Three months and more than 60 pounds ago, Allison Crisp was struggling.

She was unhappy with her weight and, more importantly, she was concerned about her health.

Then she had the opportunity to join a beta test group at Washington’s Fitness Unlimited, a group that would follow a new weight loss program, 20/30 FastTrack, focusing on nutrition and “clean eating.”

“This has literally changed my life,” Crisp said recently. “It has taught me how to eat healthy and clean, that has been the biggest thing. I’m eating natural foods now, it’s not packaged food.”

The program promotes simple, fast weight loss, with the average participant losing 20 pounds in 30 days. It’s completely different from anything Fitness Unlimited has ever offered, according to Amy Bond, director of the fitness center’s Total Solutions weight loss program. The program is based on seven hormones and the roles they play in weight loss and weight gain.

Crisp said that although she is a “work in progress” she couldn’t be happier with the results thus far.

“I feel amazing; the energy levels I have now are just amazing,” she said. “After I was on the program for just three weeks, the energy spurts came and that sluggish, tired feeling was gone. I did not have energy to do anything before.”

By following the program, Crisp said she has drastically changed her eating habits for the better.

“The first thing I learned was how much of my eating was mental; I truly was not hungry but I thought about food all the time,” she recalled. “Now, I love spinach and I crave cabbage; I crave salads and I can’t drink enough water. I love water now, I love it!”

Fitness Unlimited is one of just a handful of facilities to offer 20/30 FastTrack at this time, according to owner Austin Thomas.

“We were asked to be a beta test site; there’s one club in Canada, two medical facilities in the states and two clubs,” Thomas said. “We were pretty honored.”

Participants in the beta group have enjoyed fast, noticeable changes, according to Thomas. One woman was even able to discontinue a hormonal patch she had used for years; others have seen their blood pressure lowered, and diabetics have reported marked improvements.

FastTrack, which was launched locally in November, is still a Total Solutions program, just one with a different approach, according to Bond.

It’s a simple plan, but one that yields impressive results, Thomas pointed out. It’s still in the testing stage so it is not defined yet as a final product.

“I totally believe that the reality is we all need accountability, support, perspective … because people are so hard on themselves,” Thomas said. “I think when you have that support system you are able to help it click easily.”

FastTrack is especially beneficial to people who have been losing weight and then hit a wall, or those who suddenly experience an unexpected weight gain, according to Thomas and Bond. It is also targeted toward people who could not lose weight at all, no matter how hard they tried.

Crisp said she is living proof that the program can change a person’s perspective, and their lifestyle.

“I’ve lost weight before through lots of different ways,” she said. “But this time is different because I’ve been educated on so much; I’ve never had the education like with this program. It’s been a real eye opener for me.”

Fitness Unlimited offers weekly seminars focusing on 20/30 FastTrack. For more information or to register for a seminar, call 252-975-7400.