From Health Scare to Healthy Living in 108 Days

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One of, if not the driving force behind what we do, is seeing stories of transformation from people who come to Food Matters and FMTV for help. They find that they are empowered by the realization that they can take control of their health, and though it may have hard days, it is far from impossible, with the added support of a community on a similar journey, and the tools that make healthy choices easier (and oh so delicious).

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for sharing your story with the FMTV community, Jeff. This is what it's all about.

The support and kind words left in the comment thread was unbelievable.

As soon as I read it, I knew I needed to share it with you to highlight his incredible success and transformation!

Keep reading to learn his story, and find out how he did it in a Q&A below. 

This is Jeff's Story... 

I hit a HUGE milestone yesterday! I am down 70 POUNDS in 108 days!! Started at 310+ and currently at 240. 

I can’t even begin to express how amazing I feel.

May 13th I made my health and fitness one of my top priorities and haven’t looked back. I have also quit drinking alcohol (empty calories and regret). 

I started with juicing, added in a salad each night after a little over a month and now I am onto a WFPB diet. 

I have huge smoothies in the morning, power bowls for lunch and supper and healthy snacks (fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds) whenever I want throughout the day. I am not counting calories and I am rarely stepping on the scale. I am working out at least an hour a day.

I have a long road ahead but I am fully embracing this lifestyle. The information I have been able to get at my fingertips has been phenomenal and I want to thank James Colquhoun and Laurentine Colquhoun ten Bosch for putting together such an amazing platform where truly ANYONE who tries can succeed. 🙏🏻

My blood pressure is perfect, my bloodwork is amazing, I have ZERO prescriptions, my doctor is amazed at the changes and I feel INCREDIBLE. 

I now have the energy I need to raise my 5 daughters (under 12) and still have energy and spark to keep the marriage strong. I am and will be an active parent leading by example. ❤️

Q&A with James and Jeff 

What inspired your big change on May 13?

My wife and I were traveling in the US to Orlando Florida with our daughters. I just started to feel “off”. I had a couple of episodes where I felt a big pulse in my chest followed with shortness of breath and that was, unfortunately, my wake up call. 

I had a stress test, ECG, Ultrasound, MRI and several blood tests which all came back thankfully good. My blood pressure was very high (190/90) at the time but I told the doctor I would change my diet and exercise every day and monitor my blood pressure. 

I have yo-yo’d my weight several times in the last 15 years (lose 30, gain 50 lose 30 gain 30) and always told myself that if I had a health scare that it would be time to make a change........ WHAT!!!!! What the hell was I thinking?!?!?!???? I was too busy drinking with friends and having a “good time” to realize I was killing myself every day. I got the “health scare” I needed and that was my wake up call. I have a loving wife and we have 5 daughters under 12 who need a dad in their life! The time to change was NOW!

What was one thing that you implemented that made the biggest difference?

Day 1, I decided that I am going to start juicing and I solely juiced for the first 40 days! I had been a subscriber to FMTV a few years prior and when I let my weight slip I let my subscription too. I rejoined the community started reading the stories and watching the documentaries and it kept me inspired to make the change I needed. 

While the 40 days were tough after day 6 it got easier and easier. I added a salad for supper for a week to reintroduce food and then went straight to a WFPB diet. This was a HUGE change for me as I was completely the opposite prior. Meat and Potatoes with very little vegetables. 

What is your favorite film on FMTV?

Wow, that’s a tough one, if I have to pick one film that my favorite is Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. The reason this one hits home for me is that I was a lot like Joe, from both a work (entrepreneur) and social (careless living) aspect. 

I also love Food Matters and Hungry for Change. 

What is your favorite recipe on FMTV?

That’s another tough one but because it inspired my change I will have to say Joes Mean Green Juice which the FMTV simple detox would be the most similar too, just add ginger. 

What is your go-to smoothie recipe?

Our household go-to smoothie recipe is a huge smoothie that just fits in our Vitamix every morning. Sometimes we have just a smoothie and sometimes we make a smoothie bowl with cutup fruit and granola. 

I’ll try a stab at making a single serving below:

• 1 ½ cup coconut water 
• ½ cup frozen fruit (your choice)
• ¼ cup frozen avocado 
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 tbsp Maca Powder
• 1 tbsp Cacao Powder
• 1 tbsp Almond Butter
• 1 banana

Blend in high and add more coconut water to reach desired consistency. 

Cheers! 

If you could give any advice to someone who is where you were at before this journey, or maybe early on in their health journey, what would it be?

Don’t wait. Start today, like as in RIGHT NOW!! and if you are on your journey already DONT STOP!! 

Push through when you feel times are tough as they will pass. Don’t be the person I was, sitting on the sidelines watching people make wonderful changes in their life and applaud them. Join forces WITH them and make the change for yourself, you will not regret it. Honestly, I cannot express how AMAZING I feel. I am excited to share the continuing journey I have ahead and look forward to providing the FMTV community with my updates and progress.

8 Quick Health Tips From Jeff 

• Look at everything you put in your body as a type of fuel and ask yourself what am I feeling with this
• Get a movement tracking device of some sort. I have an Apple Watch and I set goals to crush every day. 
• Walk every morning 1/2 hour
• Get rid of your office chair and trade for a stabilizing ball
• Go outside and reconnect with Nature
• Tell yourself repeatedly you can do it and visualize what you want the end goal to be. I cannot express how powerful this is. 
• There will be bad days and that is ok. YOU are not allowed to let there be bad weeks, months and years.
• YOU have the power to control this. 

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