I am no longer the skinny Marine at 19 yrs old and immortal, some 50 years later now at 5′ 8″, 270 pounds, age 72 I was clinically obese and headed for a serious fall. I was staring Type II Diabetes in the face, heart disease and a myriad of other bad things were almost guaranteed to follow.
I needed to do something and quick!
Dare I say Born Again?
Cue the eye rolling!
OK, so maybe it was only an epiphany, this concept of veganism, but still very mind blowing for me, discovering I had the power to escape the dark side by eliminating meat and dairy. Maybe my Marine training and discipline made it easier in the beginning.
Finding the Vegan way
While half-heartedly searching the internet for yet another diet (I’ve tried most of them) I discovered the video What The Health and after witnessing the negative impact of animal agriculture on the planet, watching with disbelief at the cruelty displayed to animals such as pigs, cows and chickens. I decided right then I needed to make some serious changes.
Needing even more proof I found a slew of other vegan-themed documentaries among them my favorites: Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives and Gamechangers, and I became convinced that what they were all saying was true! I was shocked that I had never really thought of what I put in my mouth as long as it tasted good. So, I decided to take more responsibility for not just my health but also the animals and the planet by adopting the Vegan lifestyle, eating only plant-based, whole-foods and ditching the meat, dairy and processed foods.
Biggest challenge of my Life
It wasn’t easy after 60+ years of stuffing myself with meat, dairy, eggs and sugar. I never had to worry about my weight until my 50’s and it was then I tried the Atkins low-carb diet. I did lose quite a bit of weight, but I was carb starved after only a couple of months and gained it all back plus more when I quit out of frustration.
After just two months of a plant-based, whole-foods lifestyle I feel significantly better. I have lost 17 pounds and I really don’t miss all the stuff I thought I could never give up. This finally is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change, one I plan to continue the rest of my life, without the coffee, cigs and diet coke!
Update: Sept 5th, 2022, Four months vegan with no meat or dairy and I feel great, I have lost over 30 lbs. My lower back pain is gone and I am walking for exercise again. But more importantly I feel good about what I am doing, the fact that it’s not just about me anymore, it’s so vital to so many. Feeling good is what keeps me on the straight and narrow path, the vegan path.