When you lose weight, your size is not the only thing that changes. There are many other things that change as well. When I lost weight the first time, I was in college. I had a good male friend, Jimbo, who I would hang out with all the time. He was goofy and fun and we got along great. Over summer break, I lost a lot of weight. When I got back to school, my good friend Jimbo hit on me. I was so upset. At that time I felt like I was the same person I had been heavier and was very angry that at that weight I wasn't hit-onable. Twenty-five pounds less, and now I'm attractive enough to want to sleep with? It made me so uncomfortable that I gained the weight back.
That was a long time ago. I have come far since then and my views on weight and what changes when we lose it have as well. I am maintaining a 50-pound weight loss and I am a different person than I was at my top weight.
In this blog we are going to be focusing on Eddie Brill. Eddie is a very talented stand-up comic and the talent coordinator for The David Letterman Show. Eddie has lost 130 lbs. and would like to lose another 40 lbs.
Here is what Eddie looked like before:
Here is what Eddie looks like now:
I asked Eddie some questions about what changed for him, and here is our interview:
Q: Do you think people treat you differently now?
A: Yes. Most of the people around me are incredibly happy for me. A lot of people treat me differently. Many because of surface-y reasons. We live in a world where we treat people based on how they look on the outside as opposed to finding out who they truly are. Also because I have the powerful nutritional knowledge and the much-desired results... Some people treat me with a little anger. It appears they are projecting their fears onto me. We are brainwashed by a greedy, non-compassionate society who prefers money over people. They are very good with their propaganda and their money reaches far and deep. So most of the world, including me for my whole life until now, believe the lies and pays the price. And that helplessness is depressing.
Q: Do you feel like a different person or the same person with less weight on you?
A: I feel different. Without the fat to protect me I am more vulnerable. Forcing me to deal with the issues that got me to overeat in the first place. And numb myself from the world by eating. I know that food will never fill that kind of hole. So now I eat food consciously and it is much more delicious and it really fuels my body and my emotions. I am dealing with my reality and owning it... And it has made me a stronger person.
Q: What made you decide to lose weight?
A: Friends of mine were getting very sick and I was sick of feeling the way I was.
Q: How did you lose it?
A: I went to the Hippocrates Heath Institute in West Palm Beach, Fl. and got the education of a lifetime. Its all about nutrition and attitude. It's about taking control of your life and enjoying the ups and downs of the ride. If we don't take risks... We are flat-lining... And we might as well be dead.
I detoxed from all sugars for 90 days. I changed my diet to a plant-based diet where all of the food is alive and has all of the nutrients and enzymes and proteins I need. I now refuse to put toxins in my body... And it shows. My skin is amazing. My libido is through the roof. I exercise now. I also do a lot of energy work. I get craniosacral therapy, lymphatic drainage and visceral work and the results of those modalities get the blood and the organs in my body working in concert. My energy is better than it was 20 years ago. I am sharper and I feel so good. I wish everyone could feel the way I do. The problem is... There is so much to unlearn!
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So, as you can see, Eddie has changed in so many ways. For the next few weeks I will be highlighting people who have lost a lot of weight and talking to them about what else changes besides their size. Please join in the conversation!
Congrats on your success, Eddie!
For more by Irene Rubaum-Keller, click here.
For more on weight loss, click here.