A man who grew to 19 stone due to a love of fast food has given his body a complete overhaul after discovering he actually has a rare condition that turns sugar into alcohol.
Gregroy Cole, 58, became hooked on fast-food from a young age – regularly chomping his way through pizzas, burgers and chips.
However, as he grew older he found he was stuck in a cycle of losing weight only to regain it, eventually hitting 19 stone.
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In 1999, Cole suffered a slipped disc and was left in intense pain for a month before visiting a doctor, who told him he would need to lose weight if he wanted to get better.
Cole, from New Jersey in the US, threw himself into a diet and exercise regime, but started to feel tired and bloated as well as suffering from ‘brain fog’ and migraines.
Cole said: “I thought I was perhaps working out too much and was burning the candle at both ends.
“I had a good diet, but my energy level got worse and one day, I could barely drag myself out of bed.
“My skin turned grey, I had body aches, my rosacea worsened and I was catching colds on a frequent basis – my immunity was compromised.
“I went to my doctor, who told me my blood work was fine, but my vitamin D level was low.
“At the same time, my neighbour told me about the progress she made with her nutritionist, which is when I turned to them for help.”
He was told that he had auto-brewery syndrome – a rare condition where the body turns sugar into alcohol, making you feel drunk – so decided to cut all sugar from his diet.
He said: “I didn’t even eat any fruit – my diet consisted of green vegetables, fish, lamb and nuts.
“[After] a year, I returned to optimal health and the majority of my ailments disappeared.
“My energy returned, the brain fog, achiness and bloating went away and my rosacea was cured.
“For the first time since my teenage years, I felt ecstatic – almost reborn.”
After being given his diagnosis, Gregory has completely changed his diet – ditching the high-sugar junk food he used to go for in favour of lean protein and vegetables.
He’s also taken up bodybuilding and won the first competition he entered in 2018.
Cole hopes his story will inspire others, adding: “In the past, my body represented so many things – the state of my mental health, as well as my physical health.
“I remember the day I weighed myself and I was at my heaviest. I took pictures and said one day, I will have before and after pictures to show the world.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, as we are overweight and unhealthy for reasons beyond our control.
“This is a marathon, not a race and it’s important to educate yourself about the quality of the calories consumed.
“Once you cut out sugar, you will see your hunger pains disappear, trust me.
“If I can do it, you can do it.”
Topics: US News
Claire Reid