calories and concentrating on reducing carbs, my hunger decreased dramatically. I felt more satisfied after a meal by eating protein and fat and little to no carbs. I didn’t want to eat all of the time. The number on the scale started to move down and I felt so much better.

Feeling satisfied meant that I could go longer between meals which led to intermittent fasting and extended fasting. Fasting worked like magic for me. Within three months I was off of my medications and within a year I was off of my CPAP machine (sleep apnea) and had a normal hbA1C (measure of glucose control used to diagnose Type 2 Diabetes.)

In 2024 I surpassed my weight loss goal and reached 173 pounds, having lost 251 pounds. My waist went from a high of 58 inches to 34 inches.

My weight loss was not linear, meaning that there were times I went off track and had some regain. Usually this was due to my use of food to cope with stressful events in my life but I was always able to get back on track. I liked the low carb food I was eating and I felt good.

I know that the combination of low carb and fasting were, and are, a winning combination. This is the foundation of my coaching, as well as sharing new systems, mindset shifts, and habit reframing. I feeI bring a unique perspective, not only through my education and years of coaching and teaching experience, but because I have walked the walk that I talk with unexpected, unusual and lasting success.