Big Change The Film Podcast

This week’s guest is Daniel Shuman who has lost 171lbs. After the birth of his second child Daniel realized that he needed to change his lifestyle for the future of his family. After being asked to get off a ride at Universal Studios, Daniel decided that he was going to turn things around. He says that he is now able to do a lot more with his kids and is also more present. We have a great conversation about his journey and I hope that you enjoy!

This week’s guest is Jennifer Niles who lives on the island of Tonga. Jennifer tells me that her weight gain started for her in the third grade and by the time she was in here early twenties 95% of her caloric intake consisted of junk food and alcohol. She also told me that she simply didn’t feel comfortable in her own body. She later found yoga, healthier eating, and has now lost over 100lbs. She tells me about how she did it all (including designing the life she always wanted living on an island). We have a great conversation and thanks for tuning in!    

This weeks guests are Tim & Heather Kaufman who live in Alden, New York. At his worst Tim was on the maximum dose of Fentanyl, 15 pills a day, drank a liter of vodka a day, and could hardly get up the stairs. Tim has lost over 200lbs, Heather has lost over 85lbs, and they now have a life together that they could have never imagined. 

This week’s guest is Amy Johnson who lives in Frisco, TX. Amy told me that previously she was addicted to fast food and her busy life was an excuse for eating poorly. In her 40's she developed type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, was taking medication 3 times a day, and even walked with a limp. One day she decided to watch Forks Over Knives, changed her diet, was able to get off all of her medications, and says she feels younger than ever. We have a great conversation and thanks for tuning in!

This week’s guest is Marc Ramirez. Mark told me that he had been a big guy all of his life. After getting out of college he began to put on weight and eventually ended up on medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Nearly everyone in his family battled diabetes, including his mother for 33 years. His doctor actually told him that he would be giving himself injections for the rest of his life. Marc has since gotten off all of his medications, has lost 50lbs, and is feeling better than ever. We have a great conversation and thanks for tuning in.

This week’s guest is Alishea Basson. Alishea tells me that by the age of 6 she was already 80lbs. After the birth of her 4 children she says that her weight skyrocketed and started to affect her quality of life. Her turning point came after one night where she ate 7 biscuits, 7 pieces of fried chicken, and a pint of Ben & Jerrys ice cream. She now says that every meal is a choice, every meal is an opportunity for a healthy choice. Before she describes herself as a couch potato, now she runs 10 miles 4 days a week, and has lost 105lbs. We have a great conversation and thanks for tuning in.

This week’s guest is Doug Schmidt who lives in Rochester, NY. Doug was previously a bit of a foodie and talks about how he would eat wheels of brie as an appetizer. Doug ended up having a heart attack, blockage in his widow maker, and told me that only 10% of people with this heart attack survive. He has since completely changed his diet, lost 60lbs, ran his first marathon of his life, and was even recently named PETA’s sexiest vegan male over 50. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy. Thanks so much for tuning in.

This week’s guest is Angela De-Jesus who lives in Weatherford, Texas. Angela told me that she was chubby as a kid and early on food became a drug for her. She told me that would eat until she was sickly full and felt hopeless. At her biggest, she weighted 665lbs, had diabetes, high blood pressure, and a host of other ailments. During her journey she actually ended up on the Dr. Phil show for 2 years, lost a ton of weight, and later gained it all back. She has since lost 300lbs and says that life is better than ever! Thanks so much for tuning in and I hope that you enjoy our conversation.

This week’s guest is Joseph Alexander who lives in Rochester, Minnesota. Joseph told me that he was super skinny as a kid and started putting on weight as a teenager. At his highest, Joseph weighted as much as 394lbs and told me that he would often times find himself swimming in the Chinese buffet. He struggled with his weight for decades and eventually was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He recently decided to put himself first and that health was the most important thing in his life. He has since lost 152lbs, off his medications, and is feeling better than ever. Thanks for tuning in and I hope that you enjoy our conversation.

This week’s guest is Sarah Goodenough who lives in Rochester, New York. Sarah told me that in high school she struggled with anorexia and later with binge eating. At the age of 22 she was diagnosed with fatty liver disease, she also told me that she struggled with high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. Since then she has been able to shed 160lbs, completely change her health around, and now says her mission in life is to “make as many people as possible healthy.” We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Ronald Tibbs. He told me that he grew up on meat, comfort foods, and sugar-laden desserts. By the time he was 31 he was already on high blood pressure meds, failed a life insurance physical at 40, and eventually found out that he had stage 3 liver disease with no known cure. After watching Forks Over Knives he completely changed his diet, has lost over 65lbs, and is feeling better than ever. We have a great conversation and thanks for watching. 

This weeks guest is Mike Meltzer who lives in Los Angeles. Mike told me that he was heavy as a kid and grew up being teased about his weight. As an adult he became as he calls it, a “junk food vegan”, his weight got above 300lbs, and he became a type two diabetic. Eight years ago he decided to change to a Whole Foods plant based diet, dropped his A1C from 8 to just 4.1, and says that his weight hasn’t been this low since he was 12 years old. He has lost 153lbs and is now feeling better than ever. We have a great conversation about his journey and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Kate McGoey-Smith from Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Kate earlier in life was 120lbs heavier, she had type two diabetes, heart disease, was legally blind, was on a lung transplant list, and was a list of medications that would fill up a full page. She watched Forks over Knives, taught herself to cook while she was still blind, She has since lost 120lbs, restored her eyesight, and restored so much more of her health. We have a great conversation about her incredible story and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Anna Bolla. Anna tells me that she was obese by the time she was 5 years old, started dieting at 8, and was over 160lbs by the time she was in the 6th grade. She says that most people in her family were overweight and she thought to herself, “this is just the way that it is going to be.” Just a few years ago she watched Forks over Knives, read The China Study, and decided to choose a healthier (and more compassionate) way of living. She has lost over 55lbs, now enjoys running, lifting weights, and now weights less than she did in the 8th grade. We have a great conversation about her journey and thanks so much for watching.

This weeks guest is Ben Rayland who lives in Syracuse, NY. Ben is a full time strength coach who has lost almost 90lbs in the last several years. Before he had lost the weight, Ben says that he would eat a whole bag of Doritos, whole pizzas, whole cheesecakes, and often times would take in upwards of 8000 calories in a single day. Ben had a wake up call after going to his doctor and getting back shocking bloodwork. He decided to completely change his diet and is now healthier, and stronger than ever. We have a great conversation about his journey, whats is like being a plant based powerlifter, raising 4 children in a plant based household, and so much more. Thanks so much for tuning in and I hope that you enjoy.

This weeks guest is Ben Hokanson who lives in Zimmerman, Minnesota. Not long ago Ben was 90lbs heavier, would sweat just playing his Xbox, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and says he was headed to heart attack land. He told me that he didn’t like the way he felt, he hated how he looked, and got sick of being heavy. Ben decided that he had enough, downloaded Myfitness Pal app, and life has never been the same since. He is now a competitive Ironman athlete and we have a great conversation about his journey. Thanks so much for watching!

This weeks guest is Joey DiMaggio who lives in Three Oaks, Michigan. He struggled with his weight for most of his life and at the age of 36 his doctor told him that he was going to have a heart attack. This concerned him as he told me that he had watched every man in his family suffer heart attacks, strokes, and invasive surgeries. He told me that he used to eat terribly and an example of that, was that he would eat his cheeseburger while using two grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun. Joey ended up watching Forks Over Knives, cleared out his fridge, completely changed the way he was eating, and says that he woke up for the first time and felt like he could breathe. Since then he has lost 100lbs and basically reversed his developing heart disease. One thing that Joey said which I love was this, “If you live to eat and love food more than you love yourself, or your family, or your kids, you are going to eat yourself to death… I don’t miss feeling the way I used to feel, I don’t miss looking the way I used to look, nothing tastes as good as being healthy.” Thanks so much for listening and I hope that you enjoy our conversation! 

This weeks guest is Scott Putnam who lives in Dubuque, Iowa. Scott had always carried some extra weight but thought of him self as pretty healthy compared to those who were much heavier than him. In his 40s Scott received a bit of wake-up call when his doctor told him that if he didn’t do something about his reckless eating that he was on the verge of going on meds, was on his way to pre-diabetes, as well as other medical complications. He also says that at this same time he was always tired, had sleep issues, and high cholesterol. He decided that had to make a change, has lost 65lbs, is now a marathoner, and feels better than ever. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy.

This weeks guests are Pam & Chad Dalton who currently live in Northwest Arkansas and combined as a couple have lost 150lbs. They both grew up in South Louisiana and say that they grew up eating cheap, greasy, and often times friend food. Pam that she was a bit of a “ closet cheese addict” and Chad told me that high blood pressure and heart disease runs in his family. They realized that they simply weren’t being as present as they could be with their kids and simply didn’t have the need to participate. Over the last few years they have totally changed their health, their activity levels, as well as how present they now are with each other and the kids. One of my favorite things that they said was about being an example to their kids, “If you live the right way, and eat the right things, life can have more essence to it than just existing.” We have a fantastic conversation that I hope you enjoy and thanks so much for tuning in.

This weeks guest is Eric O’Grey. At the age of 51 Eric was 340lbs, wore a size 4XL, and was on 15 medications. His doctor said that if he didn’t do something he would need to purchase a cemetery plot because he would likely need one within the next 5 years. Eric decided to turn his health around, he has since lost 160lbs, is a best-selling author, and feels better than ever. We have a great conversation and thanks for watching.

This weeks guest is Philip Parker who lives in California. Phillip weighed in at 380lbs at his highest, struggled with Gerd, cholesterol, cramps, and all of the other things you would expect being 380lbs. After many years Philip realized that he had a food addiction and decided to approach it in the same way that others with addiction would, head on. We talk about the mechanisms he uses to create boundaries with the foods which trigger his addiction and his 160lb weight loss journey. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Karen Hauserman. Karen tells that for most of her life she was overweight and remembers being teased by all of the other kids in school. Once she was an adult she told me that she put her energy into improving her career and raising three kids rather than taking care of her own health. In late 2010 she had a heart attack and realized that she was a ticking time bomb. At the beginning of 2011 she decided that was was going to turn her health around, she has since lost 268lbs, and told me that she feels like she has reversed the aging process. We have a great conversation about her amazing journey and thanks so much for watching.

This weeks guest is Josh Turner who lives in Thibodaux, Louisiana. At the age of 10 Josh found out that he had type 1 diabetes and says that it began to take over his life. He struggled with his health and weight until recently, and even talks about the time where he almost died twice within one week as a result of his diabetes. In recent years he has taken back his health, been able to manage his diabetes with his diet, and lost 97lbs as well. His message for all diabetics out there is, “don’t give up on yourself.” We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Crystal Zahorski who lives in Washington state. Crystal was diagnosed at the age of 25 with hereditary high cholesterol. She was told that she would need to go on statins as soon as she was done having kids, and would be on them for the rest of her life. She struggled with food addiction, says that previously she would diet all day and eat a half of tub of ice cream at night. Since then she has lost 25lbs, has been able to successfully manage her cholesterol with her diet for years now, and told me that at the age of 39 she feels better than she did in her 20s. We have a great conversation and I hope that you! Reach out to Crystal though her FB page at https://www.facebook.com/CrystalZUnpolished/

Just a quick video to say thanks for watching over the last year and a few things to come for 2018. Feel free to email me and I hope that your year is off to a great start!

This weeks guest is Matt Buckner who lives in Florida. Just 4 years ago Matt was in terrible shape, was on 4 different medications for various ailments, and told me that his goal was just to make it from the bed to the couch each day because he says he was was always exhausted. Since then he has lost 100lbs, is now an avid runner, and says he is an “Instant Pot junkie.” We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy! 

  This weeks guest is Paul Chatlin who lives in the Detroit area. At 56 years old Paul found himself with one artery 100% blocked, 2 others 65% blocked and headed for bypass surgery. Right before going into surgery his doctor asked him if he would be interested in trying a different approach, and choosing to change what he ate rather than going under the knife. Paul decided to change what he was eating, and switched to a Whole Foods plant based diet. He was able to forgo surgery, he is now healthier than ever, and made a promise to spread that message to others, which he now does with www.pbnsg.org and through their small groups in the Detroit area. They have over 4000+ strong  might be the largest plant based support and outreach program in the country. We have a fantastic conversation and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Jim Balla who lives in the Detroit area. Jim told me that when he was a kid he wore “husky clothes” and graduated high school at 300lbs. As an adult Jim had type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, lots of intestinal issues, and says that he was in terrible shape. He decided to give a plant based diet a try and says that he was able to do in 4 days what his doctor couldn’t do in 5 years. He is now off his diabetic and high blood pressure meds, and has lost 164lbs. He told me that he previously wasn’t in control of his life and one thing he told me which I love is this, “life is a joy, I feel alive, I feel like I have my life back.” We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest is Jeff Mayer who lives in South Florida. Jeff realized several years ago that a life overhaul was in order after he gained 40lbs following a injury. He told me that he was motivated by wanting to be able to keep up with his 8 year old son who seemed to have endless energy. One thing that Jeff told me that I love is this, “You don’t have to accept your fate as you get older. You can do something about it, you can change.” We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy.

This weeks guest is Jennifer Peli who lives in England. Jennifer told me that she went on her first diet at the age of 18 and she thought she would never be thin. She suffered from IBS from age 10 all the way up to the age of 67. Jennifer somewhat accidentally lost 67lbs as she changed her diet to try and save her husbands life after he had a heart attack. She is feeling better than ever now at the age of 69, has taken up running, and her husbands health is better than it has been in years. We have a wonderful conversation and thanks for listening.

This weeks guest is Marilyn Plaskiewicz who lives in Connecticut. Marilyn told me that she was always chubby and that growing up her family always wanted her to eat. She struggled with her weight for most of her life and told me that she had aches and pains that prevented her from living a good life. She decided one day that she was worth it and to put herself first. She has since lost 140lbs and says that she is physically, mentally, and spiritually where she is supposed to be. One thing that Marilyn told me which stuck with me was this, “Being healthy is hard, being overweight is hard. Choose your hard.”

This weeks guest is Alexis Fox who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Alexis grew up eating a Standard American Diet. She told me that as she began to care more for the environment and animals, it changed the foods she put in her body. Over several years she lost 45lbs and said that at the age of 36 she is thinner than she was in her 20s. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy!

This weeks guest Marc Blancette who lives in Ellsworth, Maine. At the age of 56, Marc was 339lbs. He has since lost 184lbs, feels like he is in his 20s, has biked across the state of Maine 3 times, and discovered a whole new life along with this weight loss. One thing Marc told me which I love is this, “don’t look at it as a way to lose pounds, you are gaining your health. Your family needs you, your grandchildren need you.” I hope that you enjoy our conversation and thanks so much for listening.

This weeks guest Paul Blackwell who lives in SE Pennsylvania. Paul said that he was always skinny and was even called “sting bean” when he was younger. He discovered however at the age of 33 that despite looking fit, he had 90% blockage in his heart, and had to have 5 stents put in. Within the last year he was told that he was going to need to have bypass surgery and while he was being prepped for surgery he thought to himself, “there has got to be a different way.” Since then he has adopted a Whole Foods Plant Based diet, is feeling better than ever, and has also lost 40lbs in the whole process. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy it!

This weeks guest is Jeff who lives near Ann Arbor. At his largest Jeff was almost 350lbs, had difficulty walking, could not longer go up stairs, and says that he would often have to take the motorized shopping cart at the grocery store. After a bit of a medical scare Jeff decided to take his health seriously, has lost 130lbs, able to get off of all of his medications, and he feels like he has gotten his life back.

This weeks guest is Rich Hubbard who lives in NW Connecticut. Rich says that he used to eat fast food every day, would binge on ice cream, and says that he thought he was destined for a life of obesity, meds, and diabetes. He has since then lost 150lbs, developed a passion for a healthy lifestyle, and looks forward to staying active well into his later years. We have a great conversation about his journey, extra skin, and much more. I hope that you enjoy it and thanks for listening

This weeks guest is Mike Gregorio who lives in New Jersey. Mike weighed 440lbs at his highest and says that he struggled with obesity for 25 years. He said that at some point he said to him self, this is not the way to live… I am missing out on life. He has since lost 155lbs and has a new lease on life. Thanks so much for watching and I hope that you enjoy our conversation!

This weeks guest is Rick Gloo. Rick says that he was a competitive eater starting in high school and started really packing on the pounds in high school. In college and beyond Rick developed a bit of a drinking habit, was overweight, and realized he simply was not living to his full potential. Through his dietary changes, meditation, and running he has been able to reach his potential and loose 90lbs in the process. I actually had the chance to connect with Rick in person this past weekend at Plantstock. When we saw each other he was on his 364th day of consecutive running and he has since completed a full year of running every day. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy it!

This weeks guest is Mary Chavarria who lives in Tucson, Arizona. Mary says that in her childhood she was constantly surrounded by snacks and sweets, and that her mother even had a tub of ice cream for each child so that they wouldn’t fight over it. She was the biggest kid in her high school and says that she was constantly bullied. At her largest, she was over 400lbs, and has since lost 230lbs. She said, “I thought I would never feel normal, I’ve been overweight and obese my entire life.” She now walks 4 miles ever day and attributes it all to gratitude. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy it.

This weeks guest is Josh Byrd who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. Josh was overweight for most of his life and at the age of 4 weighted 90lbs. At his heaviest he was 420lbs, says that he struggled at movie theaters, restaurants, and even putting on his socks. In his 20s he was hypertensive, had high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and had to wear waist high compression nylon stockings. He says that he didn’t want his own daughter to be the 90lb kindergartner, has since lost 210lbs, and is now an aspiring ultra endurance athlete. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy it.

This weeks guest is Bob Blackburn who lives in Virginia Beach. He was a former Marine, professional wrestler, and and said that his previous training was “at the buffet.” Bob at his highest weighted 340lbs and at the age of 53 was diagnosed with diabetes. He said to himself, “I am not dying from this, I am not choosing this way.” Since then he has been able to beat the diabetes and loose 114lbs. Thanks for watching and enjoy!

This weeks guests are Jeannette Rainbow-Galvin & Gary Rainbow. Gary is Jeannette’s father and combined they have lost 140lbs. Gary had a triple bypass at the age of 39, angioplasty at 43, a, stroke at the age of 51, and Jeannette was told that she would have colon cancer by the age of 45. Jeannette says that for her dad it was “do or die” and they both decided to change their diet and have both completely turned their health around. We have a wonderful conversation and I hope that you enjoy it.

  This weeks guest is Jessica Oropesa from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jessica says that she was overweight for much of her life and at her highest was 257lbs. She says that she felt invisible, completely unworthy, completely undesirable, and extremely lonely. She says that she woke up one day and said to herself, “I’m not going to be miserable today, I am not going to be miserable anymore.” We have a honest conversation about how she was treated when she was bigger, depression, and her incredible journey to loosing 100lbs. Here is our conversation and thanks for watching!

Today's guest is Shelley Crockett from Burlington Ontario Canada. Shelley says that she has been overweight most of her life and went on her first diet at the age of 12. At her biggest she was 317lbs, pre-diabetic, and realized that she needed to do something to turn things around. She has since lost 75lbs and we have a great conversation.

This weeks guest is Teresa Cassle from Charleston West Virginia. Teresa says that her health started to tank in her 20s, she developed Hashimoto’s Disease at 28, had to have her gallbladder removed, fatty liver disease, as well as diabetes. Since then she has been able to lose 70lbs, regain her health, and says that she is in the best shape of her life. Here is our conversation and I hope that you enjoy.

This weeks guest is Michelle Richardson who lives in Duluth, Georgia. Michelle says that her weight had fluctuated over the years and at her highest she was 278lbs. She found out that she was pre-diabetic and simply said that she refused to have diabetes, high blood pressure, and realized that it was something that she could control. She now rides bikes, hula hoops, skates, runs, and is now getting ready for her first marathon later this year. Her total weight loss is now up to 115lbs and I hope that you enjoy our conversation.

This weeks guest is Matt White who lives in Randolph, New Jersey. Matt says that he grew up obese. Had to buy adult clothing as a child, and said that for him it had “become the norm.” In his family he had obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and believed that it was, as he said it, "the book that was written for me, it is my destiny.” His life change when had a wake up call, one of his arteries leading to his heart was 99% blocked, and he realized that his lifestyle could effect actually seeing his children grow. Now he has lost 100lbs, his children can put their arms around him, and he is now an ultra-marathoner. We have a great conversation and I hope that you enjoy it!  

This weeks guest is Jim Fisher who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jim was overweight growing up, says that everyone in his family was overweight, by the 3rd grade he weighted a 100lbs, and at his biggest was 350lbs. He said, “I thought I would spend my whole life fat…. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would always be that guy that would be huge…. I didn’t think there was anything I could do about it.” Through a series of unfortunate circumstances Jim decided to take his life back, has lost 187lbs, and is now an ultra endurance runner preparing for his first 100 mile race. We have an awesome conversation and I hope that you enjoy it

This weeks guest is Nick Wo from Phoenix, Arizona. At the age of 31 Nick was 407lbs, had high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, acid indigestion, severe lower back pain, struggled with depression, and said he has basically given up. Both his father and uncle died at the age of 45 from health related illnesses and believed that he would also die by the age of 45. In the last 10 months he has lost 125lbs and we have a great conversation about his journey. Connect with Nick at www.facebook.com/nick.wo

This weeks guest is Jason Singer from York, Pennsylvania who had a top weight of 373lbs. He was smaller as a kid and says that after getting off of Ritalin after using it for 13 years, he became a food addict. He ate lots of tasty cakes, donuts, and pop tarts, and we even talk about the day that he ate 15 hot dogs. At 23 years old he was having chest pains and at 27 was told that he needed to be on blood pressure medicine. He now is 193lbs lighter and has a new life. 

This weeks guest is Yona Klein from New York who has lost 180lbs. Yona says that his diet consisted of pizza, cookies, donuts, and whatever else he could get his hands on. He struggled with sleep apnea, migraines, hypertension, high cholesterol, and was also pre-diabetic. He has a whole new life now and I hope that you enjoy our conversation