( CNN ) -- Having to ask for a seat belt extender on a flight was one of Benji Kurtz 's biggest life humiliations . He also could n't shop at popular clothing stores -- the clothing was n't large enough . When he found clothing that fit , he often did n't have a choice in styles or colors , able only to purchase pants available in size 50 . At his heaviest , in 2005 , Kurtz weighed 278 pounds . Only 5 feet 5 inches tall , he was considered severely obese . For several years he cycled around low-carb diets to temporarily lose 30 to 40 pounds , only to gain it back . None of the many other diets he tried worked , either . Then , by chance , the solution found him . Over Memorial Day weekend 2013 , Kurtz and his wife watched `` Forks Over Knives , '' a documentary on the science behind plant-based eating . At that point , he weighed 258 pounds . The scientific evidence presented on why humans should eat a plant-based diet just made sense to Kurtz . It was like a light bulb went on , he explains . He read numerous books and watched online lectures to learn more as he began eating from the four food groups recommended by the Physicians ' Committee for Responsible Medicine : Fruits , vegetables , whole grains and legumes ( with nuts and seeds ) . Gradually , he cut out sugar , salt and oils . `` As I saw the scientific evidence of how we have evolved as herbivores and not omnivores , and as I saw how well my body was reacting to feeding it a low-fat , whole-food , plant-based diet , it became progressively easier from there , '' said Kurtz , a 37-year-old entrepreneur in Atlanta . The quick results were encouraging . It was n't just his weight that started to drop . His cholesterol went from over 200 to 167 . His blood pressure lowered . His health insurance rates also went down three times as he got healthier . At the same time , other things were on the rise , including his energy levels and his ability to taste food . `` Once you start eating this way , your palate totally changes , '' Kurtz said . `` You are tasting food the way food was supposed to taste in the first place . Like a film has been lifted off your taste buds . '' He also discovered that he could eat as much as he wanted of the right foods and not gain weight . His new way of eating felt more like abundance than deprivation . Breakfast foods included oatmeal and fruit smoothies with almond milk . For lunch or dinner , his favorite foods became steamed vegetables with a faux Parmesan seasoning , red lentil chili , baked potatoes , vegan mac and cheese and split pea soup . If he got hungry in between meals , unsalted and unroasted nuts , fruit or chia pudding made with almond milk were his snacks . After one year and one day on his new diet , Kurtz had successfully lost 100 pounds . He now weighs 138 , his pant size is 31 -- 19 sizes smaller than his heaviest -- and he wears a size small in shirts . Kurtz 's story is n't uncommon , says Dr. John McDougall , a California physician who has been studying the effect of nutrition on disease for over 30 years and who answered diet questions from Kurtz during his transformation . After moving people away from a rich , high-fat American diet full of meat and dairy , McDougall says he 's seen patients lose weight , be cured of constipation and lower their cholesterol levels . One of the biggest keys to these results , he says , is understanding that humans have always been primarily starch eaters ; starches are n't bad . Pasta , beans , rice , corn and potatoes are foods that satisfy the body and can be alternatives to meat and dairy . `` People think they are going to starve to death if they do n't eat a hamburger , '' McDougall said . McDougall went on to say that the marketing of meat and dairy has become so effective that we often associate calcium with dairy and protein with meat , when , according to him , it 's quite easy to get those nutrients from a natural , vegetarian diet . Kurtz credits his ease in transitioning into this plant-based diet to living close to a grocery store where he could purchase healthy foods and working from home , which made it easier to cook . He also found a quiet indoor pool with a friendly staff where he swims around 20 laps six to seven days a week . `` I do n't crave foods I no longer eat . I 'm not going to bed hungry . Everything about life is better . '' From overweight smoker to marathon contender .
Benji Kurtz tried almost every diet without success . He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 10 and has been on a strict low-carb diet ever since. He lost 100 pounds in a year .