I once weighed 200 pounds. Not that this is an incredible amount of body mass at 5′ 9″, but the muscle-to-fat ratio was unhealthily askew. And I looked like an egg.

But at the time I had bigger fish to fry – and too little of it to eat. I was unemployed, out of cash, and going through a divorce. Having just moved to “beautiful” Florida (don’t believe the brochures!!!), I had no friends or family to mooch off of – I mean, for support.

So the battle was waged; first for wages. I applied for jobs every day for three months. Bush was President and to compound that problem, his brother was governor, so employment was already becoming an elusive concept. But lo! The county dump was hiring. Sure, I was scraping dead alligators and coyotes off the road, but it kept me in gas money and rent for a one-room walk-up.

Next battle: food. For the better part of a year I lived off grapefruit, Ramen noodles, and coffee. The local grapefruit trees were bountiful in both pink and white varieties, and my neighbors didn’t mind me helping myself. Ramen noodles went for 7 cents a package at Walmart. I reused coffee grounds for a week, sprinkling a few fresh grounds on the old mush every day to give it a boost.

I lost 65 pounds.

If it wasn’t for the free county uniforms, I would have had to wear my now-baggy clothes all the time. Also, all my hair turned grey and started to fall out. I’m not sure if stress or diet caused that, but it was most likely both.

But the stress was relieved and the diet improved once I finally escaped my toxic marital relationship. My triglyceride and cholesterol levels were perfect for the first time in my life. My hair stayed grey but filled in nicely. I could finally afford new glasses and I got contacts instead. I regained 20 pounds (and kept it there) and I felt great!

High stress, low income – it works! Try it yourself and see!

Jim Lawter

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