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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Julia Havey weighed nearly 300 pounds. Her husband was having an affair. And a tumor on her neck that she was convinced was cancerous had just been diagnosed as nothing more than a lump of fat.
“I was beyond humiliated,” said Havey, 48, of Brentwood, Tenn.
What Havey didn’t know is that she was about to face one more humiliation that would change her life forever. After another argument with her husband, she went to buy a candy bar “to soothe the pain.” As she was leaving the convenience store with her “fix,” a homeless man started yelling at her: “Girl, you have too much food in you.”
When he noticed he had an audience and people were laughing, he kept saying it, each time more loudly. Havey couldn’t get the words out of her head. The candy bar offered no comfort.
“His words really resonated with me,” Havey said. “I started thinking about what foods I was eating too much of, and hands down it was ice cream. I decided to cut that one thing out. I started losing weight and I didn’t feel deprived.”
That was in 1994. Havey now weighs 150 pounds and her book, “The Vice-Busting Diet” ($8.47), has been endorsed by TV health show host Dr. Oz.
For those who have resolved to lose weight this year, Havey is offering her diet program for free online at www.vicebustingdiet.com. People can download the book, as well as motivational audiotapes and a “self-discovery workbook,” all aimed at helping people understand why they’re overweight and the best way for them to slim down. The materials are valued at about $300.
By eliminating the cost, she hopes to reach her goal of helping 1 million people lose weight.
“I want to be able to help anybody who really wants to change,” Havey said. “I was left by my husband because I was too overweight. He wasn’t attracted to me. I know the heartache that comes from being overweight.”