Follow Me The Documentary Film on Sustained Weight Loss
399,045
Published 2021-08-28
Website: www.followmefilm.ca/index.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FollowMeFilm.ca
Instagram: www.instagram.com/followmedoc/
Highlights & Images From Hot Docs Premiere & Windsor International Film Festival: www.modaformen.ca/documentary
MODA For Men Weight Loss: www.modaformen.ca/
MODA Nutrition & Weight Loss: www.modaweightloss.ca/
The Origins of Follow Me
Tony Vassallo spent the better part of 30 years being morbidly obese. His top weight was just over 300 pounds which occurred when he was 37 years of age. After losing 130 pounds in 2010 he wondered if he would be just another statistic who would regain the weight? Determined to keep the weight off, Tony embarked on a journey to learn everything he could about weight loss, nutrition and food addiction. This yearning to learn more allowed Tony to leave a 15 year career in information technology to pursue a career helping others towards sustained weight loss.
In May of 2016, The New York Times published a story “After The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight” which received a great deal of attention. Tony was deeply frustrated by the story for many reasons. He felt the story implied that weight loss is impossible and therefore a waste of time, while Tony knew from his own experiences that it could be done. Around the same time, a client of Tony’s and co-producer of the film, Jason Donville also became fascinated with the idea that a small segment of the population appeared to have succeeded with permanent weight loss.
What is it about this group of that allowed them to succeed in losing their excess weight and keeping it off? Tony knew there were many others who had achieved what he had achieved and he had his own theories based on his own personal experience as to why they had succeeded. But Tony had met very few of them in person. Thus, the film “Follow Me” is Tony’s journey to meet, listen to and understand others who have succeeded at sustained weight loss. The objective of the film is therefore to allow others that struggle with weight and related illnesses tied to obesity to hear various points of view from those that lived a similar experience. The film is also about hope.
The journey “Follow Me” had producer Tony Vassallo meet 15 diverse people from across Canada and the United States. The 15 included medical doctors, students, business professionals, writers, tradesmen, a university professor, a counsellor, a culinary professional, and even a psychotherapist. Tony was accompanied on his journey by first time Film Director Nicholas Li, who does an extraordinary job of capturing the visual beauty of the places Tony visited on the journey while also amalgamating all these incredible messages of hope into an entertaining and thought provoking look at sustained weight loss.
Website: www.followmefilm.ca/index.html
Highlights & Images: www.modaformen.ca/documentary
Instagram: www.instagram.com/followmedoc/
Contact:
Producer: [email protected]
Director: [email protected]
All Comments (21)
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I have lost 90 pounds Just by eating healthier and cutting out junk food, I lost the weight gradually oved a span of three years I have mantained my current weight for 2 and a half years, never maintained weightloss for more than a couple of months . I am always afraid of regaining the weight. This documentry gave me hope. Yes one day I will celebrate the many years of maintaing the weight. The stories in the documentary are so inspiring. love from Egypt ♥♥
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Absolutely agree with the lady who said I can't moderate sugar. No-one is over eating broccoli, salads or kale! It's the sugar laden foods that keep you wanting more...
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His experience with the clothe hits me directly. That happened to me in December I literally couldn't buy anything bc nothing fitted me. It was a very frustrated situation and I promised to myself that I will not longer looking for any clothing untill I make a change. I have just three weeks in this process but I'm very committed. wish me luck guys.
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The woman who talked about "just focus on today" really helped with my perspective just now. I will be using that in my journey.
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i’ve lost around 70lbs since oct 2020 and it’s hard but i got this.
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I am a Lifestyle Medicine (LM) Health Educator here in Ningbo China. While i have not had a weight loss story I can attest to the importance of community and support to help sustain healthy lifestyle habits. This is a very well done documentary and I will encourage others to watch it. Well done!
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100 % on point about moderation around 25 mins!! You would never tell a drug addict to moderate their use.
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Obesity is such an insidious problem to live with...I lost about 160 pounds about 10 years ago and have kept it off (I have fluctuated 20-30 pounds over the course of 2-3 years, which I consider stable). At my top weight I was 315 pounds and 145 pounds at my lowest (currently about 155). This documentary is the most accurate depiction of real weight loss I've ever seen...it is oddly comforting to see others overcame the same exact issues and hurdles that I discovered along the way. The biggest issue I've had is that there is so much social pressure to make me fail. I'm not saying everyone is out to sabotage me (those people definitely DO exist though), but the "kind" voices of "reason" that have told me that I should enjoy food in "moderation". My father, for example, once accused me of having an eating disorder because I wouldn't have a piece of my birthday cake...he is right, but my disorder is my overeating problem. *Not eating the cake is the solution.* Don't even get me started on what happens if I try to take only a tablespoon of peanut butter... "Normal" weight people don't understand the horrible addictive power that food can have on us. They've never even thought about stopping for fast food on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner...or kept a variety of menus for take out so that you can order every day (or multiple times a day) without having to call the same place twice. So shameful, and I did it every day for YEARS before I managed to turn things around. I weigh myself every day to make sure that I'm not slipping. Folks have told me not to do that. Why do they give advice with such confidence when they have no real science to back it up? I exercise daily and enjoy long walks and hikes. I sometimes like to fast...not because I'm trying to lose weight, but because it somehow evens out my cravings. Again, folks are so quick to tell you how to do it...usually they are full of BS and listening to them will actually cause your relapse. Thanks for making this and posting. I'm really glad that I stumbled on it.
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Lost 196 lbs and it's been 2 years I've maintained my current weight. It's easy for me now to eat right, its become a habit. So screw you to that "friend" who told me "you better keep all your fat clothes for when you gain it back".
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FYI the community of support that everyone keeps mentioning in the video is Overeaters Anonymous. They’re not allowed to promote it so that’s why it’s not mentioned. It’s a great community of support.
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I lost 80lbs. Exercise, clean eating, eating red meat and eggs mainly. Took me a year with pcos. I feel so much better.
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lol watching this documentary and an advert for Oreos pops up - that is a cruel youtube algorithm
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I have noticed lately that I really do feel fuller for longer when I eat things like beans and lentils. If I want to really pig out, I can have a huge salad with some meat in it. It's much easier to stick to a diet of healthy food so long as it is also prepared to be appetizing.
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Man that lady just kept grabbing that cats face like a door handle! 😂😂🤣
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Finally. I thought my addiction was unique. My turning point is 4:55am, 2-22-2022. Thank you for showing me the way. I've been so alone in my shame. I've lost the weight before, had the wrong motivation.... I've never felt I was worth enough for it to be for me. Thank you being vulnerable. Thank you for showing me the way. I made the excuse also that I'd be depriving my kids if I didn't buy that stuff. But I was the one eating the majority of it! Now I'm looking at all of us and seeing we are all unhealthy. Since I am the one who buys the food, I get to change it. They won't like it, giving up the 'treats', but we will all feel better. Thank you again! -new subscriber!
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eat crap, stay fat ...Love that and so glad it worked for you. I lost 100 pounds with diet and exercise. Kept it off for about 3 years. Then I had a series of severe health crises, a ton of surgeries and went through a really bad divorce... gained about 75 pounds back over about 8 years... Now, I am 40 pounds down this round 2... about 35 to go and I WILL be one of the "one percent".
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This documentary highlights the very important fact that it's not just about what you eat - it has to be a whole lifestyle reconfiguration. It also points out that there's no single path to a healthy lifestyle, and that there's no single healthy lifestyle.
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If you need to hear anything at all, it’s at the 24:30 minute mark. Why do we use moderation when it doesn’t work??
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He is so kind. I am obese. I started a new diet 3 weeks ago and I am happy.
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Tony, thanks for sharing this documentary. I’m so touched by all the stories and inspired to kick off the rest of my weight loss. I’ve lost 30 kilos so far but have stalled for almost a year. Today I had the realization that I’m a success for having lost so much and maintained that loss for a year. Much love from New Zealand 🇳🇿
