Erik's Story

Weight loss isn't the only real story here.  I have suffered all my life with food addiction.  I was addicted to foods that aren't meant for the human body.  I now eat only when I experience true hunger. Furthermore, the food is ten times more satisfying than when I was overweight.  Sure, I got filled up back then, but I was hungry again one hour later,  The full feeling I got was superficial that in no way compares to being filled up on nutritionally dense food.

My story begins seven years ago when I finished college and was motivated to lose weight and get a fresh start in life. I joined the Jenny Craig program and lost 125 pounds in a year. Then, I started to allow myself to splurge a little here and there, thinking it was okay just as long as it didn't get out of control.  I started to gain a little weight and this depressed me.  To help cope I treated myself to more food. A little extra here and there added up. I gained all my weight back plus an additional twenty five pounds, all within two and a half years. 

Over the next three years, I wasn't very successful with my field of study and decided to return to school for my passion, music.  I ended up dropping out.  Depressed and depleted, what I didn’t realize was that the food I was eating wasn't satisfying my hunger.  A friend then introduced me to a movie that changed my life. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead showed me the benefits of juice-fasting and eating foods high in micronutrients for both weight loss and optimal health.  Motivated, I decided to embark on that journey.  I went on a juice fast for two months.

I agree that a two month fast may have been extreme, but I lost 73.9 pounds.  Surprisingly, the difference between the fast and Jenny Craig was that I was never hungry.  I had all the energy in the world and it was a very euphoric and spiritual experience for me.  I started my fast a week before I got accepted into a position in my old field of study.  I got through training quick-witted and on top of things, even while fasting.  I decided to finish my journey eating nothing but foods high in micronutrients just like Joe Cross and Phil Staples did in the movie. 

Remembering Dr. Fuhrman from the movie, I decided to buy Eat To Live for guidance on my newly found lifestyle. I read the book like I used to eat pizza.  Disgusted with my old eating style, I now knew the science behind healthy eating and it benefits weight loss and health.  Finally, a diet book that rallies around cutting edge science and up-to-date nutritional expertise.  I followed the Eat To Live diet with limited meat, and continued to lose weight after my fast.  Shortly before my first six week challenge ended, I was re-motivated with the holiday challenge. I lost an additional 67.6 pounds on the Eat To Live diet following my juice fast, making a grand total of 141.5 pounds lost in eight and a half months. A friend asked where I would find the motivation to continue after the holiday challenge.  I answered; the food is my motivation now.   If only everyone truly understood how having a good relationship with food leads to much more pleasure.

Thank you Dr. Fuhrman for showing me the wisdom of nutritional excellence.  While I still have more weight to lose, I am confident it will happen soon.  My goal is14 percent body fat and I am at 18.8 percent right now.  I started my journey at about 44 percent. The work you do is remarkable. You must feel awesome about yourself every time you hear a story like mine and you deserve it!

Results may vary.