MaryBeth's Story

For this morning's breakfast I sliced fresh mango and threw it into the food processor.  A year ago I don't think I knew how to prepare a mango, and I was afraid of the food processor and rarely used it. Before Eat To Live, I would have prepared an omelet with lots of veggies, a slice of deli cheese, cooked in oil or butter. I thought I needed all that protein in the morning in order to lose weight. After all, I had topped the scale at 209 pounds, and had been gaining and losing the same three or four pounds for a few months.

When I began Eat To Live I weighed 206 pounds. My blood pressure was on the high side. And my partner's blood pressure was not well controlled on medication.  He has since lost 25 pounds by following the program about 60 percent, and I have lost 50 pounds so far following the program 95 percent. We couldn't be more thrilled.

I ordered Eat To Live in July 2012, and as I read, realized that I had been eating in a way that practically guaranteed I would become ill as a result of obesity. I became convinced that it was not if, but when. I faced the fact that I was seriously overweight. I realized that I had been eating all the wrong foods, following bad advice, and nothing was going to change unless I changed what I was doing.

The next day, I composed and printed out the Eat To Live guidelines: “The Salad is the Main Dish” in bold print, followed by the acronym G-BOMBS. I listed the foods that were unlimited, limited, and forbidden. That piece of paper is still on my refrigerator door. I will be happy eating this way from now on.

Almost every day lunch is a huge salad, with lots of fresh raw veggies, beans, seeds, sometimes an avocado. Since I still want to get to my target weight of 131 pounds (about another 27 pounds to go).  It feels great to be able to go out and eat well, but still stay on the program. However, the recipes on drfuhrman.com are spoiling me. Usually, I can make something better at home than anything we would have at a restaurant.

Our blood pressure is way down. In fact, my partner's doctor has reduced his meds, and we think it is realistic that he can normalize his blood pressure so that he can leave those toxic pills behind. At 5ft.9in. I have lost ten inches from my waistline, formerly 44 inches, now 34 inches, in the safe zone and shrinking. My BMI has gone from 30.3 to 23.5. I had been plagued with constipation and painful hemorrhoids, but the high fiber of the high nutrient foods has happily resolved both. I realize now that the pelvic pain I experienced during intimate relations was related to constipation. We are both very happy on all issues now.

I have not felt deprived for one minute. I am eating large quantities of wonderful tasty food. I am always puzzled when people ask me what I had to give up on this diet. I see their sad face melt when I tell them that I focus on all the great food that I can eat in unlimited quantities. My new answer to their question is, “I had to give up a future of poor health.”

The research that Dr. Fuhrman presents in support of Eat To Live is unassailable.. For me, the message finally shifted away from “lose weight to look sexy” (the basic unhealthy message of our culture) and became about health, longevity, and living a vibrant and vital life, powered by the most nutritious foods available. I am deeply grateful to have this knowledge, and to apply it to my life, my family, and my circle of influence.