A man in Durham, North Carolina has turned his life around after receiving serious medical news.
According to a report by SWNS, 55-year-old Derek Barnett was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 10 years ago.
At her heaviest, Barnett weighed 240 pounds and was a size 38.
Can’t stop thinking about your next meal? It’s called food noise, here’s what to do
Barnett, a construction worker who is currently unemployed due to health problems, downplayed his diagnosis, telling SWNS that he “thought nothing of it.”
“Everyone has a type of thing,” he said.
At her heaviest, Barnett weighed 240 pounds and was a size 38. (SWNS)
But the man’s condition worsened, progressing to cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma, also known as liver cancer.
In January 2024, Barnett received a letter from his doctor with some bad news – if the cancer continued to progress he would likely only have six months to live.
“When they gave me that letter last year, it became real,” he reflected.
This popular diet plan may slow hair growth, study suggests
“That note said, ‘If the cancer becomes aggressive, you have six months to live.’ I saved it, watched it every day and it beat me.”
Barnett’s doctors informed him that the best way to regain his health would be to lose weight – and he knew it was time to get motivated and act.
“I played college baseball, tennis and football in the ’80s, but as I got older, I gained weight,” Barnett said. (SWNS)
“I was like, ‘Okay, we can do this,'” he told SWNS. “I’m a fruit lover. I originally had a primarily fruit diet.”
Barnett began limiting her diet to “very small meals” throughout the day, which included lots of her favorite fruits.
“It’s about eating right, staying active and never giving up.”
“I can eat a whole watermelon a day, but I also eat apples, oranges and grapes – whatever the season,” he said.
‘Yo-yo’ weight loss due to this shocking reason
“I also take protein shakes. I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat much meat because it fills me up.”
Barnett recently reached a record-low weight of 164 pounds. She reported that by following this diet she lost weight and her “scores look great.”
Barnett explained that she “feels fantastic, and I’m just getting started.” (SWNS)
“I haven’t weighed it since I was probably 15,” he said.
Barnett said he still has work to do to tone his muscles “to make up for the skin loss”, but he continues to make progress.
“My clothes are a little big and baggy, and it’s hard to buy clothes when you lose weight so quickly, but I feel great,” she said.
Is it a good idea to eat once a day? Experts share different opinions on ‘Omad diet’
Despite his physical limitations, Barnett has kept his weight off by staying active.
“I have osteoarthritis in my right knee and need a knee replacement,” he revealed. “I can’t jog or climb stairs, but I do what I can.”
Barnett managed to lose over 70 pounds through a fruit and protein shake diet and consistent exercise. (SWNS)
She explained that her workouts usually involve sitting on chairs and “using small dumbbells.”
For more health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“I do it without stopping, but without hurting myself,” he said. “Losing weight is just [about] Staying active, finding anything you possibly can to get off the couch.”
Click here to sign up for our health newsletter
Barnett told SWNS that he will find out the status of his prognosis in February, and he hopes to inspire others with his successful weight loss journey.
“I definitely don’t want cancer anymore,” he said. “I don’t want a liver transplant. I want to live an active lifestyle.” (SWNS)
He said, “If I can do it anyone can do it.” “I’ve done everything the doctors told me to do. It’s about eating right, staying active and never giving up.”
“I was 55 and going on 90,” he added. “Now I’m 55, going back 20 years.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
According to SWNS, Barnett hopes to return to work and live a “full, active life.”
“I want to ring a bell the next time I see my doctors and tell them I did it,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
