![](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/2023/12/top-success-stories-of-2023-revised.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
Our Most-Shared Success Stories of 2023
There’s no shortage of scientific research illustrating the benefits of whole-food, plant-based diets, but there’s something even more compelling about hearing directly…
![Two photos of Kim Jarchow, one before adopting a plant-based high-carb diet for diabetes and choleserol, and one after. In the before photo, she's smiling, wearing black, and holding an infant. In the after photo, she's wearing a red sweater and has lost more than 30 pounds](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Kim-Jarchow-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
On a High-Carb Diet, I Reversed Type 2 Diabetes and High Cholesterol
I grew up eating the standard American diet. Once I left home, I ate mostly vegetarian but with a lot of dairy…
![Two photos showing Julie Tomlinson before and after adopting a plant-based wfpb diet for weight loss, blood pressure, and cholesterol - on the right, she's lost 100 pounds](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/julie-tomlinson-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
From Sick and Tired to Happy and Healthy: My Whole-Food, Plant-Based Journey
At 5-foot-2, I once weighed 340 pounds. I used food as a tool to numb a painful and traumatic childhood. I also…
![Photo of Ardis Coffman, 85-year-old woman who went plant-based (wfpb) at 80 to lower her blood pressure](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Ardis-Coffman.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
It’s Never Too Late: How I Improved My Health at Age 80 with a WFPB Diet
I didn’t expect to improve my health at age 80, but that’s what happened. It started in 2018, when my daughter became…
![Richard (Rich) Ferrandino shown before and after adopting a whole food plant-based diet, on the left, he holds an ice cream; on the right, he walks his dog and looks noticeably slimmer](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Rich-Ferrandino-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
Goodbye, GERD and Arthritis Pain: I’m Thriving in My 50s on a Plant-Based Diet
As a kid growing up in the ’70s, I typically had sugary cereal or bacon and eggs for breakfast. Lunch was usually…
![A senior man (Dr. Robert Bacher) practices taiji in a lavender field](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Dr-Robert-Bacher-in-a-lavender-field-practicing-taiji.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
Living Proof: How a WFPB Diet Has Kept Me Healthy and Energetic Well Into My 60s
From a young age, I was drawn to anything involving natural health. In high school, I began training in martial arts several…
![Two photos of Mary McCoy showing her before and after adopting a plant-based oil-free diet for weight loss and to reverse prediabetes and high cholesterol - on the left she sits in a woven hanging chair wearing a hat, long skirt, on the right, she poses with her hands on hips](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Mary-McCoy-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
Oil-Free and Thriving: Restored to Health on a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
Throughout my adult life, I’ve experimented with different diets in an effort to lose weight. A few years ago, I gave up…
![A photo of Michael Andrus, who went plant-based after a cancer diagnosis, holding his dog and smiling](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Michael-Andrus-photo.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Spurred Me to Go Plant-Based, I Feel Like the Energizer Bunny
For most of my life, I didn’t struggle with any health issues at all. I exercised, drank in moderation, and ate what…
![Shauné Hayes Before and after adopting a whole-food, plant-based (wfpb) diet for weight loss and blood pressure. On the left, she wears a black t shirt and has a neutral facial expression; on the right, she holds a bowl of colorful vegan food and smiles](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/shaune-hayes-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation: I Lost Weight and Resolved Several Health Issues on a WFPB Diet
I hail from Kansas City, Missouri (a town known for its barbecue), and grew up on the standard American diet, with lots…
![Two photos of Jeremy LaLonde, one before he adopted a plant-based diet for weight loss, and one after. On the left, he stands on a boulder outside with his hands on his back. On the right, he wears a suit inside the foyer of a home, with his hands clasped at his waist](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Jeremy-LaLonde-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
On a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet, I’m Staying Fit Without Counting Calories
In high school I was an athlete. I was used to consuming lots of calories; I was burning them off just as…
![Denise DeSerio before and after going from plant-based to vegan and experiencing significant weight loss](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/Denis-DeSerio-before-and-after.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
I Went Vegan for the Animals. I Cut Out Highly Processed Foods for My Health
My father ran a slaughterhouse, so my family ate a lot of meat when I was growing up. I couldn’t wait to…
![Photos of Armando Alvarez before and after adopting a plant-based diet for heart disease. On the left, he sits at a restaurant table wearing a fedora and pink button-down, on the right, he appears slimmer and holds out a football with one hand](https://www.forksoverknives.com/uploads/armando-alvarez-before-after-2.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
How I Transformed My Health in My 60s on a Plant-Based Diet
As a young man I was very athletic, playing high school and college football as a wide receiver. That position required a…