By Bill Buskie, Nurse and Biohacker
Most transformation stories start with a dramatic photo, and while mine certainly does, the difference between my “before” and “after” feels like two different versions of myself. What surprised me most wasn’t the physical change; it was the discovery of a science-backed, natural approach that helped me reclaim my health without turning to GLP-1 medications.

My journey began long before I ever stepped on a scale. It started with a phone call from an old friend,and what I learned from him completely reshaped my understanding of metabolic health, brain health, and what’s possible with the right foundation.

The Surprising Backstory Behind Tonum Health

I’ve known the founders of Tonum Health for years. As a nurse, I always assumed their decade-long research partnership with Duke University was leading toward a pharmaceutical product for Alzheimer’s disease.

When I learned they were launching natural supplements instead, I was intrigued. I’m not “anti-medication” at all; I’ve spent years in the ER watching medications save lives. But I am passionate about addressing root causes, not masking symptoms. Food, movement, sleep, stress, recovery, and targeted supplementation because those fundamentals matter.

So, when I heard they were studying a natural metabolic health formula called Motus, I immediately wanted in. One of my former roommates was enrolled in Tonum’s human study that kicked off in January 2025. The study was already full, but the founder agreed to let me try Motus if I tracked my progress and shared my results.

To be honest, I needed it. I’d always been active with CrossFit, weight training, running, but like many, life crept up on me. My weight had climbed past 220 pounds, the majority being fat with very little muscle, and I was feeling the impact every day.

Starting Over: Training, Nutrition, and Motus

I reset everything: I went on a high-protein, low-carb diet, I picked up my training intensity and started taking motus.

Almost immediately, I noticed the difference. Energy came back first. Then the pounds started dropping at 1 to 2 pounds per week. By April, I was down 12 pounds, and the trend kept going.

When I checked in with Tonum, they told me the study had been extended to six months because participants saw incredible fat-loss results. They also told me something else: they had just completed manufacturing their brain-health formula, Nouro, and would soon begin testing it.

With a personal family history of Alzheimer’s disease, that caught my attention fast.

I asked if I could take both together, and while they explained I couldn’t, they suggested I switch from Motus to Nouro and continue receiving metabolic benefits along with cognitive support.

The Science That Shocked Even the Founders

What most people don’t know, and what shocked me too, is that Tonum didn’t originally set out to create a weight-loss product at all.

A decade ago, the founder learned in the same week that his father had Alzheimer’s disease and his son had Prader–Willi Syndrome. That moment changed everything for him, leading to him spending years reading thousands of scientific papers, searching for natural compounds with the potential for preventing neurodegenerative disease.

The first formula tested at Duke University wasn’t Motus, it was actually Nouro.

And in the lab, something unexpected happened.

Not only did Nouro show powerful neuroprotective benefits, but the mice receiving the formula started losing fat and gaining lean mass. Nouro wasn’t an appetite suppressant, it was shown to activate AMPK and NAD+ pools while suppressing mTOR. In other words: a formula created for neuroprotection turned out to have powerful metabolic effects. From that discovery, Motus, the weight loss product, was born.

Switching to Nouro and Getting Even Better Results

As a nurse, I understand how deeply metabolism and brain health are connected. When Tonum explained that Nouro includes the same five ingredients as Motus, plus two more for cognitive performance, I switched immediately.

And honestly? It was the best decision I could have made.

Over the next six months on Nouro: My metabolism continued improving. I was losing fat and gaining lean mas, and my mental clarity, focus, and alertness were better than they’d been in decades

Fast forward to today, nine months later, I’m at 192 pounds, the healthiest, strongest, and leanest I’ve been in 30 years.

What Makes Tonum Different

There are dozens of supplement companies on the market… and then there’s Tonum.

They’re in a different category entirely and here’s why:

• They do exhaustive research:
• They have a decade of research at Duke University with millions invested.
• They have validated human clinical studies with more planned next year with peer-reviewed papers and presentations to back them up.
• This isn’t a “marketing-first” company, it’s research-first.
• They support their customers for long-lasting change.
• Tonum partnered with MyNetDiary, one of the leading food and fitness tracking apps, and gives it to customers free of charge.
• They also offer access to registered dietitian coaches and medical staff for education and support.
• They build products people want to use. Not everyone loves taking pills.
• Tonum has developed their formula into tasty electrolyte drink sticks with active ingredients for weight loss and brain health
• They are launching a line of low-calorie, high-protein bars, with the same active ingredients as Motus and Nouro.

So What Really Drove My Weight Loss?

People ask me all the time: “How much of your weight loss was diet vs. Motus?” My honest answer is about two-thirds diet and exercise, one-third Motus.

Then they ask: “Couldn’t you have just used a GLP-1?” My answer is: I don’t think so, at least not with the same results. GLP-1s are powerful, but they suppress appetite so dramatically that many people struggle to eat enough protein and lose lean mass as a result. I’m almost 50, and nutrient preservation matters more than ever.

With Motus and Nouro, I lost fat while keeping, and even building, lean muscle. That matters to me.

Final Thoughts: My Honest, Unpaid Review

I’m not endorsed. I’m not paid. I don’t work for Tonum, but here’s my genuine assessment:

These are some of the most thoroughly researched natural supplements on the market today. They’re backed by human data, real science, and a company that cares. And I’m living proof that, when combined with healthy habits, they work.

–
Bill Buskie, RN
Former Head of Emergency Nurses
Contributing Wellness Writer