Eating Myself To Death

This is the story of how I almost ate myself to death and how you might be also. Most of the problems with my diet was learned over the course of my life growing up in an Italian American home. Italians have a food for every saint, every holiday and every occasion. Combine this with embracing the incredibly unhealthy American Diet and it’s a recipe for major problems later. I ate it all and on a weekly basis. Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta, French Fries, Pizza, Fried Chicken, Steak, Fast Food, Cheesburgers, and CheeseSteaks. Potato Chips, Doritos and Coke products. I tell you it’s no wonder I’m not dead! Ask yourself how much of what I was eating are you currently eating today.

A typical morning breakfast was 3 eggs with Pancakes or Hashbrowns. Maybe I’m running late so I quickly eat a few Pop Tarts. Lunch was either Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, four slices of Pizza or a CheeseSteak. Dinner typically was some type of Pasta or more of whatever I ate for lunch. I drank several cans of Coke daily. Late night snacking was really a second Dinner. More Carbohydrates washed down with a sugary drink. I’m a sociable guy who loves to BBQ. Most weekends I’m out at a restaurant eating fried, greasy, yummy food in abundance with friends. If there’s a football game on forget about it! Pizza, wings and burgers went down into my gut faster and easier then you can say “touchdown”.

Over the past year I’ve experienced some life changes. My life had changed from decades of being an active out doors type person, to now sitting behind a desk. On my wedding day 17 years ago I weighed 180 pounds. Up until this point in my life I never weighed more then 225lbs and I was always able to lose weight fast. But now here I am at 39 years old, 235 pounds and gaining. Are there bigger people in this world? Of course, but for me this extra weight and sedentary lifestyle isn’t normal.

Even though my diet was out of control and my daily activity was almost zero, I still didn’t think anything was wrong. I blamed my weight gain on genetics and pushing 40. Life went on living in denial.

My wife and I had just bought a new house last year and I was looking forward to fixing it up. Shortly after we moved in, the house next door sold to a couple like us with children the same age as ours. It wasn’t long until we became best friends. Weekends were now spent around a fire pit drinking beers and sharing good times. I wasn’t aware of the collision course I was on. Ignorance is bliss.

On one such night around the fire, unbeknownst to me scrawling up my leg and onto my thigh was a Deer Tick. The little sucker buried himself in my skin and later while I slept dug himself in yet another location on my thigh. I had absolutely no idea! One morning I’m getting in the shower when I noticed not one, but two big bullseyes on my thigh! I immediately rushed myself to the hospital where they started Lyme Disease Antibiotics. I was instructed to follow up with my primary care doctor.

21 days past and my doctor ordered me in for blood work. She wanted to test for Lyme and to see if I still needed the Antibiotics. While I was there she asked me if I wanted to get all my levels checked and I figured “why not?” After my blood work I went home and ate a few slices of Pizza, a Hershey bar and drank two cans of coke. I plopped down in front of the TV and sat there for hours until another Carbohydrate rich dinner with a side of something fried.

Three days later I received a phone call from my doctors office telling me to come in so we can go over my test results. They weren’t giving me much information over the phone and I was starting to allow my suspension to scare me. Sitting in the Doctor’s waiting room my palms were sweating. When they called my name to see the doctor I felt like I was being summoned for my execution. What could be so bad that my doctor had to tell me face to face?

When my doctor entered the room I didn’t greet her with a hello. “Cancer. Is it cancer doctor? Am I going to die?” I immediately started asking in a panic. She assured me it wasn’t cancer. I foolishly felt self assured that this all must be nothing but a waste of my time. Then she told me I might have heart disease and she’s ordering an EKG! She informed me my bad Cholesterol was 235, and my good cholesterol was almost not even listed! My Triglycerides were at 907 and she was surprised I hadn’t had a heart attack or chest pains. There was more bad news. My liver wasn’t functioning properly. After my EKG she again said there are signs of heart disease but luckily no blockage.

Heart disease is America’s number one killer. After being diagnosed, typically most victims die within the next 3 to 5 years. All the terrible thoughts ran through my head. I wasn’t even 40. I have 4 kids. We just bought a house. I have so much life in front of me. My kids would have to go on without a father. My parents would have to bury their son. My wife would have to live in our new home without me. All of my future dreams and plans are never going to happen. This was a self inflicted disease that I caused one bite at a time.

But was this really the end? Is this how my life ends up? Was this the end of my story? Well not if I could help it! In the car on the way home after I was done crying and praying to God in desperation, I committed myself to a Vegan diet. If I was going to die of heart disease fine, but it wouldn’t be until I did everything in my power to fix it! I stopped at the supermarket were I dropped off my prescription for Lipitor and bought things I haven’t eaten in years. Broccoli, strawberry, Almonds, Spinach and Lima Beans. If it was healthy for my heart I bought it!

Two nights later my wife and I went out to dinner with our new best friends. They all ate the foods the old me once did. I ate a salad with a side of Broccoli. Some have asked how I could muster the will power to not only change my diet in one afternoon, but be surrounded by all the foods I once loved and not crack under temptation. My answer is simple. I told myself that one bite of that food will kill me. It’s poison. Don’t eat it!

I cut out all the white flour products I loved. No dairy and absolutely no meat. People would say “oh you can have chicken it’s lean meat”, but I would say it’s still fat, it’s still cholesterol and I don’t need it. My breakfast was Lima Beans. My lunch was salad and Broccoli or something else dark green. Dinner was now lunch part two, and snacks later had become lunch part three. All I ate were natural foods, vegetables and fruit. I also cut out all sugary drinks making water my number one preference. Most importantly I was trying to be more active also, and even in the rain would go for a mile walk.

Within the next 30 days I lost 22 pounds. I went for my blood work and got the results. Not only was my bad cholesterol just 159 now, but my good cholesterol was 3 times what it should be! My triglycerides were at 200 (still high but not 907) and my liver was perfectly fine. My doctor assured me that there is absolutely ZERO chance of heart disease! I had been saved! My life had returned!

Currently I’m still trying to lose weight and I’m still trying to stay active daily. I allow myself to enjoy Pasta on Sundays like a good Italian should, and I’ll eat the occasional chicken breast. I got off Lipitor. I’m no longer a Vegan though lean heavy towards Vegetarian. But as far as greasy foods and sugary drinks, those days are over. It’s poison! It will kill you! The only food you should put in your body is natural and earth made. McDonald’s isn’t going to be at your funeral but your family is. I had a decision to make. I could keep eating myself to death or make changes so I’m able to know my grandkids one day. I chose life and in making this choice I’m enjoying living. You truly are what you eat!