- How long did you struggle with weight
before you decided to make a change?
- Steve, I struggled with weight all my life.
I had a very unhappy childhood.
My mother told me I'd never amount to nothin'
and she treated me really bad.
I had a twin brother.
She always treated him good and treated me bad
and she'd come home to visit and she would bring my
twin brother a gift and forget to bring me one.
My twin brother would tell it at school and kids teased me.
So instead of going outside, running and playing
like other kids were doing,
I'd just find me a room at school and bring me some food
and sit in the room and eat
and study rather than be bothered with them.
- Wow, so how old were you when you decided to get healthy?
- I was in my 70's.
My doctor was gonna tell me you gotta lose weight,
you're too heavy.
You've got to lose weight.
At that point, I was willing to try anything.
So I went on the Atkins diet.
I lost about 60 or 70 pounds on the Atkins diet.
My goal was to be a single size,
a nine would've been just fine.
I just wanted to be--
- (laughs) Just a single digit.
Come on now.
If I could get a nine.
- Nine would've been just fine.
So I went to a meeting one diet and I was telling the group
about how disgusted I was getting and everything.
So after the meeting, I asked a lady to bring me home.
She said, "Yeah, I'll be happy to."
She said, "I wanna talk with you about something anyway."
She said, "I heard you talk about how disappointed
"you're getting with your weight loss and everything."
She said, "Maybe I can help you."
She said, "I'm a raw vegan."
I said, "You're a raw what?"
She said, "A vegan." (laughing)
Well, I'm sure I had heard vegan before
but when they said I couldn't eat my meat,
I dismissed it, nuh uh.
(laughing)
But I started to admire her.
Her skin was so beautiful you know?
I told her, I said, "You know what?"
I said, "As soon as Thanksgiving is over,
(laughing)
"I'm going vegan."
And I did. (clapping)
- So, Ms. Jessica, after you became a vegan,
you lost more weight?
- The weight just fell off and I have not had a problem
with keeping it off since that day.
- So what size had you gotten down to?
- When I started on this diet, I weighed 245 pounds.
Today, I weigh 120.
(cheering) (clapping)
- How often do you exercise?
- Every day.
I exercise every day.
- What'd you do?
- I walk.
I walk in my one-bedroom apartment.
I exercise every day in my one-bedroom apartment.
- [Steve] Oh, you just walk around your house?
- I just walk around in my house, just like Steve said.
I came to tell y'all ya ain't got no excuse to lose weight.
Yes, you can lose it.
You ain't gotta go nowhere.
(clapping)
- So, when you walk around, do you like
count your steps or something?
- No, I don't have to count my steps.
My granddaughter told me to get me a Fitbit watch.
I got my Fitbit watch.
(clapping)
- I'm gonna tell ya, you know, it's gotta be something
to this now, you know, I've been a vegan since January 4th.
- I heard you say that today
and I'm so happy. - Yeah, I've been trying.
- OK, take the word try out.
- OK, yes ma'am. (cheering)
(clapping) All right now.
- Trying leaves room for failure.
Take the word try out.
- Trying leaves room for failure.
You my girl now.
(laughing)
- I'm gonna go to a commercial break but I'm gonna
sit over here and you stay right there.
(clapping)
Sit over here next to you.
Now this what we gon' do.
- You gon' take a picture?
(laughing)
- You need a picture, all right all right.
That boy right there, see that little boy right there?
He gon' take your picture.
(laughing)
Ms. Jessica, you my favorite person right now.
You're a true inspiration.
Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Listen, ain't nobody in this room!
We have no more excuses.
- No more excuses.
- We gotta get it together.
- That's right.
- Y'all give it up for Ms. Jessica.
We'll be right back!
(jazzy music)