Wellspring Florida offers campers the opportunity for dramatic change. Greater motivation at school and home, soaring confidence, new friends, better health, a whole new outlook on life—these are just a few of the changes campers report to us.
Matt Z., Vero Beach, FL
Lost 43 pounds at Wellspring Florida and has continued to lose weight at home.
GREAT NEW FRIENDS…
Wellspring was so much fun I didn't feel like it was work. I made good friends and we helped each other through the program. When I went back to school in September everyone was so happy to see what I accomplished and I felt so good about myself.
FROM MATT'S MOM…
Thank you and your incredible staff at Wellspring for transforming Matthew into a happier young man. As the school year approached Matt and I spent much time discussing the challenges he would face returning to boarding school. I am thrilled to report the year has started off incredibly well. All who knew Matt last year were taken back with his accomplishments this summer. He religiously wears his pedometer and works out at the gym.
Matt's positive attitude is a direct result of his weight loss. He feels so much better both physically and emotionally. I am so proud of Matthew's hard work. I thank all of you for being a part of his wonderful journey!
- Karyn, Mom of Matt
Katelynn S., Port St. Lucie, FL
Lost 26 pounds at Wellspring Florida and continued to lose weight at home.
A NEW WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES…
Wellspring has given me opportunities, I never thought possible. I now walk through the halls as a freshman, with my head held high, completely confident. I'm not perfect, no one is, but Wellspring helped me be the best me, I could be.
I hope to one day return to Wellspring as a counselor, to proceed to help teens struggling with the same issue that I once did. Wellspring gave me the tools, knowledge, and self-esteem I needed, in order to live a long, successful, and most of all, enjoyable life
FROM KATELYNN'S MOM…
I am proud to report she has maintained her commitment to the Wellspring Plan as well as losing additional weight over the last 12 months. She started high school two weeks ago and has started cheerleading; she is so happy and confident!
- Rachel, Mom of Katelynn
To read more from Katelynn’s mom, click here.Brennyn C., Panama City, FL
Lost 10 pounds at Wellspring Florida and another 25 at home.
FROM BRENNYN'S MOM…
Brennyn has lost 35 pounds. She is happy and confident like never before and very proud of herself. She continues to work the program and is a healthy positive influence on her friends. We are very proud of her and happy to see this new enthusiastic and motivated grown-up emerge.
- Beth C., Mom of Brennyn
Wellspring Florida campers say…
"Wellspring was really an amazing experience. I didn't feel pressured around anybody. It changed my life forever. I learned that not everything can be perfect but you can try and your effort is what really shines at the end."
"I really loved everything at Wellspring, and I tried my best. I think it is really great to just come here and be overweight and feel accepted because you’re not the only one. It really encouraged me to lose weight when I knew I could be a role model to other people. Thanks!"
Parents Talk about Wellspring Florida…
Wellspring was a very great experience. She is focused here at home. We all are eating healthy as well as exercising more. I expect Sammy to continue to lose weight with her new determination. We shall definitely recommend the camp to other family members so they can enjoy all the benefits Sammy gained. Thank you.
Terry Nelson, Japan
Zachary was extremely resistant upon his arrival at Wellspring, to the point that we were all unsure of his ability to complete the program. We had to provide a lot of "tough love" and with assertiveness, reasoning, and compromise he succeeded. Zachary weighed in at 240 lbs. upon his arrival at camp. He lost 36 lbs. during his 8 weeks, and has continued to lose a pound a week since his return home. He weighed in TODAY at 195 lbs.!! Zachary, myself, and my husband have all went down a size in clothes since his return. I have set up TWO white boards in our kitchen. One is for our daily SMJ, and the other is set up for daily totals and kept for a week.
The knowledge of nutrition and activity that Zachary gained during camp is amazing. The guidelines are simple and easy to follow. Our entire family has benefited from this experience, and I believe it probably saved my son's life. I am so thankful to Wellspring Camp and especially the founders for putting together such an awesome program.
Michelle Shipley, Orlando, FL
On June 15th, our daughter Katelynn was 13 years old, weighed 180 lbs. and was wearing a size 20 in adult clothing. Today is September 18th and while she is still 13 years old, she now weighs 142 lbs. and is a size 9. These numbers dropping are the direct result of the eight-weeks she spent at your camp over the summer.
Katelynn has had a weight problem since she was appro
imately 6 years old. We were naturally concerned about her weight gain, but multiple doctors told us not to worry about her, she would be fine. We were told that we should simply give her time; that she would get taller and thin out. When it became clear to us that this was not going to happen, we started to proactively work on the issue ourselves.
We tried diets of all shapes and sizes including Sugar Busters, the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet just to name a few, but the results were always the same. Katelynn would lose around 10 or 15 lbs and the effort would be successful for a couple of weeks maybe a month or two. Then everything would fall apart and she would regain the weight she had lost along with an additional 10 lbs or so.
Katelynn was usually a pretty happy kid. She made friends very easily and had always maintained a straight A’s in school. However, due to her weight, activities that should have been fun for a teenage girl, like clothes shopping or going to school functions, became an effort in futility. Instead of being able to buy fun clothes from the juniors section of the stores we were in, we would invariably end up in section that had the larger clothes. She would become angry, hurt and humiliated when she realized what her clothing choices were.
We registered Katelynn for Wellspring and she became excited about the possibilities and what the camp would be like. Her initial response to the camp was better than we could have anticipated. The first letter we received from her was full of excitement. We were encouraged in knowing she was happy to be there. To say she embraced the entire program while at Wellspring would be a gross understatement. When I attended the Family Workshop midway through camp, our realization regarding what the change in Katelynn would entail set in at that point. While she was putting in an amazing effort at camp, it would require all of us to put forth an equally amazing effort for her at home as well.
When we returned home, we cleaned out our pantry and fridge and got rid of everything that was not part of the Wellspring Plan. If Wellspring doesn’t or wouldn’t serve it to the campers, you won’t find it in our home anymore. We also began to wear our own pedometers. We figured, what good is it to have sent Katelynn to this camp for her to learn all these things and then not be able to put them in practice when she returns home. We wanted her to have the same environment and support system when she returned home that she got at camp. (A fantastic and unexpected by-product of our helping Katelynn with her new lifestyle is that we have also lost weight by participating in the program. Joe has lost 26.5 lbs and Rachel 20.5 lbs. That’s a total weight loss in the house of 85 lbs. We are excited, and smaller!)
When she got home, she had lost 26 lbs. Due to her continued hard work and dedication to the program, she has lost an additional 12 lbs. for her total almost 40 lbs. since she went to Wellspring. She gets up at 6:30 every day, gets on her treadmill to walk or run for 45 minutes in the morning. She keeps track of her daily food intake religiously and enters her information on the www.myselfmonitoring.com website.
She has gained confidence and self esteem we never thought possible. She is now the “total package”. Shopping with Katelynn has become fun again and we have set goals for her. She has set a goal for herself to return to Wellspring as a counselor when she turns 18, so go ahead and pencil her in for 5 years from now. We are so very grateful for what Wellspring has done for my daughter and my family. You have given us a gift that we can never repay. Thank you so much.
Rachel Schrimsher, Port St. Lucie, FL
Sending our daughter to Wellspring was a big commitment for us financially, we are both law enforcement and let’s just say we are not getting rich doing what we love. After talking with Alex and seeing her progress in learning a healthy lifestyle, I can say that we do not regret our decision for one minute. After all, how do you put a price tag on an investment in your child? Obviously we are happy about her weight loss, but that is secondary to her becoming more active and fit which allows her to enjoy so much more of her life. She is looking forward to joining sports teams and can think of nothing else other than continuing on in what she has learned thus far. The social benefits appear to be developing as well. She has always become frustrated when things don't go her way, and she tells me her behavioral coach is working with her on that. That's another benefit to better her social skills and enhance her quality of life. Isn't that what it's all about! I am really excited.
I am so happy we found your camp! Thank You!
Cyndi Young, Satellite Beach, FL
Marc and I couldn’t be more pleased with Grace’s overall experience with camp and her continued progress since camp ended. As a dietitian and a nurse practitioner it was hard to admit that my daughter, Grace, had a weight problem. Acceptance was adopted when I watched her progressively gain weight and unsuccessfully participate in weight loss programs. Beyond the weight problem, I became increasingly concerned about her attitude of helplessness when the programs failed and she continued to gain weight. My husband and I knew that more drastic measures were needed to help her find healthy coping mechanisms. We researched many weight loss programs and Wellspring was an obvious choice. The program is based on solid clinical research and has a participatory maintenance program. I knew it would do no good to have our daughter lose weight if she were to just gain it back once she returned from camp. We let Grace decide if she wanted to go to Wellspring, knowing she would have to “buy in” to get the best results. She enthusiastically agreed to go and was excited about all the planned outdoor activities. Leaving her at camp was the hardest thing I have ever done as a parent. When I talked to her 10 days after camp started, I knew we had made the right decision. She was so excited about the friends she had made and about being around children her age with similar problems. Grace had a great time and lost over 30-pounds at Wellspring. More importantly, however, she has replaced unhealthy coping mechanisms with healthy behaviors. Her self confidence has soared and she has learned that she is in control of her future. At home, our whole family continues the lifestyle changes taught at Wellspring. We all wear pedometers, count fat grams and calories and are more active. My husband and I, along with Grace, have lost weight and are now in the normal weight ranges for our height. We are constantly questioned about how we managed to assist Grace, as well as ourselves, achieve weight loss successfully. Bottom line – it is hard work and the cost is an investment in the life of the child. The benefits of this camp can have lifetime positive effects and that is priceless. Grace continues to maintain her weight loss and stays in contact with her camp friends and counselors through the maintenance program. I recommend this program, not only as a parent, but as a medical professional as well.
Grace Eadie, Panama City, FL
We are very pleased with Cherie’s life changes & weight loss since she attended Wellspring. In addition to losing weight, she is stronger emotionally, more confident and a happier person. We feel that we could have never accomplished this on our own and really see the importance of a four-week (or longer) program. The methods you used have produced results with Cherie and given her a great base to continue on her own. She is determined and responsible with her diet. While supporting her, we ourselves have lost weight; my husband lost 15-pounds & I lost 10-pounds. This has brought us very close to our recommended weight. The greatest challenge for Cherie, though, is keeping up with the exercise & we have been looking to find ways to keep her interest in some form of exercise. Thank you for all that your program & staff have done for Cherie.
Robin Eddinger, Weston, FL
