A man from Durham, North Carolina, has turned his life around after receiving bad health news.
Derek Barnett, 55, was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 10 years ago, according to a SWNS report.
At his heaviest, Barnett weighed 240 pounds and was a size 38.
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Barnett, a builder who is currently out of work due to health issues, dismissed the diagnosis, telling SWNS that he had “nothing to think about.”
“Everybody has a type of thing,” he said.
At his 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 was given a letter from his doctor that contained bad news – he probably only had six months to live if the cancer continued to grow.
“When he gave me that letter last year, it became real,” he reflected.
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“That paper said, 'If the cancer is advanced, you have six months to live.' I kept it, watched it every day, and it blew me away.”
Barnett's doctors informed her that the best way to get her health back on track would be to lose weight – and she knew it was time to get motivated and take action.
“I played college baseball, tennis and football in the 1980s, 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-aholic. I went on eating big fruits basically.”
Barnett began to cut his food intake to “very little snacks” throughout the day, which included more of his 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's in season,” he said.
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“I also make protein shakes. I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a lot of meat, because it's too filling for me.”
Barnett recently broke the bantamweight record at 164 pounds. He reported that he lost pounds following this diet, and that his “scores look good.”
Barnett reported feeling “good, and I'm just getting started.” (SWNS)
“I haven't weighed this much since I was about 15,” he said.
Barnett said he still has work to do to tone up his muscles to “catch up with the skin loss,” but he continues to push forward.
“My clothes are too big and heavy, and it's hard to buy clothes when you lose weight quickly, but I feel great,” she said.
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Barnett also lost weight by staying active, despite his physical limitations.
“I have osteoarthritis in my right knee and I need a knee replacement,” he said. “I can't run or do the stairs, but I do what I can.”
Barnett was able to lose over 70 pounds by eating fruit and protein shakes, and exercising regularly. (SWNS)
He reported that his exercises usually involved sitting in chairs and “using small dumbbells.”
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“I don't stop, but I do it without hurting myself,” he added. “Losing the body is fine [about] stay active, find anything you can to get off the couch.”
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Barnett told SWNS that she will find out about her illness in February, and that she hopes to inspire others with her 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 life.” (SWNS)
“If I can do this, anyone can,” he said. “I've done everything the doctors told me to do. It's about eating right, staying busy and never giving up.”
“I was 55 going on 90,” he continued. “Now I'm 55, I'm going back to 20 again.”
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Barnett hopes to return to work and live a “full, active life,” according to SWNS.
“I want to ring that bell the next time I go to see my doctors and tell them I've done it,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
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