My wake-up call came on my 40th birthday. It was this milestone that made me take a real hard look at myself. I did not like what I saw. I was 320 pounds, on blood pressure medication, recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic and on anti-depressants. I was emotionally attached to food and I was completely miserable.

Fruit, vegetables and exercise were strangers to me. My friends were pizza, fast food, beer and the couch. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I couldn’t stop. I was an emotional eater and drinker and I had formed a dysfunctional relationship with these comfort foods. I realized I had to break off these relationships. I now knew I was a food addict but I had no idea how to break all these addictions. Where would I even begin? I felt like I was just too far-gone.

The day after my 40th birthday I decided the first dietary change I needed to make was to eliminate the empty calories. No more beers or sodas, at all, ever. That was so hard for the first couple of weeks. They had been such a comfort for me, especially the beer. Over the years I had lost my coping skills and the beer “helped” me to handle stress, or so I thought. Unloading these two “friends” eliminated around 1200-1500 calories per day.

Next, I targeted the fast foods and fried foods. Burgers, fries, fried chicken. Easy food, comfort food. It had to go. I probably ate fast food at least once a day. Saying goodbye to this “friend” netted me a caloric saving of at least 500 calories a day. But more importantly, it eliminated a lot of the saturated and trans fats I was consuming.

I also had to cut ties with my favorite food “friend” of all, pizza. I love pizza, all kinds, and the cheesier the better. But it was a one-sided love, and it had to end. I would eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Lots of calories and fat cut out with this one.

The other food I eliminated from my diet was sweets. I was not a huge sweet eater, an occasional candy bar or ice cream. I do love cheesecake, but they all had to go.

I then introduced myself to bananas, apples, lean meats, and flavorful veggies such as asparagus and broccoli. I ate nuts and berries (blueberries, strawberries) for snacks. I switched to whole grains, I drank lots of water, and I started to move. I would walk for twenty minutes each day and I built up from there. Walking eventually became running. I also incorporated resistance training into my routine at least 3 times per week.

These changes didn't happen all at once. These were changes I made incrementally over the course of 2 years. But it wasn't hard, because with each change I knew I would see an overall improvement in my health, and, as a result, a change in my appearance. It was these changes that helped keep me motivated. I knew what I was doing was working.

It has now been over 3 years since my journey began. I realize it is a never-ending journey. My life now consists of healthy eating and daily exercise. I run 5 miles a day and lift 5 days a week. This is done without even thinking about it. It is who I am. I do not feel burdened by this nor do I feel deprived because of the foods I have given up. As a result, I am at my ideal weight, I feel fantastic, both physically and mentally, and I have never been happier.