The LillyPad team shares a broad range of experience with the Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method and the services that LillyPad offers. We are here to support our clients on their journey to better health in a welcoming, judgment-free environment dedicated to lifestyle change and food education.

Karen  - President, Owner, and Certified Ideal Protein Coach

A mother of 3 and grandmother, Karen lost 65lbs on the Ideal Protein protocol. She loves to travel and create healthy recipes for her clients, family and friends.  Her favourite Ideal Protein food is the Nacho Cheese Dorados and her favourite Phase 1 compliant recipe is LillyPad’s Pad Thai - which was created for a client and became our most popular recipe!

Steve – Manager, Owner

Steve is the backbone of LillyPad in the office, keeping the business running smoothly behind the scenes. Despite a dubious start with the program, Steve was won over by the protocol and lost 40 lbs.  His favourite Ideal Protein food is the Peanut Butter Bar and his favourite Phase 1 compliant recipe is LillyPad’s Shepherds Pie.

Breanna - Certified Ideal Protein Coach

After losing 30lbs on the program, Breanna began coaching in 2012. She was at home with her daughters, ages 2 & 4, while on the protocol and used a lot of vegetarian options. Breanna’s favourite Ideal Protein food is the Dill Pickle Zippers and her favourite Phase 1 compliant recipe is Creamy Curry Vegetable Soup. 

Lisa - Consultant, Registered Nurse

Lisa brings her professional expertise and warm personality to work with her. She lost 39 lbs on the program while working full time with three active boys at home. Her favourite Ideal Protein food is the Cookie Dough Swirl Bar and her favourite Phase 1 compliant recipe is Indian Spiced Chicken with Cauliflower Rice. She became certified with Ideal Protein in November 2015.

Karen Lill

LillyPad was born from a life changing personal experience.

In 2011, I weighed 230 lbs. I needed a sleep apnea machine, had restless leg syndrome, needed orthotics in my shoes, and found that I was always tired. It felt like I was living in a fog.

After 18 years of struggling with gradual and consistent weight gain, despite all my efforts with diet and exercise, I finally reached my breaking point. Literally. On Jan 14th of 2011, I broke my leg in two places, snapping my ankle while stepping down to my driveway. My ankle was repaired with a plate and 3 screws. Resetting my tibia and fibula meant that I was in a soft cast for 3 months. I wasn't allowed to put any weight on my foot. When the cast finally came off I had lost a lot of muscle and strength. It was obvious that I could not do regular exercise at the gym. All the diets that had failed me in the past certainly wouldn't help me now.

When I visited my sister in Halifax all that changed. She told me about the Ideal Protein diet and introduced me to her coach. When the coach explained how and why the body stores fat and how the Ideal Protein protocol worked. I thought I should give it a try.

Within four days the fog had lifted. I suddenly had my energy back. The program was easy to follow, the food was delicious, and I didn't need to stress my recovering injuries. Within 4 months I was off my sleep apnea machine and my restless leg medications. After 6 months I had lost 65 lbs (10 inches from my waist!) without setting foot in the gym. I felt and looked better than I had in 20 years.

Once I felt good and had energy I realized how sick I had been. I needed to share my success with others. After starting with my family, and then my friends, it quickly grew until I opened LillyPad in a small office in November 2011. In April 2012, we moved to 22 King St South. Then, in August 2013, we expanded into a larger space with a kitchen and rooms for workshops.

I've never been happier and healthier. My dream to bring the same opportunity for change and improvement to others is becoming real at LillyPad.

Steve Lill

Well, like most guys, I enjoyed a few beverages now and then. Over the years I had slowly but steadily put on some extra weight (40 lbs)… I tried to just cut down on beer and junk foods but nothing really changed.

Karen was trying out a new diet plan discovered by her sister. She was getting some outstanding results but I knew I had to do my own research. I needed to see if this was another fad diet or if there was some real science behind it. It turned out that the science made sense. So I tried it out and the fat started to melt off… No more dreaded 2pm cloud of exhaustion come over me. We were awake most days at 6am ready to go.

I lost 40 lbs off my neck and belly and found that my abs were still there. Despite being diagnosed with sleep apnea, I found I no longer needed the CPAP machine after just 8 weeks on the diet. Now that I am phased off, I enjoy helping to taste test all the new recipes that Karen is creating… and I still get an occasional night out with the guys with no fear of feeling crappy or gaining the weight back. Now I am very aware of what I choose to eat so that I can still enjoy those fun days.

Breanna

I had never heard of Ideal Protein until Karen came over one day and was raving about it in my kitchen. I was pretty skeptical, but at 154 pounds I still had quite a bit of baby weight that I hadn't been able to shed. Karen's enthusiasm convinced me to give it a try. I expected that, if I was lucky, I might lose 10 pounds.

I began the Ideal Protein program and managed to lose almost 30 pounds in 12 weeks by strictly following the protocol. I even baked two birthday cakes for my young daughters while on program! The Ideal Protein method really helped me stay on track and succeed. I finished the program in the spring of 2012 and am still maintaining my goal weight.

Since then I have learned even more about the Ideal Protein method. I attended workshops and became a Coach by completing three levels of advanced training. The more I've learned, the more it makes sense. Karen's personal approach is also amazing. There's never a hard sell or pressure to move product, she really is all about promoting health and wellness for her clients and finding the best options for them. She certainly helped me and now I find it a lot easier to keep up with my daughters than I did.

Lisa

“Every pound has a story” - My name is Lisa and this is my story

Hi, I am a 48 year old woman, spouse, mother, daughter, sister, friend, full-time employee, volunteer, R.N. - and I am an emotional eater. Just as I have many different life roles food has played many different roles in my life: celebration, comfort, relaxation, stress reliever, and boredom distractor. Up until my 30s, I didn’t give my weight a second thought. It appeared that I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, in whatever quantity I wanted and still have a healthy weight. My lifestyle was active with school and athletics. My body seemed to be able to manage the food I was eating and keep my weight in a healthy range.

And then came the world of work and children!

With pregnancies and raising children there was no boredom, but as a mother there were new reasons to celebrate, seek comfort and relaxation. And a heck of a lot more stressors as a working mother. These common life stages can bring significant changes to a woman’s physical and mental health. How we manage these changes can wreak havoc with our weight. With my first pregnancy there was so much to celebrate and I over indulged. I didn’t give it a second thought as I had never before been challenged by my weight.

But this time was different! I was breastfeeding and kept waiting for the baby weight to just peacefully melt away into the night without any effort just like the books said. Oh was I led astray. With the change in pace and focus in my new lifestyle as a working mom, the weight never fully came off. There appeared to be an exponential effect year over year. I watched the scale continue to rise in my post-childbearing decade. Oh, how I wanted the math to be wrong, but it was right and I couldn’t hide from the numbers.

I no longer felt comfortable in my physical body and it didn’t seem to fit with me. How did I ever get to this place? My education had given me the knowledge about nutrition and activity that should have kept me on the right path. But these tools weren’t working for me. For the first time I was needing something different - an approach that would lose weight.

I tried different weight loss approaches for many years on my own but with limited success. My hectic children and work focused lifestyle was fertile ground for emotional eating. The Ideal Protein weight loss protocol offered at LillyPad gave me a new tool to lose weight. Their services to support lifestyle change helped me successfully follow the protocol and are helping me to keep the weight off.

I now feel better about my health but know that my weight management story is not complete. The journey to manage my weight is but a part of my wonderful life that continues on with the many roles I play. There are highs and lows, some to be expected and others coming from left field. My present life chapter could be titled, “Making it through middle age and peri-menopause with grace.”

“Every pound has a story”, is my mantra. This thought helps keep me centered and aware that there are many reasons that lead me to eat. It motivates me to do better for myself.

If you are seeking to take your life story in a healthier direction, I invite you to explore what LillyPad has to offer.