My Inspirational Story of Healing through Nutrition ~
Just a few years ago I was in the darkest deepest place imaginable. Trapped within my own body at almost 65o pounds, severely depressed, bed ridden and addicted I was on the verge of expiring very soon. I welcomed my demise with open arms and had all the regular weight related issues including BP, Type 2 Diabetes, Cholesterol, Sleep Apnea and severe Arthritis, along with chronic joint, neck, knee and back pain too. Then I developed Neuropathy and all the other pains I had been experiencing paled in comparison. The pain, along with a three week case of insomnia became the catalyst for me to make my first lifestyle change for the better and thinking my smoking habit would then cease, it unfortunately worsened making my health take a nosedive. With now excruciating pain in my lower extremities and the numbness causing balance issues, I began to fall on a yearly basis at regular intervals. Many rescue personnel would be required to upright me again on these occasions. It was on one of these unpleasant happenings that I finally made the decision, with encouragement from friends and family, to admit myself into Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville, North Carolina where I resided. Here I met two wonderful doctors, Dr. Augustine Obi, endocrinologist and Dr. Mahdi Ajjan MD, who not only helped me realize the medical reasons for my early childhood weight gain, but also convinced me that I had the conviction to try and resolve the last of my poor lifestyle choices. That first night I had a long and soul cleansing discussion with myself and higher power I experienced that crystal clear A-HA moment where instincts override our ability to convince ourselves otherwise. I prayed for spiritual guidance and made a firm commitment to do anything I would need to do in order to try and get myself healthy again. So there I decided to quit smoking and try my best to attempt an all-natural weight loss. I knew the best way for me to achieve a better health situation and be able to maintain it would be for me to use Nutrition and Fitness instead of one of the various weight-loss related surgical procedures. Being almost 650 pounds meant I would have to do this anyway to get to a weight where surgery could be done, so I decided to just keep it going but still was quite unaware of how I could actually achieve it.
After a two month stay at Brian Center in Mooresville and learning basic strengthening and conditioning, I came home in a wheelchair and on 24 hour oxygen for my chronic obstructive lung condition. Beginning with my stay at the rehabilitation center I purchased a laptop computer and began researching all natural ways of treating my various illnesses and conditions. This led me to the realization that indeed Whole Food Nutrition was the safest method that also made the most sense to me. Using information gathered from trusted websites and various well known doctors, I began reviewing various methodologies in regard to nutrition and natural supplementation. I then read Dr. Daniel Amen's book Change Your Brain Change Your Body and my life would never again be the same. In it, he explains that by giving the brain the correct foods with the right nutrients, along with natural supplementation, vitamins and minerals, we can literally help it to repair itself and thusly help the body to correct, reverse, heal and even cure chronic illness, disease, weight problems, depression, addiction, skin issues, energy, willpower, sexual issues, stress and also prevent and stave off many debilitating and often fatal ailments.
I began in earnest by using ankle/wrist weights, a few dumbbells and began doing exercise right from my recliner chair. I began to literally dance to music in the chair and within a month or so was able to stand to march in place with the use of a walker. I just knew I was losing weight but did not exactly have a handle on how much. In the beginning of March I went for my first initial weigh-in thinking I had lost at least 40-50 pounds. When I stepped on that scale for the first time I nearly felt my heart soar to the heavens as it read a whopping 156 pound weight loss !!! This was the affirmation that I truly needed empowering me not only to keep going but now to reach out to others through creating a Facebook group STEVE'S MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS FAN PAGE to encourage others who needed it and give hints, tips, videos, articles and other information to enable them to start on acquiring their own paths to better health and wellness. By September of that same year of 2010 I had now lost an incredible 230 pounds and was now able to use a recumbent exercise bike and pedal up to 15 miles in one session !! That same month a local news reporter from channel 36 NBC in Charlotte, NC ~ Jeff Campbell did a story on me in conjunction with the new season of the Biggest Loser. The story was picked up by CNN and then was released to many various news outlets across the country and the globe. I received emails, messages and comments at over 600 strong coming from as far away as Nepal. This solidified my belief that many others were also feeling hopeless in their attempts at resolving their weight, addiction, depression and illness issues. By them being able to see my story, they were inspired and also motivated by myself (as I answered them for many days straight) to take initiative and have belief in their ability to enact change for the better. I have recently appeared in several publications and was one of a hundred loyal weight loss fans (having lost 100lbs or more) hand picked to be on Oprah's Final Season Weight Loss Finale which appeared on May 10th, 2011 !!
By the end of 2010 I had compiled a total of 260 pounds gone for that calender year and now to date have 385 plus reversed from my peak weight. With my new-found knowledge I have found my new calling of a health activist and health coach, safe food advocate and motivational speaker, helping to educate, inspire and motivate others who through whatever circumstance, find themselves in a place of uncertainty, desperation and hopelessness due to detrimental ill health. I now travel the country speaking of my story and trying to let people know that there is a much simpler and easier way to rid our bodies of chronic illness and disease. Obesity is now a global pandemic and continues to put dire strains on our healthcare system to the point of imminent disintegration !! Let's all collectively help ourselves and others to realize that there is a better way to Health and Well Being before needless and countless others suffer the fate of sufferers before them ... we must act now for the next and coming generations. Teach sustainability farming and gardening in schools, use safe organics and whole food nutrition as a first line of defense in treating, curing, reversing AND preventing disease in hospitals and nursing homes as well.
This IS the way of the Future for ALL of Us ... ACT NOW !! Before it is indeed TOO LATE !!
Be Well
After a two month stay at Brian Center in Mooresville and learning basic strengthening and conditioning, I came home in a wheelchair and on 24 hour oxygen for my chronic obstructive lung condition. Beginning with my stay at the rehabilitation center I purchased a laptop computer and began researching all natural ways of treating my various illnesses and conditions. This led me to the realization that indeed Whole Food Nutrition was the safest method that also made the most sense to me. Using information gathered from trusted websites and various well known doctors, I began reviewing various methodologies in regard to nutrition and natural supplementation. I then read Dr. Daniel Amen's book Change Your Brain Change Your Body and my life would never again be the same. In it, he explains that by giving the brain the correct foods with the right nutrients, along with natural supplementation, vitamins and minerals, we can literally help it to repair itself and thusly help the body to correct, reverse, heal and even cure chronic illness, disease, weight problems, depression, addiction, skin issues, energy, willpower, sexual issues, stress and also prevent and stave off many debilitating and often fatal ailments.
I began in earnest by using ankle/wrist weights, a few dumbbells and began doing exercise right from my recliner chair. I began to literally dance to music in the chair and within a month or so was able to stand to march in place with the use of a walker. I just knew I was losing weight but did not exactly have a handle on how much. In the beginning of March I went for my first initial weigh-in thinking I had lost at least 40-50 pounds. When I stepped on that scale for the first time I nearly felt my heart soar to the heavens as it read a whopping 156 pound weight loss !!! This was the affirmation that I truly needed empowering me not only to keep going but now to reach out to others through creating a Facebook group STEVE'S MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS FAN PAGE to encourage others who needed it and give hints, tips, videos, articles and other information to enable them to start on acquiring their own paths to better health and wellness. By September of that same year of 2010 I had now lost an incredible 230 pounds and was now able to use a recumbent exercise bike and pedal up to 15 miles in one session !! That same month a local news reporter from channel 36 NBC in Charlotte, NC ~ Jeff Campbell did a story on me in conjunction with the new season of the Biggest Loser. The story was picked up by CNN and then was released to many various news outlets across the country and the globe. I received emails, messages and comments at over 600 strong coming from as far away as Nepal. This solidified my belief that many others were also feeling hopeless in their attempts at resolving their weight, addiction, depression and illness issues. By them being able to see my story, they were inspired and also motivated by myself (as I answered them for many days straight) to take initiative and have belief in their ability to enact change for the better. I have recently appeared in several publications and was one of a hundred loyal weight loss fans (having lost 100lbs or more) hand picked to be on Oprah's Final Season Weight Loss Finale which appeared on May 10th, 2011 !!
By the end of 2010 I had compiled a total of 260 pounds gone for that calender year and now to date have 385 plus reversed from my peak weight. With my new-found knowledge I have found my new calling of a health activist and health coach, safe food advocate and motivational speaker, helping to educate, inspire and motivate others who through whatever circumstance, find themselves in a place of uncertainty, desperation and hopelessness due to detrimental ill health. I now travel the country speaking of my story and trying to let people know that there is a much simpler and easier way to rid our bodies of chronic illness and disease. Obesity is now a global pandemic and continues to put dire strains on our healthcare system to the point of imminent disintegration !! Let's all collectively help ourselves and others to realize that there is a better way to Health and Well Being before needless and countless others suffer the fate of sufferers before them ... we must act now for the next and coming generations. Teach sustainability farming and gardening in schools, use safe organics and whole food nutrition as a first line of defense in treating, curing, reversing AND preventing disease in hospitals and nursing homes as well.
This IS the way of the Future for ALL of Us ... ACT NOW !! Before it is indeed TOO LATE !!
Be Well
