1 Year into a Plant-Based Diet, I’ve Ditched 70 Pounds and 8 Medications

Just two years ago, I could barely walk up one flight of stairs to my office, and once I made it upstairs, I would have to stop and lean against the wall to catch my breath and relieve my back pain. Keep in mind, this was just one flight of stairs.

I suffered from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, extremely high triglycerides (over 1,000—I was a walking stroke). I had Type 2 diabetes, GERD, and psoriasis, and I suffered from periodic episodes of gout. That’s not to mention erectile dysfunction: I didn't even know what sex was anymore. I was on eight medications. I had a 44-inch waist and weighed 237 pounds. (I am only 5-foot-6.) I was recently divorced. I had just turned 60 years old, but I thought my life would be over soon. I needed a change.

This is when one of my dearest friends reached out to me. I hadn't seen her in a long time. She had heard of my divorce and wanted to meet me for lunch. I was hesitant, mainly because I had gained so much weight since our last encounter, and quite honestly, I was isolating myself from everyone at that point. But I thought, “Why not?” So we met for lunch. Little did I know, this lunch would end up changing my life.

My friend used to be extremely overweight, too. When we met up that day, I was shocked to see she had lost a lot of weight! She looked fantastic. After we caught up on our lives, I asked how she had lost so much weight. This is when she told me she had been eating a no-oil whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet. She instructed me to go home and watch the Forks Over Knives documentary to learn more about the WFPB way of eating. So I did. After that, I decided to go all in on WFPB. I began my plant-based journey on February 19, 2024.

It wasn’t always easy. I work in the veterinary field, and representatives from pharmaceutical companies bring us unhealthy breakfasts or lunches almost every day. It was hard to resist the temptation, but I was determined. I stuck to my plant-based plan. I was strict—no deviation. Food became my medicine.

The weight started coming off almost effortlessly. In the first month, I lost 10 pounds. Before, I couldn’t walk 10 feet without needing to stop and catch my breath. After switching to a WFPB diet, I noticed that I could walk my dog to my mailbox; then I found myself walking longer and longer distances without issue. My labs went from those of someone belonging in a funeral home to those of a 20-year-old. My doctor was floored.

Since making the switch, I’ve lost 70 pounds. After being on eight medications for years, I am now on zero. And remember that ED problem? Yep, that’s been resolved!

Today I walk everywhere that I can. I do 5Ks and, much to my surprise, yoga: I'm a 62-year-old man doing yoga with 20-year-olds! The transformation has been almost otherworldly. To say that I’m shocked doesn’t even really cover it.

I have advocated for WFPB eating now for over a year. Food really is medicine! I am living proof.