Original subtitles

(relaxed guitar music)

- Hi!

My name is Tracy and here I am opening the door

to what would become a whole new world for me.

At this moment, I think I'm like any other 29-year-old girl.

I think I'm happy, successful, popular

and living life to the fullest.

I had no idea what I was missing out on.

I did not realize what real happiness was

and I had no idea how much easier life could be.

When a friend of mine suggested,

I talk with the owner of Zen Fitness

about being part of a project,

I thought, what do I have to lose?

I had no idea what I was going to be able to gain.

Clothes shopping as a 12-year-old girl

that weighs close to 200 pounds is not easy.

Stylish, age-appropriate clothing

is not available in your size

and you're forced to shop in the adult women section.

Clothes are frumpy and do nothing

to boost your self-esteem as a young girl.

I remember being made fun of

because of the clothes I wore.

In one particular incident,

I had a crush on a boy.

He saw the large bra strap through the back

of my shirt and said it was an old lady bra.

It absolutely broke my heart.

I can vividly remember when I was young

and had my feelings hurt because of my weight.

Arguing with school friends in the playground

and hearing them say, "What are you gonna do,

"sit on me?"

I remember feeling embarrassed being left

in the tractor in Presidential Fitness Days.

I remember never being able to play

in the teeter-totter because I was bigger

than the other kids.

I remember not being able to live

and play like the other kids.

I also remember teaching myself

at a really young age to not care

what other people thought or said about me.

I turned off my emotions and did not let

my feelings get hurt any longer.

Looking back at it, it would have been easier

to learn how to run than to learn how to bury

my emotions and feelings for so long.

I, like many other people make daily annotations

to their life in order to accommodate

being obese.

From early on in my years, I put up an emotional

protective barrier against all of the negative

and mean-spirited comments that were said

about my weight.

I honestly think I have gotten to the point

where I just do not care what other people

have to say.

I avoid embarrassing situations

and try to live day to day.

I pretend that I am happy with my life

until I actually believed that I am.

- I have known Tracy for a really long time.

And I've been worried about her.

And her health and I'm really excited

about this opportunity for her to get healthy.

I know it's gonna be a challenge

and a whole new lifestyle change

but it's something that I think needs to be done

and I just wish the best for her

and I hope that she will succeed in this.

Because I do worry about her.

- Hi, I'm Carly Asse.

My interest in health started at an early age.

My grandfather died of cancer

and my grandmother and aunt,

both died of heart disease.

All three were untimely deaths.

My mother always stressed the importance

of how eating healthy made me feel good.

And eating unhealthy made me feel bad.

I became aware at an early age how food affects

the way you feel and the quality of your life.

I was a hard worker in school

and took an avid interest in sports.

I graduated valedictorian of my high school

in 1996 and received a college scholarship

to play tennis.

While majoring in business,

I continued my own personal studies

in nutrition and exercise.

Things were going well.

Or so it seemed.

When I was 22 years old and a senior in college,

my life took an unexpected turn.

I was convicted for selling ecstasy

and sentenced to seven years and three months

in federal prison.

My world was turned upside down.

I was scared, lost, unsure of my future.

- One time, when I met with Carly's 5th grade teacher,

she said, "Marilyn, what can I say?

"He is the child everyone wishes was theirs."

Carly was a golden-haired boy.

He worked hard in school.

He had a lot of friends.

Everyone liked him.

He was charismatic.

He was one of the top players in all the teams in school.

He actually won the National Junior Olympics.

He came in second place.

Just lost by a stride and he played tennis

and he was even valedictorian of his class

from high school.

When he was arrested, his dad and I were just

stunned,

shocked.

We had no idea.

And he was facing a world that was so frightening

and scary that I didn't know anything about

and we just feared for his life

and what was gonna happen to him.

We didn't know.

We just didn't know.

- I've known Carly since high school

and it was really in college

that we became really good friends.

We worked out together.

We hung out a lot.

We had a group of friends

and it was really a normal college situation.

We played Ping-Pong all the time.

Carly made great grades

and we really lived a regular college friend

group lifestyle.

When they got in trouble,

I was worried about Carly.

He didn't seem like the type of person

that would ever go to prison

and I knew that when he got in trouble

that he was a good kid.

That he had just gotten into a bad situation

but I was worried about him.

Seven years in prison is a long time

that he had to face and I just remembered

going into it being really worried about him.

- After Carly was arrested and it was on the front page

of the Gainesville Sun,

I was having trouble going around town

because people wouldn't ask me about Carly

or they act like he had died.

And I've cut out this picture of him

and safety pinned it on my shirt.

I wore them for two years because I wanted

everyone to know he's my son.

I'm wearing him right here over my heart.

I love him unconditionally.

He might have made a mistake

but he's my son and he's worthy of being

asked about and thought of a lot.

- Prison was definitely a world

that I never expected to be in.

I was entering a world of stabbings, beatings,

gangs and violence but it was a world

that I have entered because of my own doing.

It was gonna be the most daunting challenge

I was ever gonna face.

And I had to prepare myself

if I was gonna make it out alive.

My deepest darkest moment came in my first year

when I was put into solitary confinement.

Solitary confinement is when you're locked

in a small cell with a bed, sink and a toilet

for 24 hours a day.

You're by yourself with no one to talk to

or share your feelings.

I miss my friends and family so much it hurt.

I was alone in a small concrete steel prison

and all I could think about was

how am I going to do these seven years?

Time went by so slowly.

I was so stressed out and felt such anxiety

and only one thing made me feel better,

exercise.

I had to be creative because I had no equipment.

Exercise gave me hope.

Hope got me through some tough times.

Hope is powerful.

- We went to visit Carly every chance we had.

We would sometimes drive 13 or 15 hours

to spend a day with him and

he would come out in that orange prison suit

and I would always think, he didn't really belong there.

He didn't belong.

- As I felt more positive,

I made a plan to do things in prison

that I've never had time to do before.

I left solitary confinement after six months.

And began my studies,

I spent my days learning new things and exercising.

I quickly learned Spanish and guitar.

After the first year, I went on to learn

four more languages, history.

I read the classics.

I studied business, yoga and my favorite, nutrition.

I was intrigued by what a profound effect

nutrition had on the human body.

I tried many different ways of eating

and one diet was without a doubt,

the best for health, performance

and overall well-being.

The plant-based diet.

My body fat dropped rapidly to under 7%.

I performed better in sports and workouts.

I slept better and I had more energy.

Other inmates came to me for help

and I watched as they quickly became healthy

following my nutrition and exercise programs.

That is when I realized, I love being a personal trainer

and wanted to pursue a career in training

when I got out.

I finally finished my sentence and I was so excited

to finally get out of prison.

While prison was a tremendous learning

growing experience for me,

I was really eager to get out

and see my family and do things

that I haven't done in a while.

- How many people when they out of prison

have a whole huge party waiting for them?

And we drove over and there was a sign,

my friends have put together at our house

saying, "Welcome home, Carly."

It was wonderful time.

We're so glad to have him back.

We bought him new clothes.

We helped put together a resume

and what concerned me was that

I was seeing that he was being turned down

from jobs because he was a felon

and I thought, oh my gosh.

This is gonna affect his whole life.

Is he ever gonna be able to be more

than a dishwasher?

Because he has so much to give

and so much to share

that He learned during this experience.

- I wanted to pursue a job as a personal trainer

but I quickly discovered that no one wants

to hire a felon.

I kept trying and looking and trying and looking

but eventually, all I could find was a job

as a dishwasher, so I had to settle for that.

I didn't give up hope though

and I kept my pursuit and my dream of being

a personal trainer.

- During the time that Carly was in prison,

he learned how to become a personal trainer

and I had started a personal training studio.

Naturally, when he got out, he came to me

and wanted me to hire him

and there was little controversy about

whether or not to do that from some

of my co-workers but I did it

and it turned out to be a great decision.

Carly was a top-selling personal trainer.

The top selling personal trainer.

For me from the rest of the time

I own that business.

He put people on a plant-based diet.

He got the best results than anybody

and it turned out to be the best decision

that I had made.

- I had such success that within three years,

I was able to open my own personal training studio

called Zen Fitness.

Seeing the fast results and the lives

I was helping to change made me want to share

this knowledge on a larger scale

and that is when this film,

Unsupersize Me was born.

My vision was to show how quickly and easily

you can go from extremely poor health

to optimal health in a very short period of time

without surgery, diet pills, complicated fad diets

or starvation.

The vegan diet was easy to do and it worked fast.

The following movie is a personal story

for both myself and a new friend I made

in the process, Tracy Ryan.

Together, we set a goal to change the world.

I hope you enjoy this movie

and see how quickly and easy it is

to become healthy, starting right

at your dinner plate.

I envision all people regardless of their current weight

or fitness level, benefiting from a vegan diet

and improving their health and ultimately, their life

because life is difficult to enjoy

if you don't have your health.

What are the top three things

you're looking forward to with your new body

in your life?

- Just maybe able to get rid of something like

the daily worries that have just become normal.

Man, I could be accomplishing so much more

if I wasn't worrying about that stuff.

When I go over to my friend's house,

if she was on the third story,

I have to climb upstairs and I've recently told my secret

but I've always climbed up the stairs

and I'm like, man, stairs always make me have to pee

like I gotta go to the bathroom

but I have never have to go to the bathroom.

I'm just going into the bathroom

so that I can catch my breath and pant

and gasp for air (laughs) while nobody else

was there trying to talk to me.

So, I just go to the bathroom

to catch my breath and then I come out

and I'm like, whew!

Good, thank god for that bathroom.

Like just little things like that.

- [Carly] Any big goals or things you wanted

that you can't do now?

- Travel.

My best friend lives in Oklahoma

and I would love to be able to see her more often.

We were college roommates.

Best friends from there.

Just I feel really bad not being able to fly

to visit her because I think

that she's on the verge of getting engaged to

but I haven't spent a lot of time

with her boyfriend because I can't travel out there.

It always seems like she travels to visit me.

I never travel out there.

Right now, if I go and do something social,

it's either, hey guys, let's do something social.

I'll cook dinner for everybody

or let's go to a bar and get tanked.

I love to say, hey guys, let's all get together

and go kayaking or do something that was like

I would never even consider anything like that

or something active like I remember years ago,

I went tubing.

Tubing is a disaster. (laughs)

They don't make the tubes big enough.

I tip out of the tube.

I can't get through the tube.

The tube got stuck around my neck

and it's a disaster.

Like embarrassing.

It was me going out on the river

with my arm over the tube.

That's how tubing ended for me. (laughs)

Dating in general at 345 pounds is very difficult.

You have think ahead on a lot of other things

that you can take for granted

when you are of the healthier weight.

When you're heavy, you have to think

about the car that your date is picking you up in.

- Hi!

- [Tracy] Smaller cars have smaller seat belts

and the seat will not be big enough for you.

You sometimes have to offer to drive your date

so that the seat belt does fit.

You have to find out what restaurant

you're going to and know which restaurants

in town have large booth sizes.

If there is small booth sizes,

you have to call ahead to ask the hostess

to see to at a table to avoid an awkward situation

in trying to fit into the booth

and sit at the table

or you have to just opt to sit at the bar.

If you go into the movies, it's very difficult.

Movie theater seats are very small,

especially if the armrest doesn't move.

So, you basically, can never go to the movie theater

without being really uncomfortable.

None of this stuff, you really have to think of at all

when you're on a healthier weight.

- [Carly] I learned a lot watching Tracy on her date.

I never realized the hardships an overweight person

has to deal with that most of us never even think about.

It makes me even more determined

in helping her succeed in changing her life.

- Yeah, ours was really embarrassing.

I'm sorry.

But it was really nice meeting you.

- Hey, it was great to meet you.

Thanks again.

- Thank you.

Have a good evening.

- You too.

Bye-bye.- Bye.

- [Carly] Here are the rules.

Tracy can eat as many and as much

plant-based foods as she wants.

No meat.

No dairy.

No eggs.

No products that come from animals.

Plant based foods, eat as much as she wants

for one year combined with an hour of weight training

and cardiovascular exercise every day.

We are not doing the biggest loser workout regimen.

While the biggest loser is a great show

and motivating to many people,

working out six to eight hours a day

is not feasible for most.

Oh, and one other rule, no diet drugs

and no surgery.

(beeping)

I have no idea what Tracy will be able to do.

I'm just hoping she can get the green light

from the doctor to start our project.

She is obese and unhealthy.

So, I know she is at a high risk for cancer,

heart disease and diabetes.

- Going in the Dr. Caputo's office

is an emotional roller coaster.

Having been heavy my whole life.

I have learned to bury my fears and worries

about my bad health.

It is more embarrassing to be weighing in at 345 pounds

than mentally scary.

I am more ashamed about being grossly overweight

than I am worried about having a heart attack.

I have been told for years that my weight

is going to have a negative effect on my health

but I chose to ignore it.

I buried those thoughts just like my hurt feelings

when I was being made fun of on the playground.

I know that the doctor will lecture me

about my weight.

They have since I was young

but I always just ignored it.

I could have had a heart attack or worse

at any moment but I chose not to think about it or care.

I should have seen this as a major challenge

to my body.

I suppose if I really care about my health,

I would have done something sooner.

Which raises the question,

why don't people care?

- [Carly] What do you think the vegan diet

is gonna do for her?

- Wow.

That's gonna be amazing.

I don't know what your diet is now but ...

- [Carly] What would be your prediction?

- I would guess significant weight loss.

You'll still get your protein

and you'll do well.

- [Carly] This stress test measured how long

it would take Tracy's heart rate to reach 167 beats a minute

while the speed in incline increase.

Tracy lasted six minutes and 19 seconds.

The first person I spoke to is Dr. Neal D. Barnard,

a leader in nutrition and research.

His research has been cited

by the American Diabetes Association

and the American Dietetic Association

on official policy statements on healthful diets.

You tell me about the most significant case study

you've done on the health benefits

of a plant-based diet versus the traditional

American diet.

- We have been very impressed

by populations that follow mostly plant-based diet

They tend to be thinner.

We decided to put it to the test

in our research center and the results are really

very striking.

That even though people aren't counting calories,

they're basically just eating healthy food,

the weight starts to come off

and it comes off and it comes off

and all of the side effects are good ones.

Their cholesterol comes down.

Their energy goes up.

If they have diabetes, that gets better.

It's remarkable to see.

- [Carly] Can you discuss the myth

that you don't get enough protein,

vitamin B-12 on a vegan diet?

- In the course of our studies,

we also the tracked the nutrition

that people have.

Are they getting enough protein?

Are they getting enough calcium and so forth?

And we find that not only are they getting enough,

their nutrition is actually better

than it was before.

They're getting adequate protein across the board

as opposed to getting too much protein,

which some people are getting before.

They're getting adequate fat, adequate minerals

and vitamins but they're getting much more fiber,

much more of the powerful antioxidants.

Their vitamin intake is through the roof.

All in all, they're doing dramatically better.

Next up is Dr. T. Colin Campbell.

Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus

of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University

and also the author of The China Study.

With more than 70 years of peer -reviewed

research funding, he has authored

over 300 research papers on diet, nutrition and health.

Derived from laboratory basic experimental research

and large scale human studies in China

and the Philippines.

Your study has shown that we can turn

cancerous growth off by eating a plant-based diet

and on by eating a meat and dairy diet.

- Part of my early research in the early years

was actually an investigation

of the fats from animal protein

on the development of cancer.

It turns on the cancer.

- [Carly] Wow, that's amazing.

Vegan bodybuilder motivational speaker and author,

Robert Cheeke grew up on a farm in Corvallis, Oregon.

Re-adapted a vegan lifestyle in 1995

at the age of 15.

Today, he's an Amazon.com best-selling author

of the book, Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness.

As a two-time, natural bodybuilding champion,

Robert has been considered one of VegNews

Magazine's most influential vegan athletes.

As a vegan bodybuilder, did you ever have

any problems putting on muscle?

- You know, like I said, I went from

120 to 195 and most of that was in a pretty brief period.

When I was running in college,

155, as soon as I stopped and hung up the shoes

and put on weightlifting gloves,

I shot up to 195 within a few years.

I gained 30 pounds in one year.

Really no problem.

No issue.

I have that in my book.

Vegan Bodybuilding Fitness from one year,

157 to 186 and then I was 195, I think the next year.

So, no problem.

Just ate good food.

Trained hard and had some that was working to it.

(playful music)

- [Voiceover] Tracy's first workout is going

to be tough.

She is uncomfortable being in the gym

and very limited in what she can do.

When she lays down on a bench, her workout mat,

she can't get up without assistance.

I can identify with Tracy because I know

from my prison experience what is like to be

in an environment, you're not comfortable in

and to take on a huge, seemingly impossible challenge.

Okay, next we have our core sprint test.

Just gonna test your abs, lower back,

you're gonna do a plank

to see how long you can hold it.

- I don't know what a plank is.

- I'm gonna show you.

That's what I'm here for, right?

All right, first you come down here.

Hold that as long as you can.

- Okay.

You made it look pretty easy.

- It's not too bad.

(Tracy laughs)

Okay ready and go.

Okay, how's it feeling so far?

- Oh, (laughs) it's not so easy.

Obviously, I'm not versed on

how to work out.

I did not know the difference from a squat

to a lunge, to a sprint.

They all just sound like exercise to me.

While I am never afraid of hard work,

I simply am not able to move like other people

in the gym.

I struggled to get on and off of equipment,

stepping down from a treadmill is tough,

getting up from a bench is like a turtle

being stuck on their back

and getting up from a flat floor,

requires to be pushed up with a help of a bench.

The trainers even have a hard time helping me

up from the floor sometimes.

It is embarrassing.

What is surprising is that while the workouts

are challenging and definitely leave me sore,

it is worse noticing how different my body is

from others in the gym.

I did not realize that I could not do a lunge or squat

like other people.

I saw others doing it and just assumed

that I could do it as well.

I cannot and this is one of the first times

I realized how much my weight is inhibiting me

from living my life.

This might be why so many people choose

not to continue with their workout programs.

I wonder why so many people allow themselves

to be prisoners of their own body

and this makes me think of the struggles

Carly had gone through.

He was imprisoned and unable to live life to the fullest.

Just like my fat blocks me away now.

- [Carly] How's the half mile doing?

- It's good.

It's definitely tingling for sure.

- [Carly] How're you feeling in the upper body?

- I'm definitely breathing hard and sweating.

I can tell I'm working something.

But I'm good.

I mean it's not hurt hurt.

- [Carly] It's a good hurt.

- Yeah, it's a good hurt.

- That's what I like.

All right, we're coming up on the end here.

Half a mile.

Test at 11:25.

She did really good today.

And we have got a long way to go.

We're gonna climb a mountain.

Her strength is decent though,

which is good.

And the doctor gave her a clean bill of health.

So, we're gonna be able to really work hard in here

and she's a hard worker.

So, I think we're moving in the right direction.

Exactly, what is a vegan whole foods diet?

A vegan whole foods diet is avoiding any products

that come from animals.

We eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains

and legumes.

Instead of meat, we eat things like tempeh and tofu.

Instead of animal milk, we drink almond milk,

soymilk and rice milk.

And we aren't just eating raw vegetables.

With a vegan whole foods diet,

we can make endless amounts of super tasty meals

and they're not only tasty,

but fun to make too.

Okay, Tracy.

See what we have here that we shouldn't have.

- Okay.

- [Carly] Wanna find out why someone is overweight?

Go look in their fridge.

Tracy is obese and guess what her fridge is loaded with?

Meat, dairy and processed foods.

The fridge never lies.

I can tell within 10 seconds of looking

in a person's fridge if they are healthy or not.

We have big changes to make

but I can tell Tracy is excited to make them.

(lively music)

- If I was to pick like the top five things

that I should never pass up in this department.

What should I not pass up?

- [Carly] You can have whatever you want.

- Anything?

- [Carly] Yes.

- Okay, I really like fennel.

- [Carly] That's good.

Get everything you like.

I can tell that Tracy really likes the fact

that she can eat as many fruits and veggies

that she wants.

- I like leeks.

- [Carly] I'm also showing her that there are

endless varieties of tasty combinations

to choose from in the produce section.

Our shopping is fun and fast.

- It's weird because I feel rushed

because I think that I have all these aisles

to walk up and down to.

But if I really think about it,

it's just gonna be here.

And the 20-minute time spent in the meat department

like you get different kinds of meats

and thinking about fat normally.

I guess I won't have to do that anymore.

- [Carly] No.

- Lot of good groceries.

Healthy grow.

Look at all that.

I'm excited.

I'm noticing as I'm loading my groceries

that I didn't use all of the bags

and I normally have to use all of my bags

when I grocery shop because I have to keep the meats

separate from everything else

but I didn't need to do that this time.

- [Carly] And why do you have to keep the meat separate?

- Because it's cross contamination?

- [Carly] Tracy just realized how strange it is

that she always had to keep her meat separate

from the rest of her groceries

to avoid contamination.

Most people accept without question

that they have to cook meat until well done

to not get sick.

Want to avoid food pathogens?

Then don't eat animal products.

Food pathogens mostly come from animals.

Produce that has food pathogens is contaminated

by animals and does anyone care that e. coli comes

from cow poop?

Yuck.

Who wants to eat that?

So, tell us about this tattoo thing you wanna do.

- Somebody recommended to me that

he wants to make sure that I don't forget

how far I've come in what I've done

and accomplishments and things like that.

He's very concerned that I forget

what I've accomplished already.

He recommended that since I like tattoos.

For big weight loss, he recommended like

every 50 pounds that I lose, to get a tattoo

on my body that only, I would know and see

and that it would kind of remind me

of how far I've come and what I've lost

and things like that.

- [Carly] I think that's a great idea.

- It would be motivating for sure.

- [Carly] Where we are here is 328

after one week of being vegan and exercising.

Now, much weight was that?

We started at 345.

- Yeah.

- [Carly] Tracy's first weight in is crucial.

I know that she will become a believer

if she sees good results and if she believes,

her life will be positively changed forever.

That is 17 pounds.

- [Carly] In one week.- Nice.

- Woo-hoo!

- [Carly] You could win the biggest loser.

You'd beat everyone on the ground.

(laughs)

Here we are at the end, 17 pounds down

end of your workout to conclude week one.

I mean you've obviously tried to lose weight

plenty of times in your life,

have you ever lost 17 pounds in one week?

- No, not that much.

- [Carly] Even all of the crazy fad diets?

- No.

Never that much, yeah, no.

- [Carly] That is awesome.

We are proud of you.

- Thank you.

So, 318.

- [Carly] That's right.

- All right.

- [Carly] Take it up a notch, baby.

- Here we go.

(energetic music)

- [Tracy] I think people immediately assume

a certain stereotype about fat people.

I recently switched my place of employment

and realized that people view obese people

as lazy, slow, not productive and a liability.

During one interview, the owner of the company,

actually asked me if he was sure I could go up

and down three flights of stairs that was needed

to get to my office.

Would you have asked that of a 135-pound woman

on my same age?

No.

It didn't matter how many degrees I obtained.

How much work experience I had

and how qualified I was for the position.

My physical appearance made me look lazy.

I can somewhat understand why employees

would think this because unfortunately,

being obese can make you less productive

than a fitter person.

This is my office.

It's changed a lot over the past few weeks.

It used to be a lot more cluttered

and unorganized and I find myself

being able to manage my stress and organize

a little bit better and cross some things

on some to-do-list, just because when I get in,

I'm not so tired.

I have a little bit more energy.

I don't have to drink like five cups of coffee

in order to get moving.

I used to drink about eight cups of coffee a day

and I'm not drinking any and I actually have more energy

than I did when I was drinking the coffee.

I'm drinking a lot more water now.

Thanks to Carly making me sweat my butt off

in the gym.

I also used to have a whole bunch

of leftovers from my catered events

in my office and everything is made with

heavy cream and butter and my favorite was probably,

the mash potatoes.

That when we come back from an event,

I would eat a whole Tupperware container

of mash potatoes and that was just utterly horrible.

Now, I have a big fruit bowl here.

Today, it has some tomatoes.

I got some tomatoes from the farmers market

last weekend and some plums, some apples

and then I've got a mixture of nuts

down in the bottom in case I want something crunchy.

Carly says that I'm allowed to eat that whole bowl

of fruit every day.

I haven't been able to finish the whole bowl yet

but I've come close a few days.

Today, Carly is teaching me about juicing.

I know nothing about drinking fresh juice.

- A couple carrots.

Carrots give a lot of juice.

Nice bright orange color.

So, you know it's good for you.

You like to get all of the bright colors as you can.

The best thing for juicing are apples,

pears, beets, oranges, carrots.

You could throw a little ginger in there.

That's good.

When you start going outside of those fruits,

others like bananas, strawberries,

that doesn't provide a lot of juice, berries.

I like to stick with stuff that gives me

a lot of juice.

Otherwise, (indistinct phrase).

Juicing is beneficial for everyone.

It's a great way to get loads of nutrients in one shot.

I know Tracy will find it to be a great supplement

to a plant-based diet lifestyle.

Last through, last through, one more to go.

Just like that.

Just like that, we have the essence of

six carrots.

Carrot mustache.

Essential for drinking carrot juice.

- It's really good.

- [Carly] And you always wanna try and drink it

within 20 minutes after making it.

It's how we keep all those antioxidants

and phytonutrients alive.

- Okay.

- [Voiceover] Okay, Tracy.

This weight vest weighs 45 pounds,

which is approximately, how much weight

you've lost to date, correct?

- Yeah.

- [Voiceover] We're gonna walk around it

and then tell me what you think.

- But I just lost it. (laughs)

- [Voiceover] We can make you appreciate it better.

- Okay, all right.

- [Voiceover] Talk to me about the weight vest.

- It's really heavy.

I can't believe I used to weigh this.

- Something I've been really excited about,

is Tracy running.

She has not run since middle school.

It's gonna be a little bit challenging

but I think she's gonna be really excited

to start running again.

- [Tracy] Running seems like a simple thing

to most people.

Running might as well be a foreign word to me.

At 350 pounds, it's impossible to run.

It's hard enough to walk.

Now, that I have dropped enough weight,

Carly clears me to run and we start off small.

I am not excited about this.

I ran from one light post to another

and it feels like miles.

Every step hurts.

From my feet to my forehead.

Having my stomach, arms, chest, butt and legs

bounce up and down while keeping my breath

seems impossible.

Every step seems to knock the wind out of my lungs.

- [Carly] I know how hard it is for Tracy to run.

I know it hurts her whole being.

Some day, she will run a long, long way

and love it.

297.

- Two points away.

Made it.

- [Carly] Yeah.

- [Carly] Are you scared?

- All right, are you ready?

- Yup.

There we go, 50 pounds.

Done.

(lively music)

- I'm really enjoying eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

It's surprisingly satisfying.

Not only do I feel much better

but I really enjoy the taste.

My palate has changed to love fruits and vegetables.

So, this week was fun.

Something really interesting happened to me.

I was working a catering event

and I was plating a salad, working in the kitchen,

cutting, chopping, doing normal job stuff

and my boss took a picture of me

and put it up on Facebook.

When I saw the picture, I barely recognized myself

and it made me go look in the mirror

and I'm starting to realize that I might have had

like a warped self-image or something

when I was really big.

I would look in the mirror and I still thought

that I was attractive and I still had self-confidence.

I did not look in the mirror and see somebody that was ugly

but when I look in the mirror, I still see

that same person to the point where when I saw that picture,

I definitely didn't recognize who it was

or anything like that.

I'm interested in seeing some of the progressions

of the photos that I've been taking

because I personally don't see it in the mirror.

I definitely saw it in a picture though.

- I did notice initially, that Tracy does have

several defense mechanisms.

Ones in particular I noticed is that she

says things about herself that aren't true

to try to build herself up

and make people wanna listen to her and get to know her

and I spoke with her the other day and told her

that Tracy, you no longer have to do that.

You're an extraordinary person

doing extraordinary things and people will wanna

get to know you.

You don't have to make these things up

about yourself in order to make people

wanna get to know you and value you.

So, I think that's a big weight lifted

off her shoulders and I see her getting happier now

because she can just be herself.

- 78.

- [Carly] 78.

- So, I think it was 23?

- I think so.

- That's five pounds.

- [Carly] Let's do it, baby.

- Yeah, I like it.

- [Carly] Okay, show me how you like it.

- We're gonna have to work into dancing.

- [Carly] Do it.

Let's get up, get up and shake it.

Okay Tracy, show us what you've been doing.

- This is my tailoring job.

This is what I've been using to keep my clothes

on at work.

I have to fold the waistband of my clothes in

and I just clip it onto myself.

So, this is what I wear.

- [Carly] And why have you been using this

as opposed to buying new clothes?

- Because I bought some new clothes

and then they're too big a little bit later

and clothes are expensive.

- [Carly] And it's best that we probably

get to your weight before we buy some new clothes.

- So, I'm making do.

- [Carly] An important part of the vegan lifestyle

is having fun with cooking and being creative.

I started vegan iron chef battles with Tracy

to get her excited about cooking

and to have fun with it.

I'm preparing here a vegan pizza.

Tracy?

- Yes.

- What's going on here?

- Well, I'm planning my salad.

I made a salad dressing

that attempted to be a Caesar dressing

but isn't but it is amazing

and then these here, hold on,

let me show you the dressing.

This is the dressing.

How did you describe it?

- [Carly] Very tasty.

- Okay, all right.

Good deal.

- [Carly] Unbelievable.

- It's amazing and then we have some campari tomatoes

that are stuffed with vegan cream cheese.

It's all about the food for me.

I love food and it's my passion.

Food is a large part of my life

and I get a lot of satisfaction

for making enjoyable memories for others

through good meals.

My daily work is around food and in the industry.

These iron chef battles come with a hidden present.

It shows me how rewarding it is

to not only feed people a meal that they enjoy

but they can be good for them.

Being able to show people that a plant-based,

whole food diet can taste good

while being good for you is the best prize of all.

- That's six-pound loss.

Which means

90 pounds.

- [Carly] Wow.

- There we go!

Go dancing. (laughs)

- [Carly] Dance is coming next week, baby.

- 249, 96 pounds.

- [Carly] Hell yeah, baby!

I want Tracy to branch out and do some new activities.

Today, we're going to have her first tennis lesson.

We have an exciting day today.

Tracy is gonna have her first tennis lesson.

Once we got to a certain amount weight,

we're gonna start doing things she's never done before.

So, today I'm gonna give her, her first tennis lesson.

- Yes.

- And how many times did you play tennis?

- Never, ever.

Maybe some table tennis back in the day but no.

- Table tennis, it's a little bit different.

We're gonna try her hand with this.

She's a little bit more mobile now.

So, I expect to have her on the pro tour

within the next the three months.

All right, nice good.

Okay, this is Reginald Washington.

Tracy's first match.

She's now taking her lesson

and this is what she drew first round.

Reginald, how do you feel about her chances?

- (laughs)

I don't know.

I've heard that she's had lesson from Mr. Asse and ...

- [Carly] The match was a lot of fun.

Nobody got hurt.

Although, there were some close calls.

And most importantly, Tracy got to do a new fun activity

with her new body.

(energetic rock music)

All right, we're here waiting.

This is her big day.

Today is Tracy's 100-pound weigh in.

Three and a half months, 100 pounds,

Unsupersize Me.

It's hard dispute.

She doesn't know that we're all here waiting for her.

She thinks this is just a regular weigh in.

We've got a group of people in the bathroom waiting

that are gonna come out and surprise her

as soon as the weigh in is complete

and she loses 100 pounds.

I think it'll be a good surprise for her.

I'm really excited about it.

We've been working really hard for this.

So, we're gonna find that today.

if she lost 100 pounds in three and a half months.

- Hi!

- [Voiceover] There she is!

- Here we are.

Today's is the big day.

- [Voiceover] Yeah, it's a couple of ounces.

(Tracy laughs)

- That's 100 pounds, baby!

(friends cheering)

- Oh my god!

Wow!

You got to be our baby!

You are it!

Congratulations!

(overlapping conversation)

- [Voiceover] Okay, this is compliments of Marilyn.

She wanted to make sure that she was

the princess of the day.

- You made me a promise that we're gonna dance.

So, I would like to tango.

(everyone laughs)

- My crown is falling off.

- [Carly] I couldn't believe it.

I was so happy for Tracy.

I could see in her face how happy she was

and it just made me feel so good.

- [Carly] How do you feel, Tracy?

- I'm excited.

Well, I just got my 100-pound tattoo,

which matches the 50-pound tattoo.

So, it's another 50 pounds.

Matches exactly.

I love it to death.

It's definitely gonna remind me of all the weight

that I've lost for sure.

(lively beats music)

- [Carly] How do you feel about your

first beach workout, Tracy?

- I'm excited.

It reminds me of home.

- [Carly] Tracy really loves the beach.

So, I want to show her that you can be active anywhere.

I'm excited for her first official beach workout.

- I grew up on the beach and I love the water.

I always think of the beach

when I think of vacation.

I never think of the beach as a workout though.

It's very challenging to get my mind

around the fact that the place where I can relax,

can also be associated with the place

that I work out.

As a matter of fact, just the thought

of working out as a way to relax is foreign to me.

And knowing Carly, I also realized

what a privilege it is to be able set foot in the sand.

Not everyone has the same opportunities

that everyone else has and it's important

that everyone take full advantage of the ability

to move around freely.

I see how happy Carly is of the beach

surrounded by people that he loves

and he didn't always have that freedom.

I know he sees the same in me,

every time I'm able to do something

that I previously cannot do.

- [Carly] Okay, Tracy.

What are we doing here today?

- We are looking at some clothes

that I've cleaned out of my closet

When I hit the 100-pound mark,

it became very frustrating

to try to dress in the morning

because I have a whole bunch of clothes in there

that did not fit me.

So, I weeded out what doesn't fit me

and I'm gonna donate it or give it somebody else

or just get it out of here.

So, just to show you.

This was a dress that I wore to work.

Probably once a week.

As you can see, it's very big.

Do you want me to put it on?

- [Carly] Put it on.

- I could probably swim in it.

It used to be a little tight and

to the point where I cut the sleeve

because the elastic was tight.

And now, you can see I could fit

a few people in here with me.

But then I came to the point

where I couldn't wear this to work anymore

but this was my size before.

You can see quite a difference.

I used to binder clip the side in.

(laughs) I binder clip it so that I could wear them

but it got to a point where I just cannot wear them.

This was the skirt that I had

and I had it in black, grey and khaki.

So, you can see that obviously,

this is a fitted pencil skirt.

Which would not be a fitted pencil skirt anymore.

These were the first to outgrow for sure.

And now, I have new clothes.

(playful music)

- Woo!

(Tracy laughs)

(lively marching band music)

- Here, we are down 130 pounds.

Getting ready to take on the swamp.

If you don't know, what the swamp is,

you're not from Gainesville.

It's the UF stadium.

Climbing the stairs is a new thing for Tracy.

She's never been able to do this.

So, it's gonna be an exciting adventure

for her to take this on.

And how you feeling?

- Good!

I think they look like really big steps.

- [Carly] Stadiums are tough.

It's something I've really been wanting Tracy to do.

Now that she's lost over 100 pounds,

I think she's ready.

It really gives a sense of accomplishment

to reach the top of those steps.

A metaphor of what she has overcome so far.

- [Tracy] Running stadiums for the first time

is a feat I wanted to do for a while.

I hear many people talk about running stadiums

and all these people are fit and in social circles,

I am not a part of.

I still don't feel like I belong in a place

where health and fitness is tested

but I wanted to give it a try.

Just to be able to do something different

is invigorating but also scary.

I have never felt my leg shake like this before

but I like it.

Being on top of the stadium is the best feeling

in the world.

Counting each silver step, going to the top

and then looking down at my accomplishment

while getting ready to do it all again

makes me feel like I'm living life.

- Yeah, stadium number one, baby!

You got it.

You just completed four stadiums.

How does your body feel?

- My legs are shaky but I feel good.

- [Carly] For Tracy's 30th birthday,

I got her a bike.

Tracy is gonna try her ...

- Oh, I did.

I'm running a bike! (laughs)

Oh, it's definitely good.

Look at me going!

Look at me go!

- [Carly] Come on, bike by.

First day on the bike!

- Woo-hoo, I'm 30!

- [Carly] Run like a pro.

(chuckles)

For Tracy's 30th birthday,

we're going to Puerto Rico and staying

at a vegan resort.- Yeah!

She couldn't fly before we started the film.

So, this is a big milestone.

- [Tracy] Being able to travel at all is a big deal.

Airplane seats at 350 pounds are not comfortable.

- [Carly] How does it feel to fit?

- [Tracy] This time, I'm able to sit comfortably in my seat

and travel with ease.

This is our vegan resort.

You come look at the view.

- [Carly] I also have some more of interest in mind for her

that will be a surprise.

All things she was not able to do

before she lost weight.

I'm hoping she can do them

because some of them are challenging.

- [Tracy] Horseback riding in Puerto Rico

for my 30th birthday was a special treat

but also a big challenge for me.

I had an accident with a horse

when I was younger at a friend's birthday party.

I was only 11 but I was too heavy to ride a pony

like all of the other kids.

I had to run a grown horse and it scared me away

from horses for many years.

I never rode a horse again,

until my 30th birthday.

Going to Puerto Rico is a once in a lifetime experience

where I hope to do many things

I can never have done before.

I turned 30 in the halfway mark of my journey

and I wanna celebrate my new life

and thank my trainers for all the hard work

and dedication they gave to me.

I will always remember the smell

of the wild growing jasmine

that is in the garden

where we eat our breakfast every morning.

Breakfast normally, has a huge tropical fruit salad

and everything tastes so fresh.

It is still warm from the sun

and you can tell it was picked from the tree that morning.

It is then that I realized,

good food is not only plant-based

but locally grown and seasonal.

And that jasmine scent will always remind me

of all my new experiences, I had in Puerto Rico.

(lively tropical music)

- [Carly] Things you wanna do once you get your new body

that you can't do now like running from a race

or climb a mountain or ...

- I don't think I'm a mountain climber

kind of gal but don't know if I would ever be

a mountain climber.

- [Carly] Losing the weight allows us

to do a lot of new things.

Number one on the list, mountain climbing, baby.

Tracy never thought she would climb a mountain

but I knew she would.

Tracy's been doing so well

that I wanna reward her with something

she's always wanted, braces.

Dr. Dawn Martin and Dr. Paige Jacobson were kind enough

to donate braces to Tracy for our film.

- [Tracy] I am also self-conscious about my smile.

Formula is simple.

I work out more.

I eat a plant-based diet.

I start feeling better and I smile more.

I am so lucky to be given the opportunity

to now, have an amazing smile.

The way I feel about my teeth is the same way,

many people feel about their size and weight.

I'm self-conscious.

Won't smile for big pictures

and I'm embarrassed about their appearance.

I remember after just a few weeks of having braces,

glancing at myself in the mirror at the gym.

I was drenched in sweat.

Not a stitch of makeup on but I was smiling

and for once thought, I was pretty.

(lively music)

- In honor of Tracy's hard work,

I'm gonna do a little bit of ink with her.

So, it will be an ink at the same time.

I'm a little bit nervous

but she's put a lot of hard work into this.

So, we both put hard work.

So, I'm doing this as a reward for myself as well.

Just stab myself with a needle.

It's a good reward.

- [Voiceover] Tracy, this is your first fashion show

and how are you feeling?

- [Tracy] This fashion show is something

that is very far from my comfort zone.

I would not consider myself fashionable

and I'm struggling to find out what clothing works well

with my new body.

- [Voiceover] Woo!

- [Tracy] I'm definitely not used to anyone viewing me

as someone, that is attractive or model wannabe.

I know that I need to force myself to do this though.

It is one of the most challenging things

for me to do.

Most people would think, changing to a vegan diet

and starting a workout plan would be

the most challenging.

This is nothing compared to putting yourself

onto a stage and to have your physical appearance

judged by a crowd of people.

Especially if you've never been viewed

in that light before.

It is a challenging experience

but as I'm standing on the stage

with the gorgeous Zen Fitness crew,

I actually feel proud of myself

in what I have done.

I'm feeling proud of my appearance

is a foreign concept but I'm beginning to like it.

- [Carly] So, how's your doctor visit today?

- Good.

I got some really good news back

from my first appointment was with the optometrist.

I've always worn glasses or contacts

since I was real little.

It runs in my family.

Just we all have bad eyesight

and when I went into the doctor,

I thought that I was gonna need

a stronger prescription because I haven't

been seeing that well out in my contacts

and what it ended up being was that my contacts

were too strong.

That my eyesight has actually gotten better.

The optometrist was really surprised by it.

He did a few scans on my eyes.

He noticed more blood flow to my eyes

and he asked me if I had changed something

in my diet recently.

A few days, it'll be 10 months now as a vegan.

And my eyesight has improved to the point

where I have a brand new glasses prescription

and contact lens prescription.

Both eyes have corrected themselves at the same time.

He said that maybe if one eye had gotten stronger

or the other eye did it, that it was something else

but he said that it was definitely something

more to my diet to make both of my eyes

get stronger at the same time.

(heartbeat)

- Okay, so here we are one year later

and almost 200 pounds down.

So, we're going back for Tracy's cardiology tests.

Here we go, in this size right here.

- Oh my god.

- And she filled this out

and she filled it out real tight last time we were here.

- I think you should get that thing tailored

for your new body.

- Made into a dress.

- Absolutely, you can make it into a dress.

Unbelievable.

You're a success story.

- [Tracy] Going into this second stress test,

I was a lot less worried.

I was way more confident.

I knew that I could do this

and I knew I could do it well.

- [Carly] Looking at her when she was lying down

the second time, it was amazing.

I remember how far she had come.

- Is that good?

- Unbelievable.

- Yeah, that wouldn't happen last time.

- She's laughing now.

(heartbeat)

How'd you do it?

- Diet and exercise.

- Diet and exercise.

Anything special with the diet?

- Plant-based.

- Plant-based?

- Vegan diet.

- Best thing you ever did in your life so far?

- Yeah.

- Would you say by far?- Yeah.

What's the secret?

- There's no secret.

- No secret.

- Got nothing to do with it.

Every day?- Yup.

Wow.

You look like a different lady through here

and everything.

She looks awesome.

- [Carly] How did she do?

- She did amazingly.

No kidding.

I mean in four and a half years I've been here,

I've only seen maybe one or two other people

that have made it to stage five.

So, she did.

She did amazing really.

- [Tracy] When someone is 350 pounds,

they get familiar with not being noticed

in a crowd for any positive reasons.

I never have people look at me

and admire my appearance and I'm very comfortable

knowing that people do not look at me

based on my appearance and actually make a point

to make sure I get noticed for other things

like a good work ethic

or a lot of personality.

I still catch myself not recognizing myself

in the mirror yet but it'll get there.

- [Carly] I was really proud of Tracy for modeling.

It's funny because of all the things we did.

That was one of the hardest things for her.

I could tell that she was really out of her comfort zone

but just like everything, she was a warrior.

She got in there and she tried her hardest

and she did great and I don't think she realizes

how many people she's inspired.

Her pictures and her change has made

so many people wanna lose weight and inspired

so many people across the board to be healthy.

- [Tracy] Shopping now is a lot more fun.

There is a lot more variety to it.

There's also a social aspect to it.

I'm able to go shopping with my friends.

Before, I can never go shopping with my friends

because we would clearly have to shop in different stores.

They would go into stores in the mall

and nothing in that store would fit me

and you can only look at earrings and necklaces

for so long.

Recently, I got to shop for bridesmaid dresses

with my best friend and her little sister

and that was really fun.

It's something that I couldn't have done

in the past.

There's the social aspect to it.

There's a lot more variety.

I can buy stuff on sale.

I can return things.

Just an endless variety and it's a lot cheaper.

Grocery shopping has changed a lot for me

now that I'm vegan.

When I was not vegan, I would have to go up and down

every single aisle in the store.

I would have to look at the produce department.

as well as the meat, dairy, eggs.

Gees, now, I can pretty much grocery shop

in my produce department and my local farmers market

and get everything that I ever needed

with occasional visits to the bulk section for beans

and whatnot.

Definitely, can run in and run out,

much easier to shop.

Dating now is a lot more fun in general.

It's a lot easier.

I have a lot more options.

I can do active things on dates.

I can go on bike rides.

I can go for a walk in the park.

I can go for a run.

I can basically go anywhere and do anything

with all the options that I have now.

(energetic music)

Ow!

(lively music)

(people cheering)

Just another cardio day.

- [Carly] Yeah, good job.

- Not too bad.

Definitely could have done it a year ago.

I didn't finish last.

- [Carly] Now, you did and you had a lot of people.

- [Both kids] Go Tracy, go!

- When we started, her waist was 58 inches.

Last time I remember we measured.

So, let's see where she is now.

Down 200 pounds.

You are at 31 inches.

As you could see, that is quite an improvement.

How does it feel?

- It feels good.

- I am vegan.

- I am vegan.

- I'm a vegan.

- I'm a vegan.

- I'm a vegan.

- I'm vegan.

- For health reasons and for the planet.

- For my health.

- For the planet.

- I am vegan because

it's the healthiest way to be.

- I'm vegan for my health.

- I am vegan.

- I'm a vegan.

- I love vegetables and I love fruits.

- I have a family history of cancer.

My grandfather, my father had both battled cancer.

Research has shown that there's strong correlation

between a vegan diet and reducing your chances

of cancer.

- My health but also because, it gives me

a lot of energy when I workout.

- Good for the heart.

Good for the body.

- For my health.

- For my health.

- Because it's good for my health.

- [Carly] I am vegan.

Because I wanted to get the most out of life.

I feel my best.

I look my best.

Being vegan is not only good for me

but good for the planet.

I am vegan.

- [Tracy] I am vegan because it gave me a new life.

It's the easiest way to live life to its fullest.

My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

I'm capable of more now than I ever thought I could do.

I feel healthy, strong and happy.

I had no idea how much I was missing out on life.

People ask me all the time now,

if I'm gonna continue being vegan.

My only response is that there's no reason not to be.

My one piece of simple advice for you

is to do it now.

It's difficult to know that I lived 29 years

of my life like that.

Nowadays, every aspect of my life is better.

I no longer have to hide or lie about

who I really am.

My daily life is easier and I have so many more

opportunities available to me.

I was able to move into a new home

that's up three flights of stairs.

I have a new career that's more rewarding

and productive.

I've developed relationships

with new friends that influence my good habits.

I have continued to be vegan and see no reason to stop.

I work out on a daily basis and I'm currently training

for a marathon.

I love spin classes.

I was even able to trade in my gas-guzzling SUV

for a smaller two-seater car.

The most unexpected reward from this project

was that I have found it to be truly rewarding

and motivating to show others

how easy it is to be happy and healthy.

I write a blog that lists some of my favorite vegan recipes

and love to help others get motivated

about a healthier eating habit.

I never expected to have my photos

in magazine articles and my recipes being featured

but to know that we could possibly help

get one person happier and healthier

and feel the way I do, is the best reward

I could ever ask for.

I just don't feel like I did anything special.

I followed simple lifestyle changes

and so could you.

That's a year of my life being filmed

as I lost 200 pounds.

What a great experience to be a part of.

I hope that I can motivate you to try something new.

Try being vegan.

It worked for me.

- [Carly] Well guys, Unsupersize Me

was a tremendous success.

Without question, one of the greatest achievements

of my life.

I can still be found at Zen Fitness every day,

helping people get healthy and teaching them

how to enjoy a plant-based lifestyle.

I also have launched a new whole foods

beet juice supplement called Red Ace

that helps people with cardio performance

and overall health.

You have seen our story firsthand

and now know how quickly plant-based diet

helps you reach your optimum level of health.

I hope this film inspires you.

The plant-based diet can change your life too.

(energetic rap music)