I Was Overweight and Exhausted. A Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet Changed Everything

Before discovering the power of plant-based eating, Weston was 60 pounds overweight, on the verge of needing statins, and struggling with brain fog and fatigue.

I was 27 years old when my mother passed away from breast cancer at 59, after a long and difficult fight with the illness. I had been married for only one month when I had to say goodbye to her. That loss shook me to my core, forcing me to confront my own mortality and the habits I had been ignoring for years.

At my annual physical that same year, I was told I was 60 pounds overweight and needed statins for high cholesterol. Though I had always stayed active and enjoyed sports—including football in my younger years—I never really understood how to eat for my health and well-being. I followed the standard Southern diet I’d grown up with, eating out frequently and rarely cooking at home. Food was consumed for pleasure and convenience rather than nourishment.

As a child I had been diagnosed with ADD, and as an adult I struggled with lack of focus, mental fatigue, and brain fog. In the summer of 2008, I read The UltraMind Solution and, for the first time, made the connection between nutrition and brain health. It was a revelation: What I ate was directly affecting my mood, focus, and energy.

The following January, my wife and I tried an elimination diet and discovered I was intolerant to dairy, gluten, and artificial colors and sugars. That discovery was a turning point that set us on an entirely new path.

Eager to learn more, my wife and I began reading every book we could find on nutrition, watching documentaries, and exploring the science behind food and health. We saw the Forks Over Knives documentary in the theater and had the opportunity to meet Dr. T. Colin Campbell. After reading The China Study, we decided to transition to a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet. Six months later, we were fully WFPB.

The weight started coming off naturally: I lost 70 pounds, and my wife lost 20. My cholesterol lowered to within the healthy range. Beyond the numbers, something deeper shifted: We began sleeping better and feeling more agile, energized, and focused. We also felt more deeply connected to the choices we were making for our bodies and minds. Every meal became an opportunity to nourish ourselves and experiment with flavors and textures that were previously foreign to us.

Seventeen years later, we continue to thrive. We’ve enjoyed traveling the world while staying true to our plant-based lifestyle. With our daughter, Ilinca, we love cooking plant-based meals, hiking, practicing yoga, and making art. We share our plant-based journey with anyone willing to listen. We’ve learned firsthand that food can heal and that every small choice matters—for our bodies, our bliss, and our planet.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.