RISE UP!

By Jon McMahon

HOW ONE MAN LOST 108 LBS,

DEFEATED DIABETES AND OBESITY,
AND RECLAIMED HIS LIFE!
(...AND HOW YOU CAN, TOO!)
I turned on my camera one day, and filmed my
troubled thoughts…
I never thought in a million years I would end up in this position.

I had been numbing myself out with food for years, never thinking much of it.
Hitting the drive through a few times a week, burgers, fries, soda… you know,
the standard American diet.

But there I was. 120lbs overweight, out of control type 2 diabetes, a heart
attack, severe neuropathy in my feet—I burned them in a bonfire fire and didn’t
even feel it—Numbness spreading to my hands and joints, blurring vision,
borderline kidney disease…

Then there’s the brain fog, and worst of all… anxiety and crippling depression.
 22 STEPS TO REVERSE DIABETES & OBESITY

l b s i n
o s t 1 0 8 !
I l n t h s
10mo
Before long, things looked so bleak… I didn’t
think I could EVER have a normal life again… I
didn’t think I’d ever be able to run up stairs, to
hike mountains, to find love again…

I’m Jon McMahon

and this my real
life story.
Now, ten months after being at my worst
health ever, I’ve lost 108 lbs, I’m healthy and
I’m thriving…

I’m no expert at weight loss, but I want to

share my story with you in the hopes it can
inspire you that--no matter how tough your
situation may seem--change is possible.
Health is possible. Thriving is possible.

As I share my story, I’m going to

highlight the 22 Keys that I believe
made the difference.

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B e f o r e
My Story
I was born in Sydney, Australia and
moved to the US as a kid.
I was raised in a community famous
for being one of the “Blue Zones,”
where people live the longest.
Our family was vegetarian, and that
was all I knew. I never even tasted
meat until I was about 16, and I spit it
out because it took forever to chew.
In college a friend introduced me
to a thing called a “hot pastrami
sandwich” with lots of cheese at
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After
the neighborhood deli. Soon after
I discovered fast food and the drive
thru. It was all downhill from there.
In my 30s I had the world at my
fingertips. I was involved with an
exciting internet startup during the
dotcom boom.
When the market broke, so did my
spirit.
I withdrew from the world, and
stopped playing the game of life.
All through my 40s I isolated
myself and numbed myself out
with food. Slowly I gained more
and more weight.

Depression and isolation

became my new normal. I could
only dream of being healthy and
happy again.

Pretty soon my poor health

really started to catch up to me. “Jon, look at
I was diagnosed with full-blown your blood. It’s
diabetes, neuropathy. My doctor
told me one day that I’d had “an thick and milky
event” – a heart attack--the kind
that come from having diabetes. white, full of fat.
On another doctor’s visit, I was
You could have
getting my blood work done a heart attack
when my doctor came running
in, or stroke at ANY
moment. Your
triglycerides are
2,170.”

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THAT was a wakeup
call.
I knew I had to make a radical
lifestyle change, but I didn’t know
if I could do it.
One day in November, 2014, I went
to the park to try to start some
kind of exercise… but I could
barely walk… All I could do was
shuffle along.
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I was shocked at my state, and
really depressed.
The path back to health looked
impossible. I was completely
overwhelmed.
One day as I was contemplating
taking my own life, something
deep inside me said, “Jon, you’ll
regret it.” It was as if a part of me
felt I still had something to give in
this life, some kind of mission.
 KEY #1: Face Reality
Getting the diagnosis from my
doctor and then going to the park
and realizing I could barely walk
was a wake up call, but it wasn’t
enough to make a change until
one day when my brain shut down.
I co-owned a popcorn store at the
time, right next to Krispy Kreme
donut shop and a pizza parlor.
I was rushing back from UPS store one
day, when I came to an intersection
and didn’t know which way to go. I
didn’t know where my house was, the
popcorn store, or anything. I couldn’t
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think. It was as if I was having a stroke.
That’s when I realized it that the
stress of this business and this diet
of popcorn, donuts and pizza was
killing me. I wasn’t sleeping, I was
rushing around, skipping meals,
jamming junk food down my throat.
That night I packed my bags and
walked away from that business
and that life for good. I didn’t know
what was next, but I knew I couldn’t
continue on that path.
I drove west to Pismo Beach, California
to be near family.

KEY #2:
Ask For Help
I wanted to change my life and get
healthy, but I didn’t want help or
support. I was going to do it on my own.
A few months later, as I was living in a
tent by the beach, I felt like the journey
back to health was too overwhelming. I
couldn’t do it. I was too old, too late, too
much of a failure, there was no way out.
I remembered seeing a suicide
prevention billboard, and I got in my
car and drove to where the billboard
was. I called the number and waited for
someone to pick up...
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No one was there -- I got voicemail! I
broke out laughing and laughing. I call a
suicide hotline and get voicemail???
The laughter got me through that
moment.
I then called my nephew who was also
a suicide prevention expert, and he
kept me from going over the edge. He
encouraged me to get some support.
That’s when I called Dr. Doug Lisle
(featured in the iThrive docuseries I
would later film) and told him I was at
the end of my rope. I told him I need
help, and I need it RIGHT NOW.
I could barely believe it, but in about
20 minutes, he had unravelled my
core issues and put me back on a path,
walking back into life.
KEY #3:
Family & Friends
Thank God for friends like Larry and family like my
sister, Kaye. They had been trying to help me for
years. Jon, read this. Jon, do that… But I’m pretty dang
stubborn.

Finally, after admitting I needed help, I took their

suggestion and checked into a health center called
TrueNorth.

(If you have friends or family in your life, who are

wanting to help you reclaim your health, please don’t be
as stubborn as me. Don’t wait until you’re near death
before you let them help you. Let them come into your
life, give their love and make a difference.)

KEY #4: Get A Taste of

Health & Connection
Larry gifted me a 7-day stay at TrueNorth, and while
there I got a sense of healthy living and I met others
doing the same thing. I ate only the meals they prepared
for me: fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes--and no
sugar, no salt and no oil.

I was surprised it tasted so good!

(Give yourself the gift to tasting and enjoying pure health

whenever possible. Check into a retreat that might seem
almost “too healthy” or dine at some new restaurants
that seem a little “too healthy.” Then while there, let
yourself just relax, indulge and enjoy.)

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KEY #5: Embrace
Learning About
Health
While there I also attended some some lectures
on health and some classes on how to cook
healthy. I began to really learn about health,
and it’s SO important.

My time at TrueNorth kick started my curiosity

about health and weight loss. I became a
student and started creating a “health library”
with books, DVDs, articles. I started feeding
my mind good nutrition in the same way I was
feeding my body.

KEY #6: Make A

Decision & Take
Immediate Action
I decided to start anew, and when I returned
home from TrueNorth, I did just that…

(What decision can you make today? What

immediate action can you take today that will
make a difference?)

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 I couldn’t just move into a place like
KEY #7: TrueNorth, so I did the next best thing:

Change Your I cleaned out my kitchen, fridge and

pantry. I threw out bags of white

Environment: sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple

syrup, beer, wine, packaged foods

Eliminate the
like mac & cheese, cereals, pasta,
microwave meals, processed crap, cake
mixes--and I got rid of all dairy.
crap, surround I went out and bought dry goods
yourself (legumes (lentils, split peas, all kinds of
beans), grains, nuts & seeds) and put

with healthy them jars and labelled them. I bought

produce (cruciferous greens, fruits,

options.
veggies) and stuffed my refrigerator
with them.

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KEY #8: Move Your Body!
After taking action to clean the crap out of my home and
starting to eat healthy, I was inspired to keep the momentum
going.
I started walking a couple miles
in the mornings on the beach,
working out in a gym in my
apartment a few times per week,
and even cycling a few times per
week.

This lasted for about five months,

and I lost about 40 lbs. I went
from 290 lbs to 248.

But then one day I was on vacation

in England and I REALLY wanted
to try the fish n chips at a pub...

This set me on a roller coaster…

eating poorly and gaining
weight... then eating healthy and
losing weight... But overall, my
weight was trending upwards.

Then in April 2016, I gave up

altogether. I said, “I can't fight
these cravings anymore,” and
I ended up 20 lbs heavier than
when I first went to TrueNorth. I
was 312 lbs.

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KEY #9:
Get A Taste of
Thriving!
About six months later in the fall of
2016, I was taking a course online,
when I met a guy who was traveling the
world, living care-free as a nomad, and
teaching others how to do it. Talking
with him reawakened my dreams for
world travel, and I decided to go to
Asia in January and February of 2017 to
get a taste of adventurous world travel
and the simple life of a nomad.

I traveled to Thailand first, to meet up

with this new friend, whose name was
Michael Skye.

It’s amazing how experiencing a new

way of life can inspire new visions.
Michael and I would awake early in the
mornings, walked down to the river
and would watch the sunrise while
sharing visions of travel. Then we’d
head down to a shop that served super
fresh juices and smoothies.
One of the visions we shared was of
creating an online documentary series
to inspire people to live out their
dreams.
Michael and I rode motorbikes through
the mountains of Thailand, and then
I went off to India next and rode
motorbikes there.
A few months later, Michael and I met
up in California where I shared an idea
to create a documentary series of me
hunting for solutions to reverse my
diabetes and obesity naturally, without
medication or fad diets.
KEY #10: Find Your Purpose;
Or Someone To Fight For
In the early Summer of 2017 as the documentary idea was taking shape, I was walking
along the boardwalk when I spotted a mother with her three children on the beach. One
of the girls was obese, and as I looked at that girl, my heart sank.

I knew what her future would be like. She’ll have a tougher time in school, she’ll be
judged by society, she’ll have a harder time finding love.

I remember looking out to sea and imagining this huge tsunami coming for this little girl
and for all of us--the tsunami of diabetes and obesity.

That was it. If I could make the difference in her life--or just ONE person’s life--then
finding a way to become healthy again would be worth it.

I decided to go ahead and buy a good video camera and go searching the world for
answers. I decided I would interview doctors, experts and people who had turned their
lives around, and share it with the world--or die trying.

And maybe, just maybe… I could save my own life in the process.
KEY #11:
Know Your Enemy
Michael Skye and I formed a business and called it, iThrive!. I quickly began
hunting down experts to film and learn from.

One of the first experts I talked to, Dr. David Matthews, called diabetes, “The
Black Death of Our Times.”

Click Here To Watch A Sneak Peek Of Dr. Matthews

I learned from him and others that diabetes and obesity are fast becoming the
number #1 killer in America, and are already the #1 killer in Mexico.

2 out of 3 adults who have it, will die of a heart attack. Diabetes is the #1 cause
of blindness and lower limb amputation, and a leading cause of Alzheimer’s,
kidney failure and death by stroke.

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Another one of the first experts I in-
terviewed, Pastor Snead working at a
health center in Northern California,
told me he was getting tired of go-
ing too many funerals. He was tired
of seeing people die an early death,
many in their early 50s—my age!
“Today, I hear it constantly
over and over. When some-
one’s in their late 40s, early
50s, it’s like common lan-
guage now, “I’ve got diabe-
tes.” It’s just everywhere.
Everyone has diabetes….
They come into my office
and I just ask, “What’s your
problem?” I know it’s going
to be obesity, Type 2 diabe-
tes and hypertension.”
Did you know, half of you reading
this right now already have diabetes
or pre-diabetes, and 7 out of 10 of us
don’t even know it!
I learned that if we’re obese, we’re up
to 5 times more likely to develop dia-
betes… and in America, a shocking
twenty percent of our children are
now obese. Some experts fear that
for the first time in generations our
children won’t live as long as their
parents.
This is the sad reality we’re facing.
And as if the physical suffering isn’t
enough, diabetes and obesity are
often accompanied by depression,
shame and isolation. Once you’ve
fallen into this emotional black hole,
it’s often very difficult to find your
way out. Some lose the will to live. I
should know.
KEY #12:
Be Tested
Just a few weeks into my first interviews, I spent
an evening at the beach discussing the project
with some friends. When I got home and walked
in my front door, I noticed blood on the carpet.

I looked at my sandals. They were soaked with

blood. My blood!

That’s when I realized I must have burned my

feet in the fire, AND I DIDN’T EVEN FEEL A
THING--because of nerve damage caused by
diabetes.

That’s the scary thing. It creeps up on you

slowly and then one day you find out you’ve had
a silent heart attack, you’re going blind and your
feet may have to be amputated.

I went to my doctor the next day, he bandaged

my feet and warned me,

“Jon, stay off your feet as

much as possible for one
to two months. If your feet
get infected, we may have to
amputate.”

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But the thought of laying in bed helpless feeling sorry for myself depressed me.

I was sick and tired of trying and failing with my weight and my health. I was sick and
tired of feeling helpless in this battle.

I had heard stories about people with diabetes and even neuropathy who reversed it, who
were off their medications and were thriving again.

I wondered… could it be true?

And if so… why aren’t my doctors telling me about this? Why are they just giving me
medication and telling me there’s no cure? Right then and there I decided…

"I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I’m going to travel to

the ends of the Earth if I have to. And if I lose my feet in the
process, so be it!”
KEY #13:
Remember
Who You’re
Standing For
I thought of that obese little girl
on the beach. If I can help just
one person… it will be worth it.

And so I set off as a one-man

camera crew. On an epic
whirlwind adventure against my
doctor’s orders--but following
my heart..

And it was as if I was being

guided. Soon I found myself
hot on the trail of new scientific
discoveries and cutting-edge
treatments!
 I met with world-renowned
experts, scientists, doctors and
researchers.

And I met people like Deborah

whose whole family died of
diabetes, and who had been told
all her life she’d die of it too… but
she didn’t! She’s thriving!

Click Here To Watch A Sneak Peek of Deborah

I met people who’d struggled with their weight and with food addiction all their
lives… and were suddenly free from it… I started to get the feeling…

There’s an uprising going on… People taking their lives back… and not just
surviving… but thriving! And living long, joyous lives!

You’re about to meet these people too… and learn their secrets...

You’re about to feel what I felt… to know what I now know…

Don’t miss the 9-part docuseries

I filmed, when it airs to the world
for free:

iThrive! Rising from the Depths of

Diabetes and Obesity.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE

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KEY #14:
Don’t Listen to the Haters
As the date for the online premiere of my docuseries
got close, I was nervous. Would people judge me?

And when the series started, people DID judge me.

“Who are you to help people reverse

diabetes and obesity? You’re fat!!!”

They were right. I was still morbidly obese. Even

though I had been trying to implement what I was
learning from the experts I interviewed, the stress of
the project was too much.

But we got a ton of great comments too. In fact,

people LOVED it!

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KEY #15: Do
A Supervised
Fast
So many of the experts I had
interviewed had recommended
fasting of some kind. Not just
for weight loss, but especially for
diabetes. A water fast can reset
your palate, your gut biome AND
your mind. It detoxes the body, gets
excess sugar out of blood and more
(watch the series for more info).
I wanted to do a 14-day water fast.
But being the stubborn guy I am,
I wanted to do it at home without
any supervision (something I don’t
recommend as it can be dangerous).
I would wake up and not eat
anything until about late afternoon,
and then hunger would overwhelm
me, and I’d go out to eat. I must
have tried to start my fast w/14-day
fast five different times, failing every
time.
Finally a friend of mine convinced
me to go someplace where I could
be supervised. I knew just where to
go. I called up TrueNorth again, and
checked myself in.
It was tough at first, and I was tired.
One day I woke up from a dream,
hungry as can be. In the dream I
was eating a super duper size bag of
Doritos!
At the 14 day mark, I noticed I felt
great. So I decided to go for another
week. Then another.
All together I water fasted for 32
days!!
Many in my new iThrive tribe, who
had watched my documentary series
online, were worried about me.
But I was just fine. The only reason
I couldn’t go longer was because
I got a bad case of gout, which is
very painful. The gout was caused
because my body was cleaning itself
out.
KEY 16:
Eat Clean For
30 Straight
Days
While interviewing the world’s premiere fasting experts for the iThrive
docuseries, I had learned how important it to eat very consciously when
coming off your water fast. So I stayed at TrueNorth for 30 days and enjoyed
what they prepared for me: delicious Whole Food Plant-Based meals with no
salt, oil or sugar, no flour, no alcohol.

It may sound extreme, but it was surprisingly delicious. And the more I ate
that way, the more I craved more meals like that.

During that month I attended cooking demos, nutrition classes, behavior

modification talks, and more.

KEY 17: Scout

Out Healthy
Options
Everywhere
The photo above is from my first foray back out in the real world. I found
myself a delicious green smoothie, but I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to
stick to my new Whole Food Plant-Based diet. Afterall, I don’t like to cook--
and I’m no good at it!

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KEY 18: Learn
to Cook (even if
you suck at it,
like me!)
This was one of my first meals once I
arrived back home. Nothing fancy, but
I made it myself.

I started throwing together whatever

veggies I had in the fridge every
morning, making myself a plant-
strong breakfast and eating outside
on my patio in the sunshine! I learned
cooking doesn’t have to take forever,
and it can be a fun part of a healthy
ritual that includes fresh air and
sunshine.

KEY 19: Prep Meals In Advance

It’s very hard to follow your diet when you get really hungry. But I discovered
that if my fridge is stocked with delicious meals I prepped days before, it was
much easier to eat healthy. In the photo here, Chef Katie Mae, is teaching me
one of her favorite recipes. She was a big advocate for me taking time once a
week to prep my meals for the week.

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KEY 20: Make
A Ritual Out of
Exercise You
Enjoy
I found it was easy and fun to exercise when
working with a personal trainer, and soon I
was going to the gym almost every morning
because it became a fun habit for me.

KEY 21: Pick

A Physical
Challenge or
Weight Loss
Challenge That
Inspires You
One of the things that seemed impossible just
five months earlier was now within my reach:
hiking a mountain! I decided I wanted to
hike mountains, and suddenly found myself
climbing a hill near my home almost daily to
prepare for the bigger challenge of hiking a
mountain.

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 KEY 22:
Celebrate Your Progress.

One year after I decided

to film the iThrive
documentary series, I
decided to take a little
time off. I met up with
my my nomad friend and
business partner, Michael
Skye in Costa Rica,
where we got together to
plan how we were going
to support the tens of

thousands of people
who were inspired by
the series and beginning
their own journeys to
thriving.

By then I had lost 85 lbs,

and the photo here is me
sitting atop a tropical
mountain enjoying
some sunshine after a
morning of hiking.

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KEY 23:
Inspire
Others
A big reason why I keep
going on my journey is to
inspire others that they can
make progress too. Finally
it was time to test myself.
I wanted to climb the epic
Half Dome in Yosemite
National Park.

Then for my birthday, I

signed up to the tallest
mountain in the state
of Washington, Mount
Rainier, which has a large
amount of glacial ice. Talk
about a challenge! This
hike would require multiple
days, some serious training
and a guide.

Here I am on Mount
Rainier at sunrise, having
camped on the mountain
the night before:
 o w n 9 5 l b s
D In our iThrive blog and our
iThrive Facebook page, I keep
sharing the ups and downs
of my progress, and what I’m
learning along the way. To
follow along, Like our iThrive
Facebook page here.

In the photo I shared on

Facebook (left), I had lost
about 95 lbs…

As I write this now, I’m down

(>
108 lbs.

w n 1 0 8 l b s
D o

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If I can rise up
from the depths
of diabetes,
obesity,
depression and
hopelessness-
-and thrive
again, you can
too!
We are about to re-launch our
docuseries series now, and I invite
you to come and watch!

This November 13th, join

us on an epic journey
across America. As we talk
to brilliant doctors and
inspiring survivors on the
front lines!

It’s the premiere of iThrive!

Rising from the Depths of
Diabetes & Obesity…

A 9-Part docuseries featuring

over 55 world renowned
experts, including scientists,
doctors, researchers PLUS
dozens of inspiring survivors
who will share critical
information with you about
the true solution to these so
often life destroying diseases.
Click here to watch.

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You’ll discover how to prevent and reverse diabetes AND obesity… And not just survive, but
Thrive!

Without using toxic, disease-causing medicines and therapies that have simply become part
of the problem...

If YOU or a family member have any type of diabetes or ANY issues with weight or food… this
is a MUST WATCH…

If you’re a mother or father concerned about diabetes and obesity ruining the lives of your
children… you MUST watch this Free screening...

Enter your name and email on this page so we can send

you the details when it opens live to the world beginning
November 13th!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE

I’ll see you there!

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