How Julian’s sister changed his life – and made him lose 80 pounds

Before and after

Julian’s sister was worried about his health. He was overweight and had high blood pressure. His father had died of heart trouble in his forties, roughly Julian’s present age.

So Julian’s sister did something remarkable. She showed up with an envelope filled with cash, and announced that she was paying him for his time, to do some reading.

Two years later his life has changed. Here’s his story:

The Email

80 pounds lighter, 2 years still kept it all off!

Until my twenties, I was a lean young man. Then, part way through my University years, I started getting heavier. Perhaps due to the stress and long hours of my school and part time work, I was eating for comfort, or maybe to “have energy.” In fact all that food made me sleepy. When I got married, I couldn’t quite fit into my one blue suit anymore. That was embarrassing.

This gradual addition of weight continued over the years. Then, in my forties, I really started to put on the weight. I was hungry a lot, and I ate when I was hungry. After yet another long, stressful day at work, I would reward myself at the Pub, usually beer and chicken wings. At one point, I joined a gym, and with personal training (not cheap) and eating better, and less quantity, (I was hungry all the time) I was rewarded with a modest weight loss. But finances could not permit the training to continue, or even the time to go to the gym. So I gained it all back, and with it, an unhealthy increase of blood pressure, necessitating medication. I developed breathing problems. Snoring is hard on a marriage, and so my wife suffered, as well. I had to do something, since the bromide of “eat less, move more” was not doing the trick. I read various books, obviously not the right ones.

My twin sister Cheryl, concerned for my health (our father had heart trouble, died in his forties) showed up one day with an envelope filled with cash and announced that she was paying me for my time, to do some reading. Otherwise when would I get around to it? I read up on Wheat Belly, and some other books, without interruption. I enjoyed that book, compelling, and provocative. I told her to keep the cash, and I read like a man possessed. After a month or so, my sister came to see me and gave me a big hug. Along with that sisterly love, I realized that she was measuring me!

Along with bread and sugar out of my diet, I was on my way to better health. The revelation was that fat could be a healthy part of my diet, to help me with the “always hungry syndrome.” How can you go to sleep at night if all you can think of, is food?

How did it go? In the first month I dropped nearly 20 pounds. In the period of time from September 2012 to March 2013 I lost a total of about 75 pounds, and I really felt great. Not just lighter, but rejuvenated, as well. Side effects included dizziness until I reduced my blood pressure medicine by half and then again until I stopped taking those pills. A bit of salt also helped. The book that really tipped the scales for me, so to speak was Phinney and Volek’s book, The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. It really convinced me of the science behind a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle. I enjoyed Eric Westman’s “No sugar, no starch” YouTube movie. I get teased by friends that most of the 8 million or so viewings were by me. Gary Taubes’ books were also very inspiring, and thorough. He even answered my emails when I wrote to him.

Everyone who knew me was glad to see the change, and I am sure they were hoping that I could keep off the weight.

I am a music teacher by profession, and one of my students is an expert trainer invited me back to the gym. He took all kinds of measurements in addition to weighing me. He was amazed that I had lost all that weight, mostly from my waist, and that I lost no muscle. My shirts had become looser, and I had to have them altered. Again and again. My pants were falling down! In time, I had to get a whole new wardrobe, and I made sure I got rid of the fat clothes, so I would never go back, and I never did.

It’s been two years and counting. I went from size Extra-Large to Medium, and my collar from 18 1/2 to 15.

My work in music involves a lot of sustained passionate effort, a high energy approach. I am trying to convince people of all ages to study music, and a real bonus of all this was that I had a huge increase in my energy level, and sense of positive well-being.

My state of mind has become much more optimistic. In January of 2013, I had a pastoral counseling session with my parish priest, because I felt as though my life had been given back to me, and I was thinking of how I might express my gratitude to God. I want to help people whenever, however I can. For the first time it feels like I am more than surviving.

I feel like the best that life can offer is still before me.

Julian

Comment

Thank you for sharing and congratulations on your fantastic health and weight improvements, Julian! And congratulations to your sister on a job well done.

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