Teaching Proper Nutrition in Jones Legion

Hello friends, I am Mojtaba, a traveler of Jones Legion. Guided by Mr. Reza Parsa at the Academy branch (Tehran), My treatment period lasted for 10 months and 14 days, successfully losing 16 kilograms. In 2018, I joined Congress 60 with methadone and oral opium as my Anti-X. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Dezhakam and his honorable family. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to my dear guide, Mr. Reza Parsa, for accompanying and guiding me on this path, helping me overcome one of my physical challenges within Congress 60.

Before becoming a drug user, I had a large build, and my weight was high for my height. However, since I was tall, I thought my obesity and excess weight were not noticeable. Due to my youth and good physical flexibility, I used to exercise regularly, and it didn’t put much pressure on me. However, after completing my military service and simultaneously getting married and starting a job, my physical activity gradually decreased, and my body weight began to increase. Additionally, I frequently used hashish, which triggered excessive food cravings, leading me to eat large amounts of food without any control. My weight gain reached a point where simple daily tasks became difficult, and I began experiencing back and leg pain. However, due to my pride and arrogance, I never shared this issue with anyone.

But I thank Almighty God a thousand times for showing me the way to Congress 60. Through the love and kindness of Mr. Dezhakam, I overcame my addiction and quit smoking. However, after recovery, my poor eating habits led to weight gain. Since I had pupils in my legion who also struggled with excess weight, I often asked myself: “How can I advise them to lose weight for their health if I haven’t done it myself?” In Congress 60, our role model is Mr. Dezhakam, who practices everything he teaches.  Inspired by him, I decided to join Jones Legion (Healthy Nutrition Legion). I got a program from Mr. Reza Parsa in Taleghani Park, and after having a conversation with him, I started my journey.

At the beginning of my journey, I weighed 103 kilograms, and I revisited and rewrote the related educational CDs I had transcribed in 2019, relearning the principles I had forgotten. This included studying the structure of the human body and the importance of delivering proper nutrients at the appropriate times. I began my journey by eating three boiled eggs without bread, and gradually incorporated daily walking and table tennis into my routine. I avoided drinking water before and after meals and instead followed a practice of having salad before lunch and drinking water two hours after meals. Over time, Without straining my body, my extra weight decreased steadily week by week and month by month. By the eighth month, I had reached my ideal weight. Today, I have lost 16 kilograms and now weigh 87 kilograms.

One of the most important lessons I learned in the Jones journey was the challenge of avoiding drinking water immediately after meals, especially in the first month. For over 40 years, I had the habit of drinking two or three glasses of cold water right after my last bite. Breaking this habit was incredibly difficult. Believe me, it was even more difficult than quitting drugs! I remember that in the first few days after finishing my meal, it felt like my chest was burning, as if it had been heated by a hot primus stove. My inner voice kept urging me, “Drink water, drink water!” But I persisted. Over time, I realized that refraining from drinking water after meals was like resisting the desires of my “self”. Each day, the voice of my cravings became weaker, and now, avoiding water after meals feels completely natural.

Another important point, as taught by Mr. Dezhakam, is that food in the stomach requires acid secretion for proper digestion and absorption in the small intestine before reaching the bloodstream and nourishing the body. However, drinking two or three glasses of water right after eating dilutes stomach acid, forcing the stomach to overproduce acid, leading to bloating. This was a persistent issue for me in the past. But now, I no longer experience it. Through the Jones journey and learning from the educational CDs, I also discovered body language in nutrition. By consuming three balanced, fiber-rich meals, I ensured that my body never stored excess fat due to skipping meals.

Finally, I want to contrast weight loss inside and outside Congress 60. A former colleague of mine, who weighed 138 kilograms, opted for gastric bypass surgery. In this procedure, the small intestine is cut and connected to the end of the large intestine, causing the body to expel most of the food for about a year. Since essential vitamins, proteins, and nutrients are lost, the patient must take various vitamin injections. Including surgery costs, he spent a total of 80 million tomans over 14 months. His weight dropped to 69 kilograms, and he was satisfied because he could finally perform his daily tasks, something that had been difficult before, even going to the bathroom.

However, when I asked him, “If you could go back in time, would you choose this method again?” he replied, “Never, never, because I no longer enjoy eating food”. In contrast, in Jones Legion, we are not restricted from eating any type of food. We enjoy our meals, follow a structured and natural approach, and incur no treatment costs. This is yet another testament to the superiority of Congress 60 in both addiction recovery and weight loss. In conclusion, I would like to once again express my gratitude and thanks to Mr. Dezhakam and Mr. Reza Parsa.

Translated by: Companion Samira

Edited by: Companion Marjan

2/16/2025

https://www.congress60.org/News/373779/%D8%A2%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B4-%D8%B5%D8%AD%DB%8C%D8%AD-%D8%AA%D8%BA%D8%B0%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%B1-D9%84%DA%98%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B2