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Losing Weight—from the Inside Out
To change the way you look, you first have to change the way you see.
By Dr. Nick Yphantides
 1 of 3
Five years. That's how long it's been since the day I straddled two medical-quality scales and discovered the monumental 467-pound challenge that lay ahead of me. Five years ago I turned my very existence in a completely new direction as I began my journey as a Health Steward.
I'd been living a life of profound hypocrisy. My personal health and public career as a physician didn't jibe. Daily I gave medical advice while constantly having to qualify my own overweight, out-of-shape body with the words "Do as I say, not as I do."
It's not that I didn't recognize that I was severely overweight—there were daily reminders. A 60-inch waist makes for a very limited wardrobe. I couldn't fit into an airplane seat, wear shorts, or climb a flight of stairs without becoming winded. I dreaded going to an unfamiliar restaurant, worrying I might not fit into the booth or chairs. I needed to make a change, but I kept making excuses and rationalizing the error of my ways. Until a bout with testicular cancer forced me to deal with the consequences of my poor health decisions.
Though the cancer was unrelated to my excess weight, it caused me to confront head-on my own mortality for the first time in my life. As a result, I suddenly saw my physical health as a God-given gift over which I was obliged to demonstrate good stewardship. When I recovered from the cancer, I decided I could no longer go on killing myself with an avalanche of calories and a lack of physical activity.
So in 2001 I stepped off the scales, took God's hand, and asked Him to lead the way. After much prayer, I decided to take an unconventional approach—I'd combine doing something good for my health (diet and exercise) with something I loved (baseball). It would be my "radical sabbatical."
Over the course of the next year, I traveled over 38,000 miles in an old RV, visiting every state in the continental U.S.A. and every Major League ballpark. I enjoyed over 110 games, but rather than feasting on junk foods, I stuck to an aggressive, medically supervised meal plan of about 600 calories a day. Through that diet, coupled with daily exercise, I lost 270 pounds.
Today, exercise and healthy eating are a major part of my life. I'm enjoying focusing on my personal fitness and am encouraged by the slow but steady improvement in my body's shape and composition. Whatever pleasure I lost from overeating has been replaced many times over by the blessings and opportunities that result from my transformation. The old saying really is true: "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels."
In my book, My Big Fat Greek Diet, I chronicle my journey and share some key lessons God taught me. The concept of Health Stewardship is simple, yet profound. As a physician, I believe most of us already know what we should do. What we need is the meaningful support, encouragement, and inspiration to do it. It's my hope and prayer that the following three pillars will start you on the path to doing what you already know is necessary.
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