[Body & Soul]  180 Degrees on 380 Pounds

by Lea Thomas
March 22, 2007

"My best time is 26 minutes," Chef Luis Ramon Bruno brags about his 5K time. Bruno, 37, from the Bronx, N.Y., stares toward the governor's mansion, where he is Gov. Haley Barbour's personal chef. Gov. Kirk Fordice also enjoyed Chef Bruno's cuisine during his term.

The topic of 5K races is a far cry from what our conversation would have been two years ago, when Bruno crushed the scales at 389 pounds. His daughter, Emma, had to help her daddy put on his size 60 belt. Bruno would sweat just putting on his clothes.

Today, 190 pounds slimmer, Bruno seems quite comfortable in his skin. He's got jokes, too. When I asked him how he got to Mississippi, he said, "I took a left turn in Albuquerque." His wife ,Kathleen, whom he met at culinary school in Florida, is a native Mississippian. Together they opened Bruno's Eclectic Cuisine, and although it was retired in 2003, the restaurant still made the JFPs 2005 "Best of" list as "Best Restaurant Now Closed."

Bruno has the build of a long-distance runner: He's not overly skinny and fit enough to carry the distance of a marathon. When I talked to him, he was in training for the St. Jude's Hospital Marathon held annually in Memphis. Running is only one part of his workout regimen. Bruno also bikes, swims and hits the gym. Bruno's commitment to fitness, healthy eating and an overall healthy lifestyle is a 180-degree turn from his previous lifestyle.

What annoyed you most about being 389 pounds?
I was miserable and drained all the time. I had diabetes and had to take six insulin shots a day. I had cirrhosis of the liver. I couldn't feel my right foot because of damaged nerves. I had sleep apnea. Normal people have a blood oxygen level of 98 percent when they're asleep. I had 28 percent.

Is this when you decided you had enough?
No. I kept making promises to start on Monday. Mentally, I did not want to eat healthy. I preferred tastier foods. I had tried all the diets. My doctor told me that I wouldn't make it to 44. He gave me two choices—surgery or diet. That's when I got on the liquid diet, the New Directions program at Baptist Hospital.

How did that go?
I lost 12 pounds in four days. I doubted it. I figured it was just water. The second week I lost 10 or 11 pounds. I averaged about 30 pounds a month.

How did the program work?
I went to weigh in once a week. I went to see the doctor every two weeks. After every 50 pounds lost, I had an EKG and blood work done.

How long were you on it?
I was on the diet from Feb. 15, 2005, to Aug. 5, 2005. I lost 160 pounds in five-and-a-half months. I lost 30 more pounds with regular healthy eating and exercise.

I'm sure you've heard that Mississippi is the fattest state in the nation. What do you think Mississippi can do about the problem of obesity?
Yes. It's a lot of things—the generation and the culture here. It's how they grew up (eating a lot of unhealthy foods). I think it's up to the parents to teach the kids to eat better and programs like Kids in the Kitchen.

Are you afraid you will gain the weight back?
There is no way I can go back. It's a way of life now. It's easy.

(Kids in the Kitchen is an annual program by the Junior League and is sponsored nationally by Bon Appetit magazine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Dietetic Association. Chef Bruno was the guest chef at the Jackson event last year, and showed kids how to prepare nutritious meals and healthy snacks.)

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