Amazing Weight Loss by an Amazing Person!
As you may know, I really try to focus on eating for health, energy, and longevity! However, many people need to lose weight. According to the CDC, more than 2 of 3 American adults are overweight, more than 1 in 3 are obese, and 1 in 3 American kids are overweight. Most weight loss efforts are unsuccessful because deprivation can't last. There is a solution!
I am so happy to share Heather Goodwin's AMAZING HEALTH and WEIGHT LOSS success story following the PLANT BASED WHOLE FOODS way of eating! As you'll see, she had tried everything, and this is the way of eating that finally works. She loves all the great doctors: Greger, Esselstyn, Campbell (author of The China Study), Ornish, (clinician, researcher, and author), McDougall, and more, and attributes this final success to Chef AJ (FB page), a woman who is brilliant with healthy food in the kitchen!
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Heather has "released" almost 300 pounds!
Now, sit back, and get ready to be awed and inspired by Heather's lovely story that she was kind enough to share :)
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At what age did you become overweight, and/or begin to stress
about your weight?
I have always been fat, for as long as I can remember. I was a cute fat baby with rolls and a chubby
adorable toddler, but by the time I got to elementary school I found out that
being fat was not cute at all. I was
teased and bullied, and went home and drowned my sorrows in baloney sandwiches
and reruns of Gilligan’s Island. By the
time I turned 11, my parents became alarmed that I was not “growing out of my
baby fat” and they gave me my first diet book, Richard Simmon’s Never Say
Diet. I was very motivated to try to
take off weight by then and I read it cover to cover. I took off about 20 lbs, but they came back,
and brought along a few friends. That
was the beginning of my career as a lifelong yo-yo dieter.
Briefly, what
other methods of getting healthier or losing weight did you try? How has this
experience been different?
For every
crazy way that exists to take off weight, I have most likely tried it. I tried
diet pills (including risking my life taking Fen-Phen) Atkins, Weight Watchers,
TOPS, Deal and Meal, the Cabbage Soup Diet, counting calories, counting fat
grams, counting carbs, and counting myself as a failure every time I would not
be able to stay on my “plan”. They all insisted they were not diets, but
“lifestyles”. The difference this time
is that I am happy and satisfied and eating highly nutritious food, so that I
CAN actually stay on this way of eating, which truly is a new lifestyle for me.
How did you
first come across or get introduced to this way of eating?
Back in college, I
was introduced to John Robbin’s excellent book, Diet for a New America. That book changed my life in many ways as I
was first exposed to the cruelty of animal agriculture and the lies of the
meat, dairy, and egg industries lobbying boards. At that time, I decided I wanted no part of
it, and became a vegetarian. Sadly, even
with that knowledge and my deep desire to be a plant-based eater, I was so
addicted to fast food, sugar, and processed food that I eventually went back to
eating the standard American diet and felt a lot of guilt and shame from not
eating in a way that was in integrity with my values.
Yes, guilt is definitely a negative emotion that pops into my mind about food. Based on your experience, what insight do you have about guilt?
I feel bad about how I ate in the past, and the harm to animals and to the planet that I participated in. I also feel really guilty about feeding my kids junk all those years and not being capable of being the mom they deserved. I have learned that I need to let go of that, though, to move on and make progress in life. We can never go back, only forward, and strive to constantly improve.
How long have
you been on your whole foods journey, and what finally inspired you to try
it?
After becoming a vegetarian in college
briefly, I never stopped believing that a plant-based diet was the optimal diet
for both health and for the planet and for the animals. I read a lot of plant-based doctor’s books,
most notably Dr. Dean Ornish’s book, Eat More, Weigh Less. I went plant-based
several times, but always relapsed back to my old habits after a while. I have
never stopped trying to control my weight since that first diet at age 11. I have taken off between 40-80 lbs at least
20 different times, and this is my third time of taking off more than 100
lbs! I was such a compulsive eater that
I could never stick with it long enough to get all the weight off. In 2009, a friend invited me to a raw vegan
restaurant. I admit, it sounded horrible
to me. I secretly planned a fast-food
binge for after our meeting. But when I
tasted the food, it was incredibly delicious. I actually sobbed on the way home because it was so good, I thought, “I
could do this! I could go vegan for good
and stick to this!” And I did go raw vegan, and then “fully raw” for about 15
months. I took off 140 lbs. But, because I was eating a very high fat,
“gourmet” version of raw vegan, I eventually stopped taking off weight eating
that way, and even regained almost half of what I had worked so hard to take off. That is when I started my YouTube channel, to
get support to get back on track. And
through my channel, I found out about Chef AJ and joined her Ultimate Weight Loss Program and found the method that finally has worked best for me as a
severe food addict.
What are a
handful of your guiding principles to your eating habits?
I eat only whole,
plant-based foods, with no oil, and no processed food at all. I eat a ton of salad and leafy greens, pounds
of steamed vegetables and fruit, and healthy starches like beans, brown rice,
quinoa, and sweet potatoes. Chef AJ
teaches us to “get off the SOFAS” which stands for no sugar (or sugar
substitutes), oil, flour, alcohol, or salt. I admit that I have not managed to get rid of salt entirely, but I have
greatly reduced the amount I use. I
believe that food is medicine and eating this way, I get to eat a lot and still
have taken off close to 300 lbs!
I think I know
the answer to this question, but who is your favorite nutrition teacher?
Of
course I am going to say Chef AJ, who has been not only my teacher, but also a
treasured friend, mentor, and pretty much an angel to me.
Would you
share other helpful influences, authors, books, movies, that especially keep
you going, nutritional, or other?
I have deep respect for all of the
plant-based medicine doctors whose books have guided my steps away from the
grave where I was headed. I especially
admire Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. McDougall, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell B. sselstyn...ok, I admire them all! I’m a
Plant-Based Medicine doctor groupie! The China Study changed my life, as well as the movie Forks Over Knives and so many others. I make it a
point to immerse myself in plant-based medicine books, movies, and YouTube
channels, as well as unprocessed vegan food blogs and Facebook groups. I feel that inspiration and motivation is
like washing, even if you did it yesterday, you have to do it afresh every day.
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| Heather has "released" almost 300 pounds! |
What are a few
of your favorite food tips, practical and/or habitual?
I eat a lot of vegetables--a lot! I fill up on salad and raw and cooked
vegetables and then I eat some healthy starch for satiety. I have learned to “start my day in a savory
way” as Chef AJ teaches because the phytonutrients in greens and vegetables
help to fight cravings for sugar and junk. I have also chosen to treat abstinence from animal foods, processed
junk, sugar, flour, and oil much like an alcoholic abstains completely from
alcohol--I never make exceptions. I
would rather be completely free of it than be pulled back into the hell of
morbid obesity and sickness and feeling trapped in my own body. It’s a small price to pay for the new life
that I have now.
What are some
steps to receive the support you need from your family, physician, workplace,
and others, to achieve success?
I am
very lucky because my grown children have been incredibly supportive. My advice is to ask your family directly for
their support and let them know how important this is to you and how much it
would mean to you. That’s what I did and
I could not have asked for more supportive, loving response from them. My doctors have been great too, encouraging
my efforts as they saw the dramatic improvements in my health and
well-being. I think a great source of support
is in social media, with the excellent Facebook groups, YouTube channels, and
plant-based food blogs, and those are available to you no matter where you are
in the world.
What has changed,
physically/emotionally/socially? Did you stop taking meds? What benefits are
you feeling?
Oh my goodness. When I started my journey, I was a very sick
woman. I weighed 436 lbs, and had a BMI
of almost 80! (For reference, a “normal”
BMI for a woman would be under 25.) I had a host of health problems: high blood
pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides, asthma, apnea, migraines, acne,
eczema, and most especially, debilitating pain. I was in a huge amount of pain at all times, especially in my hips,
back, knees and feet. I didn’t have a
good night’s sleep in over 5 yrs because the pressure from lying in one
position for more than an hour or so was unbearable. I could not stand more than 5 minutes and
could only walk about 50 meters without wheezing and turning red faced and
sweaty. I felt like I was a prisoner in
my own body and that I was dying. Worst
of all, I felt like it was all my fault and I did not deserve anyone’s help or
compassion. Compare that to today: I
have taken off over 288 lbs and am only 12 lbs from my goal weight. I take NO medications (I used to take 10! For
various ailments, 3 for blood pressure alone.) I no longer have ANY of those health conditions: asthma? Gone. Same with
sleep apnea, acne, eczema, pain...all completely resolved. And now I regularly walk 5-7 miles a day and
love being active and pain free. I truly
feel like I have a new lease on life and am having so much fun traveling and
doing fun things with my kids. We
recently took a trip and hiked all around Crater Lake and did some very
challenging hikes. None of that would
have been possible if I had not found a plant-based diet.
Assuming you
thought those things would happen, what are some unexpected benefits/changes?
I
could not have ever dreamed of how lovely and supportive the plant-based food
community would be to me! I have
received so much information, encouragement, and made so many friends. This community has added so much to my life.
Have there been
any unexpected hurdles?
I have had a few times when I relapsed, and the worst
one resulted in my putting back on 60 lbs! Fortunately, I have since removed that weight again, but it taught me
that no matter how long you have been fighting food addiction, you can never
let your guard down. The only bite I can
say “no” to is the first bite; after that, the addiction is in control. I stay very strong in my resolve so that I
will never go back to that sick and sad person I was who felt so hopeless and
trapped.
Looking back to
when you started your journey, where did you think it would take you?
Being
very honest, I didn’t think that I could stick to it. Look, I am a repeat offender, I failed over
and over every time I tried, and each time the weight came back on even more. The thing that made this different was that I
made a promise to my mother. She was at
the end of her life, and I was living with her as her caregiver. I was, once
again, embarking on another attempt at a plant-based diet, and once again,
struggling. She pulled me aside and
said, “Heather, I love you so much. Soon, I am not going to be here to take care of you. You are doing so well right now. I need you to promise me that you are going
to take care of yourself and not fall apart when I’m gone.” I fell into my
mom’s soft hug and sobbed and promised her, no matter what, I would never give
up trying to restore my health and my life. I still didn’t know how I could ever overcome my compulsions and stick
to a plan long enough to accomplish it. I just knew that I had to persevere and keep that promise no matter how
many times I fell. And in that way, the
woman who gave me life, also saved it. I
am eternally grateful to her.
Surely, you have
helped countless people on their mission to get healthier! Was this your
motivation, regarding keeping and sharing your videos?
The reason I started
my YouTube channel was for accountability and support. I knew, if I had to come on and make a video
every week and tell the entire internet what I weighed, that I would be way too
embarrassed to keep messing up. And it
totally worked! I was able to take off
weight, week after week, with much less relapse and more consistency. Later, I
got such wonderful comments and support that I wanted to connect with my
viewers, whom I now considered my friends, in a much deeper and consistent way,
so I also started a Facebook group so that we could do that.
Who or what
motivates you today, and why?
I feel that self-care is the ultimate way of
taking care of your family. I love my
kids like crazy and I don’t want them to be tied down, taking care of a mom who
didn’t take care of herself. I watched
my parents go through horrible diseases that were largely a result of lifestyle
choices and high meat/fat diets. My poor
mom had both legs amputated and had to be a wheelchair and endured horrible
kidney dialysis. My father suffered terribly with MS and ended up penniless, in
a care home he hated, instead of living the wonderful life he dreamed of and
worked so hard for. To honor them, I
want my destiny to be the total opposite of that, and to thrive into my old
age. The choices I make today are my
investment in that future.
What else would
you like to share with readers?
No matter how many times you have tried and
fallen, I want to tell you that there is always hope. It is possible! Start today. Any tiny step in the right direction will bring you one step closer to
your goal. Take it one day at a time,
and get support. Believe in yourself and
put all your effort on maintaining a mindset that no matter what, you will stay
on your plan and be consistent. Before
you know it, you will be inspiring others and helping them to save their lives,
too.
Thank you, Heather, for your honesty, heart, faith, and inspiration! You are truly amazing! I know people will want to connect with you and join in the Butterfly Effect Community, so here are some ways:
This Android and iPhone app (or a simple handout I have prepared) encourages users to eat as much of their Daily Dozen as possible! I have tried to eat these foods ever since I read How Not To Die, as soon as it came out, in 2015. Even before that, we were all trying to eat our fruits and veggies, and eat our beans and greens and nuts and berries! However, this app increases intake more than abstract, lofty goals of eating healthier! See also, my SMART goals post, for help creating goals with which you can evaluate your progress and meet your challenges!
