I was generally thin until about 32 years of age. I gained about 30 pounds (13.5 kg) seemingly overnight. At 34, I began having labored breathing and was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. This disease caused significant scarring over a large area of my lungs. I began the standard treatment, which consisted of a biopsy and steroids.

20 pounds (9 kg) and three years later, I had lunch with some friends at work. We went to an All-U-Can-Eat buffet. That was my turning point. My life changed when the button on my last comfortable pair of pants snapped and the zipper broke. I was literally busting out at the seams. I didn't even have a belt to hold my pants up! I think I might have tried stapling them. To conceal my dilemma I decided to remain seated behind my desk for the remainder of the day. As fate would have it there was a fire in the building and everyone had to evacuate. I was exposed. It was funny, embarrassing and deadly serious all at the same time.

That was the day I decided that I had to change. After changing into a pair of stretchy sweat pants I went to the bookstore to find some answers. I stumbled upon Eat For Health. It made perfect sense to me.

It was six months later and I was 60 pounds (27 kg) lighter. My wife brought to my attention a lump in my neck. The lump had been there for years, but without all my fat obscuring it, it was now readily visible. Rather than sarcoidosis, it turned out I had a massive thyroid cyst blocking my windpipe. The doctors decided that it needed to come out.

A couple of days prior to surgery I was given an MRI. They immediately noticed that I had no traces of the sarcoidosis. It had completely cleared up.

As soon as the surgeon attempted to cut the cyst it burst, and I went into anaphylactic shock. They had quite a time resuscitating me, but I survived! The fact is that, had I not adopted the Nutritarian lifestyle, the cyst would have remained obscured and would have shortly burst.

I am now 46 years old, run about 20 miles (32 km) a week, and have unbelievable stamina. My systolic blood pressure went from 140 to 108 and my current LDL cholesterol level is 40 (1.03). I feel great, look 10 years younger than I did two years ago and take no medications.

Robert P.