I am so fucking tired of people either asking me either directly to my face if I’m sick or dying, or even worse talking behind my back asking if I’m sick and dying – because I’ve decided to learn about food and nutrition – and been making healthier choices with my meals leading to net calorie reduction and therefore weight reduction.

I concede my face is more wrinkled then before as I’ve burned some fat. Skin doesn’t tighten up instantly as one looses weight, it has to be shed and regrown – and to a certain extent will never grow to be super tight again. I’m forty and wrinkles are just part of life, especially as a person who used to be a fair amount chubbier. My face and chest are much more angular without the thick layer of fat underneath. More importantly isn’t the visual fat that has disappeared but knowing the fat in my heart muscles and other organs are fading away, my cholesterol levels are excellent, my blood sugar is back in the normal range and my BMI is now slightly below 25 in the normal healthy range. I’ve changed, my body and mind has changed I’m not who I was in my twenties and thirties.

You know it would be terribly mean to ask every fat person on you see on the street, are you sick and dying? If you see somebody has put on some pounds during the holiday season, it would be cruel to call them out and say, sorry that you are sick and dying. The truth is though they are dying, killing their bodies and their minds through an unhealthy diet. Fat kills – not only do fat people get inferior health care – they’re literally poisoning every organ in their bodies. Excessive unrefined carbs, saturated fats, sugars not from whole fruits and salt will kill you just like cigarettes will. Maybe not today but certainly tomorrow.

By no means am I crash dieting, but instead using the best research I can find to discover healthy, filling meal options. I’m not afraid to consider vegan or vegetarian recipes and pair them with a healthy source of meat. Or any other recipe considering the pros and cons of the nutrition of each food and how it goes into the overall picture. I really try to avoid processed and prepared foods including refined (white) grains and added sugars.

I went to the doctor for a physical in late May. Based on their analysis my health is now excellent for a 40 year old. I might not be an athlete but my BMI has fallen to close to 25 at that point and probably is below now though I don’t own a scale. My cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels are excellent. I actually kind of celebrate my trimmer more angular and wrinkled face, often with a great big grin. And if you don’t like it too bad. I think if anything I’ve reduced my chances of dying and getting sick by my healthier lifestyle.

Do I still have some health concerns? Yes, I’m still trying to figure out what a sustainable diet looks like for the future. What luxuries can I afford while remaining healthy – like that occasional ice cream parlor, beer at camp or slice of locally farmed bacon or steak. I also have an issue at times with excessive urination though I think that’s more due to the higher quantity of wet vegetables and fruits in my diet. Eat a lot of zucchini and watermelon and you can expect to pee a lot. Lots of lentils and beans makes you gassy though that problem has been reduced as my gut tract adapted. And it’s clear that like most Americans I’m exposed to toxic chemicals every day, a fact I’m not in denial about, pretending to eat organic. I’m also in that age when health issues can pop up but just because I have a great big grin and my face has gotten wrinkled from weight loss doesn’t mean I’m dying.