Welcome to The Wellness Project Interview Series where I interview people that are now thriving after overcoming mental health challenges or obstacles in their lives.
This week I spoke with Daniel Reyes about his near-death experience and his lifelong struggle with his weight. Daniel discusses how he took his weight and his life into his own hands. Please read the inspirational interview below:
Can you tell us about your near-death experience?
This all happened back in June of 2017. For nearly a month I was pretty sick with what I thought was a cold. I was also gaining weight rapidly. My lips would turn blue from time to time and towards the end I lost my voice. After some convincing from my family, I decided to go to the hospital to get checked out. It ended up that I had blood clots in my lungs and right leg. I would later find out because of the strain on my heart I would go into heart failure.
Did you truly believe you were going to die?
Short answer: Yes. I ended up spending two months in the hospital. One month in, then out for a month, and then back in again for another month. During my first stay, I spent about 3 weeks in what’s called an “end of life” room. I was told that typically there’s a 20% chance of survival when you have a blood clot in your lungs and I had several clots.
How did it feel thinking you were going to die?
A few years before my ordeal, my mom died of breast cancer. I knew not every medical situation had a happy ending. Thinking you’re going to die is very isolating. No one else is experiencing it with you. Sure people are around but that’s different than going through it. It’s also weird in another way. At least for me, I found myself consoling others. That no matter what happened it would be okay. They needed my reassurance more than I needed theirs. It’s so strange looking back at it.
Did you realize you had any regrets or realized how you wanted to live your life?
Maybe the biggest change was that I realized I wanted to do things for myself and not others. I used to be much more of a pushover and a people pleaser. Sure there are those tendencies still, but not nearly what they used to be.
Did your near-death experience change you or your outlook on life?
I mean, how could it not? But going through it, I also found a feeling of peace. Maybe after going through something so bad, being delayed in traffic or getting the wrong coffee order didn’t seem like a big deal.
Can you tell us about your weight loss struggles?
My whole life my weight has been an issue. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t on a diet. Your weight becomes your identity. Maybe that’s why so many people struggle. Who are they once the weight is off?
How much did you weigh when you decided you wanted to lose weight?
I don’t know for sure. My scale topped out at 450lbs and it took me a while to get to level before I could really track results.
What made you want to lose weight?
The way I see it, I didn’t go through my whole situation just to eat junk food and watch movies. I wanted to live.
Do you have a goal weight?
Not really. According to the CDC, for my height, a healthy weight is 140lbs. I’m still way off that, but each day I get closer.
Did you try any other methods of losing weight before you found fasting?
I tried everything you could possibly think of, including looking into weight loss surgery.
What is fasting and how does it help someone lose weight?
Fasting is restricting yourself from food for a certain period of time. It’s pretty simple, you can’t gain weight if you don’t eat. But more than that, I’ve found it’s really changed my relationship with food. Sure I crave things from time to time, but once you can overcome the compulsion to eat you find the power to unlock success.
What is your fasting dice and how can they help someone that wants to lose weight?
Fasting Dice has been the secret to my success. Intermittent fasting is great but fasting with Fasting Dice is better. Most people are familiar with body confusion. Our bodies get used to our diets and workouts. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect results long-term. You have to change it up. Fasting Dice allows you to change up your fasting and eating windows as often as you like by rolling the dice.
Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for those that want to take control of their lives?
It’s going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. Especially in the beginning. There will be times you don’t see results and will want to quit. It’s in those moments that you sow your seeds for success. That’s when the real choice is made. When you keep going even though it’s the last thing you want to do. If you can power through that, you’ll reach your goals.
Thank you so much Daniel for being so open and transparent about your struggles and how you overcame them. I know your story will inspire those that want to take control of their weight and their life.
Where to find Daniel:
If you loved this interview…
and found it to be inspiring, you will also love listening to my podcast where I interview people that have overcome their mental health struggles as well as professionals in the field of mental health.
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