How I Lost 225 Pounds, Ditched My Meds, and Reclaimed My Life
I was trapped in my morbidly obese body for eighteen years. I was 6'4" and 518 pounds at my heaviest, and I struggled with secret depression, angst, and despair. On the outside, I was a jokester, but inside, I felt hopeless about my health. I didn’t believe that I could do anything to change my body, and I woke up every morning feeling trapped in my body-tomb.
June 2013: My Moment of Truth
In June of 2013, my wife Iris and I decided to take our six-year-old son Nigel to the Universal Orlando theme park in Florida for the trip of a lifetime. The one thing my son requested repeatedly was to ride the Harry Potter ride with me, which he felt would be the “most epic ride” of the week. I promised him that wild horses could not stop me from riding with him, though in the back of my mind I worried that my 420-pound size could be an issue.
We arrived an hour before the park opened, to be at the front of the Harry Potter line. As we approached the platform, a ride operator asked me to try the sample seating to see if I’d fit. He couldn’t get me into the harness, so he asked a coworker to help him. As the two men practically broke my ribs trying to close the harness, I realized I was not going to be able to ride with my son. As I stepped out of line to the waiting area, my son immediately started to cry. He begged the ride operators: “Please let my dad ride with me! It’s my birthday!” I was devastated. As the tears began to flow freely down my face, I promised myself this would be the last time I would let my son down because of my size.
October 2013: Whole Foods Immersion Program
I work for Whole Foods Market, and I had heard about an “immersion” program they offered as a health benefit to all full-time employees. Even though I didn’t fully understand what it was, I applied for and was accepted into the Dr. Stoll Immersion Program as soon as I returned home. I was excited to go on all-expenses-paid tropical vacation to a five-star resort, but I pretty much figured that it’d be an adult “fat camp.” I made myself one vow: If I saw any results from the week, I’d commit to the program they taught me.
It was a powerful, life-changing week. I was introduced to a plant-based diet for the first time. Although the first couple days of detox from caffeine, oil, salt, and animal products were super rough, it was an empowering experience to get through it. By the end of the week, I had lost 33 pounds and a full six inches off my waist! For the first time I realized that there was a way out of the HELL I had been living in for nearly two decades.
Returning to the Real World
Within three months, I was down over seventy pounds and off all meds. The diabetic neuropathy in my feet was gone. The meralgia paresthetica (constant burning thigh pain) was gone. My blood pressure consistently read 100/72—lower than when I was on hypertension meds! I was also off all caffeine and was starting to see what real freedom looked like.
Six months after the immersion, I had lost 107 pounds without really trying. Too big to do any real exercise, I walked 15 to 30 minutes slowly on the treadmill and took short bike rides. Even so, I was starting to look and feel like a completely different person. Before the immersion, I had been 53% body fat—more fat than me! I was starting to emerge and began to share my story with everyone I could.
Living Fully and Freely Today
Now, less than two years after Dr. Stoll’s immersion, I’m down 225 pounds to 190. I look 15 years younger, my skin looks great, and I no longer need allergy medicine. When I first came home from the immersion program, I could barely bike the 2.5 hilly miles to Whole Foods in three hours. Now, I do it in 7 minutes … in traffic!
I still eat a lot (every few hours), but I now really enjoy what I’m eating and actually feel good afterward. Some of my favorite meals are potato leek soup, curried lentils, grilled pineapple, steel-cut oatmeal with peanut butter, and fruit. I eat the biggest salad I want and then always eat my lunch and dinner after that.
My Health Affects More Than Just Me
After I had lost most of the weight, my son opened up to me, sharing how the other kids used to tease him when I picked him up from school, and how he didn’t like that I had to sit in a chair when we played catch. I knew that my health affected every aspect of my life, but I hadn’t thought much before that day at Universal how it also affected the lives of the people I love and who love me.
I still get choked up when I think about it. The average person doesn’t understand what it’s like to be very obese—grounded from life, forced to live on the sidelines. It is my hope that by sharing my most vulnerable moments, I can help others. I’ve made it my life’s mission to help as many people as I can to make it out of the struggle of obesity.
People see my before and after photos and think that somehow I am special. But I am the most ordinary person on the planet. I don’t have super willpower, nor am I a chef. If I can do it, anyone can! The best part is that it doesn’t have to take a lifetime!
(Editor’s Note: Learn more about Milan Ross and his new book with Dr. Scott Stoll.)
