Let's Not Meat, Lessons of a Fat Man In America

by Michael Bonney
(Oswego, New York)

Being overweight is a problem I have struggled with since September of 2003. That is when I suffered 4 heart Attacks and landed in the hospital where they put a stent in one of my arteries to keep me alive. The key word here is alive, because I was alive, but I was not living. During the next 5 years (from the age of 49 to 54) I was engaged in the toughest battle I had ever experienced in my life. Because this is a testimonial and not a book, I won't spend any time talking about those 5 years, because it was in November of 2008 that I really got my wake up call.

It was a normal night at work, when suddenly I began to have a difficult time breathing. I went to my boss and she told me to go home and take care of myself. I remember taking a painful walk to my truck and thinking that my body was attacking me. I didn't understand why my body was angry with me. I thought nothing attacks it's self unless it has been brought to a point of anger that attack was it's last hope for survival. Well it got my attention. I went to the emergency room and they admitted me immediately. I learned something that first day in the hospital. As long as I had been fat, I had never gone near a scale. I guess fat people don't really want to know exactly how fat they are, at least this fat man didn't. I made this discovery when the nurse came in to the room and said she needed to weigh me. I began to grunt and groan as I struggled to get out of bed and she said "Oh you don't need to get up, the bed weighs you, you weigh 407 lbs. Tears began rolling down my face, I don't know if it was shame or shock, but that was what woke me up and I decided that no matter how long it took I was going to lose this weight and I was going to do it the right way.

I began my research on the internet, I started out vegetarian after a 21 day water fast. That didn't work I started gaining back the weight I had lost during the fast. I did a 96 day Juice Feast and lost more weight, but what I began to notice was I was beginning to feel healthier, I had more energy and my mind was becoming clearer. It was during the Juice feast that I purchased a book by Dr. Carl Leob, written in 1921 called "The Black Art of Cooking" "The Raw Truth" This started the wheels turning. I began reading everything I could find, I was watching videos on YouTube, but one day I was discussing what I had been learning with my beautiful friend Kelsey and that day she and I made a commitment to go Raw for 30 days and see where it took us.

Well, I have to say It was amazing! I had never felt better in my life and the meals were very tasty. So now it's November 2010, 2 years since my wake up call in the hospital. I've lost 155 lbs and I'm feeling pretty good about myself and my life. Kelsey moves on and I lost my job and next thing I know I've lost my way again. First I was back to cooking vegetables and since I was cooking I didn't need those expensive Organic Vegetables any more, money was tight and I was scared that I would lose my home and well, I went back to food for comfort. I went to a discount grocery store and purchased some Hamburger and white bread. Then it was frozen steaks and Snickers Ice cream bars, by June of 2011 I had gained back 50 lbs I was 303 lbs and totally disgusted with myself. On June 29, 2011 I went on a 30 day water fast and have recommitted myself to the Raw Lifestyle.

I know that it is only August the 6th, but I am convinced that this is the only healthy way to live. During that 8 month period when I used money as an excuse to stop eating Raw Organic Vegetables, my body was going absolutely nuts. I believe that I was so clean from the changes I had made in my diet that my body went into overdrive trying to keep my system clean, I had constant diarrhea and I so tired all the time, it was unbelievable. My resolve is firm and my body is already rewarding me for my choice to return to this natural way of eating. Thanks for this website, it is a great place to go for information and support.