NutriShop seeing results in weight loss, fitness

Advanesser Adams
January 5, 2010
Drake Touchet
January 7, 2010
Advanesser Adams
January 5, 2010
Drake Touchet
January 7, 2010

After four weeks in business, Houma native son Scotty Vowell, owner of Nutrishop on Martin Luther King Boulevard, is proud to be in an industry that provides good health for the Tri-parish area.


Vowell bought into the Nutrishop franchise nearly a year ago after deciding that his overall health was in jeopardy.


He’d lived in California for 10 years, and was in pretty good shape. But when he moved back home to Houma five years ago, Cajun cooking began to take its toll on his body. The Ellender Memorial High School graduate went from weighing 215 pounds to 276 pounds in five years.

“When I was in California, I was in decent shape. I moved back to Louisiana and started living life,” Vowell said. “I just forgot to stay in shape. California is a more active area. All my friends here in Louisiana like to hunt and fish. That’s not really an active lifestyle.”


When Vowell decided to reshape his body, he remembered the Nutrishop advice he had received years earlier. He recalled being really impressed with the California-based employees’ and owners’ knowledge.


“I was out of shape and wanted to get back into shape. I didn’t like the person I saw in the mirror,” he said. “I wanted a change. I was on high blood pressure medication, high cholesterol medication. I decided to start working out and change my diet around.”

Then it hit him. He decided it was a good business move to open a Nutrishop in the Houma area. Vowell said bringing the Nutrishop methods to the Houma gives locals access to healthy weight loss solutions that they didn’t have before.


As a Nutrishop owner, Vowell became a certified nutritionist. While earning his certification, he learned how to construct diet plans for himself and his customers.


“There are many different body types and not everybody fits into the same diet plan,” he said. “Each individual person is different; you have to tailor the diet program to make thing so that people can actually do it.”

In the seven months before he opened his store, Vowell used the Nutrishop method. He shed 70 pounds in seven months.

“I learned a lot about my body,” he explained. “In February 2009, I was at 37 percent (body fat). In August, I was 16 percent body fat. I have dropped even more body fat since then. Right now, I am about 12 percent body fat.”

He endorses Pro 5, a very lean protein, in his shop. He switched to it during his workout and endorses the product wholeheartedly.

“It’s a lot easier for people to get three regular meals in a day and three shakes,” he said. “That’s how I did it. I live a busy life like most people, and I can have a balance diet and still continue my daily routine.”

With the arrival of the New Year, many south Louisianans will likely resolve to drop unwanted pounds. Vowell said Nutrishop is the premiere place to give residents the needed know-how to lose weight safely and effectively.

“A lot of other facilities push the fat burner products,” he said. “And, those aren’t really as healthy for you as getting your diet right. Instead of giving you a bunch of stimulants and caffeine to get your body running, eat six healthy meals a day and get your metabolism going in the more natural way.”

Vowell keeps his customer’s progress on track. He’s strict with them because that’s what they need. He said if they follow the plan they will get the results they desire. In the four weeks he’s been open, over a dozen customers have reported dropping 8 to 10 pounds.

“Arming them with the knowledge they need, people are excited about the weight loss they are witnessing,” he said.

Nutrishop owner Scotty Vowell holds the sign showing his body transformation after seven months on the protein, carbohydrate and vegetable plan. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN