ANYONE who has ever gone through a weight loss journey knows that it is not for the fainthearted – it is gruelling. The most common advice when it comes to weight loss is “eat less, move more”, but that is just some BS which some reputable medical practitioners like Dr Ken Berry have been trying to make people understand. Today, I’d like to speak to someone who is struggling to lose weight despite joining a gym because sometimes, they miss sessions due to having a cold or maybe, they choose to attend to a money-making deal rather than going to the gym and this affects their consistency. I’d also like to talk to someone who is very consistent in the gym but they can’t seem to lose their belly fat or maybe that person who is constantly getting injuries. I have some good news for you – you actually don’t NEED any exercise to lose weight. All you need to do is adjust your chewing habits.

As I write this article, I am reminded of a 56-year-old man from Alaska, Bill Nott, who was bed ridden for four years because he had become too obese to do anything. In those four years, his only contact with the outside world was by peaking through a tiny window in his small apartment. At his heaviest, he was over 700 pounds (over 318kgs). Now, you must be wondering, how did he get that big? Well, six months ago, he decided to share his story as he was about to start eating a carnivore diet (meat only diet, zero carbs) and here is a summary:

In his teens, Bill had gained a lot of weight (300 pounds) but managed to lose it and went back to his ideal weight by the time he was in his 20s. He could go mountain hiking, fishing, having some adventure on the ocean etc. In his mid 30s to 40s, however, he started gaining weight again. He used to be a professional musician and chef; he used to cook during the day and then play music at special events at night and during those years, he admits that he became a heavy drinker; he’d drink till he blacked out and was unable to remember anything. But after a long battle, he finally quit drinking in his late 40s.

Bill kept packing on the weight until he was unable to work anymore; at 600 pounds (272kgs) – he could not work long shifts or stay on his feet for too long. Once he quit work, the weight gain accelerated and he started going into deep depression states – being unable to do the things he loved messed with his head. His weight increased until he was unable to fit into a car or go outside and for four years, he was confined to a bed. His brothers have been taking care of all his needs and he ballooned to over 700 pounds! His brothers had to put a toilet a few feet from his bed and his biggest fear was falling down while going to the toilet because if he fell, he knew it would be game over. He also has a heart condition; continuous atrial fibrillation, which means his heart has an abnormal rhythm.

He said he had tried some diets in the past but he would always end up relapsing and falling back on carb-heavy foods until he literally felt his body starting to give up on him.

“Recently, my body is telling me that I can feel changes that are not good. When your body is close to giving up and dying, it lets you know, or it has been letting me know. So, I have been praying to God that please give me some strength. Being this big, I have started diets, I have tried them over and over again through the years and some worked better than others. The best one I had was the low carb, I found a guy called Dr [Eric] Berg and I did 50 carbs per day and the rest was meat and high fat. It worked for me for a while, I lost a bunch of weight and I was able to get up and walk 20, 30 feet as opposed to five or six feet. I was feeling the best I have ever felt in a long time but those carbs, even low carb doesn’t work for me long term. Those carbs and sugars are poison, you can’t do poison in moderation, it doesn’t work,” Bill said in his video six months ago.

“So, I have been praying, the closer I feel to death, I have been praying that God please, because of my thick headedness and stubbornness, and great weakness for food, especially cakes and sugars, pies and ice cream and chips…I was praying to God that please, I need to be hit upside the head with something big that will give me strength to make this change that I need to make.”

While browsing on YouTube one day, Bill, who is 56-years-old, came across a channel called HomeSteadHow where a guy called Kerry had been sharing how he got rid of several conditions like depression and arthritis while eating only meat for 90 days and it caught his attention. Something in him made him feel like the carnivore diet was his last shot – so he left a long comment on Kerry’s video and the two got connected. Long story short, Bill has in the last six months lost over 90 kgs and he has improved mobility by eating only meat and animal products. It hasn’t been all rosy, though, because about two months into the diet, he started experiencing some numbness on one side of his body, which, after a lot of examination by the doctors, turned out to be caused by some toxins which had been locked up in his fat for years. He has now found remedies for managing the pain and he is pushing on with the carnivore diet. He looks happier, leaner, full of hope and keeps sharing his story on his platform in order to inspire other people to take that step towards healing.

What I love the most about Bill’s story is that he has a high level of self-awareness and he was able to identify that for him, cutting out carbs completely was the only way to achieve consistency and discipline in his weight loss journey. While some people are quite good at moderation, others need to acknowledge that eating a tiny piece of cake will eventually lead them to eating two big slices at a go. While some people manage to eat only a kama small lump of nshima, others can’t help but go back for seconds and thirds if the relish is hitting. The best thing to do for such people is to avoid such triggering foods altogether in order to sustainably lose weight. Zero carb is arguably the fastest, most efficient way to naturally lose weight, you literally turn your body into a fat burning machine such even while you sleep, your body is burning fat. But not everyone has the mental fortitude to commit to it, so I think knowing what works for you is the key – find it, stick to it and watch that excess fat melt away. If it is not working, tweak things around until you find something which works.

Another thing I love about Bill’s story is that it showcases the power of having a supportive community. From his brothers taking care of his day to day needs to his virtual friends keeping him accountable, it is the right formula for success and it should not be underestimated. Of course, it is possible to lose weight without any support, but it is always better when you have someone checking in on you from time to time, even virtually. At this point, I have so many virtual friends who keep me inspired and motivated to keep pushing until I get my dream body. Even when I stumble sometimes, I always have someone inspiring me to get back up and keep it moving.

Finally, Bill’s story shows that you don’t need an expensive gym membership to lose weight. You also don’t need to buy those scams called slimming tea to drop some kilos. At Bill’s heaviest, how the hell could he manage to do some jumping jacks or burpees? It’s impossible. So, if you feel you are too heavy to jump, listen to yourself. Don’t let no one tell you that you can only lose weight if you go to the gym. It is actually scientifically proven now that exercise doesn’t really have a huge bearing on weight loss. As you lose weight, you will actually start craving more movement, trust me. At this point in my journey, I crave movement so I have added in some exercise because my body can handle it. All you need to lose weight is to unlearn some bad eating habits and learn some new ones – turn your body into a fat burning machine. Small changes everyday add up to a massive transformation over time. Keep going.

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