Janelle's Story

I was very overweight for many years. I had back pain, depression and anxiety despite exercising up to six days a week. I was so discouraged that I inquired about Lap Band surgery. I was told I would be eligible if I gained another six pounds. I said no way and resolved to be happy despite my weight. But, in the back of my mind, I still hoped and prayed that I would find a way to lose the extra weight I had been carrying for the past fifteen years. I started the Insanity Workouts and only lost five pounds in six weeks. At 201 pounds, my highest weight, it was very hard to exercise. I continually sabotaged myself with an addiction to food and alcohol, but I couldn't see it. I just got more and more depressed, leading to more over-eating and drinking. I started taking multiple anti-depressants, anti-anxiety and sleep aids. But, because I was still not eating healthy and drinking alcohol daily, the medications didn’t work very well. I gained even more weight.

In October 2011 I was a bridesmaid at my best friend's dinner cruise wedding. During the cruise I had to go down to the lower level of the boat. Taking the first step on the narrow steps my ankle twisted and I flipped one time and fell eight to ten feet down the flight of stairs falling face down on my left arm and shoulder.  I hit the floor of the boat so hard I was completely stunned. It turned out I had a broken shoulder blade and dislocated AC Joint and had a long road to recovery with a lot of time on my hands.

The first few weeks I was in constant pain and when I started to feel a little better, I asked God, what am I to learn from this potentially life threatening accident.  I'll have to change my eating and drinking habits said a little voice in my head. Then I remembered the Eat To Live CD my aunt had given me. Listening to it I slowly started to connect the dots of my eating habits, cravings, binges and intermittent starvation periods. I realized I didn't need to starve. I needed real nutrient rich foods.  By August 2012 I was down to 129 pounds. I was exercising again and regaining muscle and flexibility. It was like a dream, the time flew by and I was feeling like I hadn't felt or looked in years. I went from a size 16 to a size 4. I have maintained a Nutritarian, alcohol free lifestyle for almost a year and a half.  I'm 5 ft.7in. 130 pounds and resumed my "Insanity workouts."

I am helping to educate others about healthy and yummy foods and the best way to cook a lot of foods the average American is missing out on. I love to cook and just because I lost 72 pounds doesn't mean that I don't enjoy eating and cooking. I just know a better way to eat and live a healthful lifestyle. I am off of almost all my medications for depression, anxiety and am totally off my acid reflux medication. I have so much more energy. I also learned I had a major developmental malformation in my intestines and eating a high nutrient diet may have saved me from a bowel obstruction or worse. Thank you Dr. Fuhrman.