30 Day Eating Change Results

You guys asked for it.  Sorry it has taken so long to find time to type this up!

I went 30 days following Britt's eating plan for me.  If you've read any of my posts you know it isn't all about numbers, but here are the results:

In 4 weeks I lost12 lbs and a lot of fat.  I did this through a basic diet that required no extra costs outside of a normal grocery budget.  I also did it while traveling 2 of the 4 weeks to Las Vegas and Orlando.  Yeah, I lost 12 lbs while eating out over half my meals.  We were also waste-deep in buying a new home and moving which adds stress and anxiety.  Stress and anxiety typically causes me to eat more and gain weight.  

More pictures:

It's all about principles.  It isn't about starving yourself or calorie counting.  Calorie counting only exists when you are eating something that is not good for your body.  Once you understand how certain foods affect your body you can maximize every meal.  I had no steady meals, less workouts than normal, and easy access to stuff like this:

So, how did I do it?  Well, it wasn't by eating the stuff above.  This is it:

1. Limit sugar intake.

2. Eat as raw and natural as possible.

3. Eat as many veggies as possible (especially while eating meat)

4. Limit bread intake

5. Don't drink calories (this includes so-called "no-calorie" drinks that aren't water)

RANT I have to say something real quick about no-calorie drinks.  I am a marketing/product manager that works with government agencies.  Government agencies dictate how companies should communicate ingredient/chemical calories.  So, chemists develop chemicals with specifics chemical components to manipulate the regulations so the marketing department can make claims about low-fat, no-calorie, no-sugar, etc.  If you are drinking something that is not water but claims no-calories it is because a chemist invented a chemical that they put in the drink.  This chemical has went through the required testing procedure but there is no way of knowing for sure that this new chemical won't eventually have negative consequences on your body.  Think about aspartame in diet pepsi.  Diet pepsi is now advertising that their drink is aspartame free.  So, they have been selling an aspartame-laced drink for decades that we now know causes problems.  Now, they have replaced it with a new sweetner/chemical that some chemist invented so they can continue to make the same marketing claims.  Please understand.  They don't know how the new sweetner/chemical will affect you.  They will say they do, but they don't.  Also, why the heck aren't people up in arms about this?  Pepsi is openly admitting that what they have been selling for decades is dangerous by promoting that it is now aspartame free.  Where in the world are my protesters? :)  RANT OVER

If you want specifics you can see the meals I ate in my first 7 days.  

If you want to do the same you must use a customized plan to meet your needs.  There are obviously rules that work for everyone.  However, you should consult with Brittany to develop a custom plan to meet your unique needs.

To my Fellow Worker-Outers:

I love working out.  I love the challenge.  For years I tried my to lose weight through intense workouts.  In non-winter months I average 3-6 hours of intense workouts per week.  That doesn't include the constant hiking and bike riding Britt and I love to do.  I burned a ton of calories, but never saw the lasting results.  Don't get me wrong, working out is very important.  Building muscle will help you burn fat and improve your heart health.  It prevents disease and promotes stable mental and physical health.  However, what I now know is that you can't outwork bad eating.

80/20

I mentioned the 80/20 rule in previous posts.  I believe the 80/20 rule applies directly to working out and eating.  80% of your weight loss goals should be based on your eating and 80% of your foods should be good fuel for your body.  20% of your weight loss goals should be based on your workout regimen and 20% of your food intake can be non-fuel.  Meaning- sugars, bread, non-water, and meats like bacon or red meat.  I like the idea of a cheat meal once a week to keep your body honest.  Once again, I am simply describing to you my findings for myself.  You should consult with a wellness coach like Brittany and a doctor before making big changes.

Meal Preparation

Britt has been amazing in this for me.  She has made most of my meals when I wasn't traveling.  It has been a huge time commitment for her.  I believe eating normal groceries is essential for lasting success.  However, other friends have used the meal service and seem to be having great success!  The reason why I don't like to recommend the meal service is because it is more costly and if you rely too much on them to supply everything and you eventually start making your own food you may be forced to give up for budget reasons.  

If you can't do you are doing a diet or eating change that you can't imagine doing forever the statistics are against you that you will keep it up and see lasting results.

Grace

Grace is such a beautiful thing.  Grace is not mercy.  It is not forgiveness.  Among other things, it is God's effort to help you.  It is available to all His children.  For me, I rely on God's grace to help me in my eating, cravings, and mindset change.  I thank Him (by Grace through Faith) for changing my mind and taste buds towards things that my body needs but my taste buds don't like.  I thank Him for eliminating my desire to eat things that poison my body and don't promote a healthy and fit body.  I thank Him for reminding me that the bad things are not going to benefit me.  His Grace is there for me in my time of need.  As one pastor put it, He takes away my "want to."

You can do it and He wants to help!

By His Grace

Eating Change Day 7

Day 7
What a different experience this has been. I feel good.  I'm not dizzy, tired, grumpy, or counting down days to some made-up "end goal day."  I'm not saying "reboots" or cleanses are bad.  Don't hear that.  I'm just not in that mindset anymore.

I've been posting my daily weight because I know people need that to get interested.  Honestly, I don't really care what the scale says.  Yeah, it is a hard baseline.  However, it can be manipulated so easily.  I could dehydrate myself and remove most of the solid food from my body and lose another 7.  But, doesn't it sound silly when you think about that?  The world tells us that number signifies health.  However, when we really think about it we know that's not always true.  That number becomes so important that business people create plans and marketing efforts solely around that number.  You see it as a success because of the number.

I have found that we don't know what "good" feels like until we feel better.  Many people are walking around in pain and they don't even know it.  It is a different kind of pain.  It's joint pain. It's stomach pain. It's blood pressure.  It's cholesterol.  It's mental cloudiness.  It's these weird "diseases" we have invented over the last couple years.  I'm not going to name any of them so I don't offend anyone.  People don't know how their food is affecting them until they change.  You can look at someones number and know they weigh more or less than you.  However, you don't know how they feel.  They may not know how they feel.  We all are okay until we aren't.  There's a big range between okay and not okay.

When I was a Sophomore or Junior in High School I weighed about 270 or so lbs.  I remember having a very vivid dream where I was running down the street by my old middle school and sprinting up this little hill.  I remember not being winded, taking long strides, and feeling really free.  I'm not sure where that dream came from, but it has always inspired me.  I think it felt like what it would be like to run like my friend Matt Hammersmith (stop, hammer time).  Running like that has a number associated to it.  However, it also has a feeling.  Eating well and feeling well is the same thing.  I could have went on a twenkie diet and monitored my calories and lost 7 lbs in 7 days.

So, after 6 full days (weigh-in in the morning) I am down 7 lbs.  I have another very long physical working day. So, I'm going to eat more carbs and calories than normal.  So, probably won't see any weight loss tomorrow.  Sorry!



Eggs, toast, and apple with peanut butter for breakfast.



I made a almond milk, 2 banana, and two spoon fulls of peanut butter shake.  I know, it has tons of sugar and unnecessary calories.  GET OFF MY BACK! :)



We felt like eating out after church.  I typically get soup and a sandwich.  Switched the sandwich for a caesar salad (caesar dressing isn't very good for you).  Also, tore up the multi-grain bread and put it in the LOADED BAKED POTATO soup!  Please note:  This soup is the opposite of good for you.  Tons of sodium, whipping cream, white potatoes, bacon, etc.  It didn't make me feel great but it was what I wanted.  If you are doing something more urgent then don't eat this kind of thing.  I did it because of what I explained above.



I worked hard all afternoon and ate the below for dinner.  I finished my soup (bad for me) and ate this really interesting lasagna type of meal.  It had wheat noodles and used fried (in coconut oil) sweet potatoes for the crunch.  It had a homemade tomato sauce, kale, and cheese.  It was pretty good!



So, this is my last daily post.  I'm going to do one more post showing the before and after shots and final weigh in.  I appreciate you following along.  I hope I have encouraged you as much as some of you have encouraged me.  I'm going to try to do a weekly blog if I remember.

By His Grace!

Eating Change Day 6

Day 6
Waking up to losing more weight always feels good.  However, I want to remind those reading that my plans may be different than your goals/needs.  Here's a reminder of my plans:

1. Improve eating for the long term- this means substantially more greens.  Britt practices 90/10 (I think it's more like 95/5).  That means 90% of the time she eats something good and typically raw. 10% of the time she eats something sugary or processed.  As of right now, my plan is to be closer to 80/20.  I was probably 20/80 before this change.

2. Jump start my body and force my body to change its cravings-  When you eat a ton of greens your body will start to crave them.  I HATE vegetables.  Always have.  However, everyday my taste buds are changing.  Thank Jesus He is helping me in this area big time!  He wants to help you too!

Your goals may be different.  You may need to lose extreme weight.  My diet would work for you but I am not being as strict as you should be because I am generally healthy and want to do something I can do forever.  If you have a specific timeline you may want to consider a more strict plan.

Last note:  These blogs are descriptive in nature.  Not instructive.  I try to give you the things I am learning about myself along the way.  I can tell you that eating natural/raw foods is the best route for everyone.  However, if you want to do something similar it would be best for you to contact Britt at Go Nourished and work with her to build a custom plan for you based on your unique needs.



Down one more pound. So, that is almost 7 lbs in 5 days (Monday morning is 7 days for scale).



I have a long day of work ahead of me.  So, britt made banana pancakes.  If you've never had them you should try them.  They are just eggs and banana blended together.  They taste great and don't have any flour!  I put syrup on them but someone more serious should do honey or peanut butter or peanut butter honey! :)

I also had a piece of toast and eggs with cheese since I'm addicted and all...

I was working on the house all day so I didn't have time to stop for a long lunch.  Britt made me a turkey, cheese, spinach, and hummus sandwich with TWO pieces of bread!!  This is the most bread I have had in a while.  I actually felt a little bloated from it.  I also had some peanut butter with my apple.



Unfortunately, I didn't stop working until about 7:30pm.  So, my dinner was a lot later than what I like.  I was REALLY hungry.  Britt made me a burger with cheese with homemade guac on top.  Blueberries on the side and some veggie chips to eat the guac.  The guac and veggie chips tasted SO good.  She also made a veggie slaw (I think that is what she called it).  It had broccoli, asparagus, and kale.  Note to Britt- Put that "veggie slaw" on the "do not serve" list. Love and appreciate you!



Did I say how much I loved the guac and chips?  Man, it was good but it has a ton of (good) fat.  The only issue is no matter how they market it no good tasting chips are really good for you.  So, if you're like me and you're normally a two-basketer at the mexican restaurant then we need to learn to manage our serving size.  Please remember, when it's green you should eat as much as you want.  You shouldn't have to manage serving sizes for any veggies.  So, if you're on a "portion control" diet consider just eating good stuff and not having to worry about portions.

I have one more post tomorrow and then I'm going to switch to weekly posts.  I appreciate everyone following along and I appreciate those that have reached out and told me that I am impacting you.

If you are a Christian remember that God's Grace is available to you to reach your goals and be a healthier you.  You can access what is available by simply accepting His help and thanking Him regularly because you know He is there with you helping you every step of the way.  When you feel like you screwed up speak your Righteousness through your Faith in Christ.

By His Grace.

Eating Change Day 5

Day 5
At the start I was writing these blogs so I could keep track of my purpose and remember where I started.  Now, I am doing it for the people it is helping.  I have been contacted by people nearly every day encouraging me and telling me how I am impacting them.

To those of you considering doing something similar please consider doing something you could do forever.  Also, start now.  Don't plan for some day in the future.

So, I warned you about this.  After traveling for two days and eating out two times I didn't lose any weight.



I was really excited about not gaining weight while traveling.  This was my "practice" for traveling later this month.  I will be traveling again next week as well.

I have to admit it was hard not losing weight since I didn't cheat at all and ran over 6 miles in the last two day.  Unfortunately, my body is used to pretty intense exercising.  If you haven't been exercising you will see faster results.

I started the morning with a green juice.



Juice helps me change my appetite towards greens.  It is also a nice boost in calories and sugar.  More greens keeps my mind clear and strong for work.



I also ate toast and eggs and cheese.  If you've been following you know I eat this every morning.  I never get sick of it... It tastes so good to me.  It think it is because I love bread and this is typically all the bread I get.  I used to eat a LOT of bread every day.  One of these days I'm going to make oatmeal.

Britt and I had to leave our house for the afternoon because our home was getting inspected.  We decided to go to the salad buffet so we could manage what we ate.  I had spinach salad with chicken, cheese, peppers and eggs.  I also had some fresh fruit.  I decided to use a vinaigrette.  



I was at the library all afternoon; so no snacks.  Luckily, I don't have a habit of buying cans of pop or candy from the machine.

My body is pretty well adjusted to the food.  I don't feel tired, light-headed or hungry like I do with other diets.

For dinner britt made me grilled chicken with cheese and tomato sauce.  She also mashed some sweet potato, and kale.



We are pretty busy this weekend with all our house stuff so I'll try to keep you updated!

By His Grace!

Eating Change Day 4

Day 4
I wasn't able to weigh in today because I am out of town.

I had a late night so I planned on sleeping in.  I woke up early anyways so I decided to workout.  It was about 10 degrees outside so for the first time in 10 years I decided to run on a treadmill.  I ran 3 miles.  Running is boring enough without starring at a wall...

For breakfast I had eggs, toast with butter, and fresh fruit.

 

As I said in a previous post, this traveling was what I was most worried about.  Also, day 4-5 are always when my weight loss slows.  So, I ate way more than I do at home to keep my stomach as full as possible.  I also didn't eat as much greens as britt has been feeding me.

I am eating out twice but I have a plan.

If you are reading this thinking about how it relates to you please understand these really important points:

1. I want a life solution. Not a 10, 14, 21, 30 (or whatever else you see on facebook) reboot/solution.
2. I'm going to eat out at some point in my life.  Sure, if you are in an urgent situation be more strict with your diet change.  However, reprogramming my brain is just as important as losing weight.  Probably more important.  That means I need to change the way I decide what I eat when we go out to eat.  This goes back to what I wrote about eating out always being a treat for me in my mind.

Anyways, brace yourself because I probably won't lose weight these days.  Don't lose focus on what is important.  Feed your body what it needs.  Help your body be healthy inside and it will "look" healthy outside over time (see britt for example).

I ate the below food in two separate meals.  One at 11:30 and one around 3:30.  I did that because of Britt and I's unique plans for the evening (looking at houses and eating out).


Britt included this in what I can eat:



They are an excellent replacement if you like chips.  I really liked them.  I think I ate too many...

After looking at houses we went through a Burger King (we never do this) to get the kids chicken nuggets and apple sauce.  That was the worst.  My mouth was watering smelling the grease and burgers.  I can't wait for the day that my body doesn't crave that anymore.  By the way, I probably ate a burger from a fast food restaurant 10 times in all of 2015.  So, this wasn't a big hurdle for me.  If you are in a little deeper you should consider not putting yourself in this position.

Britt and I ordered some sushi.  I had two rolls and some spicy mayo (love spicy mayo).  So, it was the first time I had white rice and the first time I had anything like mayo.  Sorry, forgot to get a picture (I am really getting tired of being "I take pictures of my food- guy")

Once again, I am not cleansing or trying to prove I can lose 20 lbs in 10 days (done that before).  I am reprogramming and changing my life.

By His Grace

Eating Change Day 3

Day 3
So, traditionally, day 3-5 are my hardest days during a cleanse.  I always feel crappy because my body is detoxing from all the junk I put in it.  Unfortunately, I have to travel today and tomorrow (day 4).

72 hours in and the weight scale says I'm down about 6lbs.

Please note:  I am drinking as much water as humanly possible (120-150oz) and not having any type of irregular bowel movements.  Everything is normal.  Just eating different and already fitting into my clothes better.












Traveling is the worst for me.  First, it is hard for me to not look at eating out as a treat.  I also typically have my meals paid for me when I travel.  So, I may get the extra app, beer, or bigger meal.
Britt packed a HUGE bag of food to help me stay strong.  I had to wake up around 5:30 so I didn't have time for a workout.  I made 4 eggs, some cheese, and a piece of toast with coconut butter spread.  It was good.  I didn't have time to make juice.

I was so thankful when I got to work to see there were no m&m's in the snack jar.  Not that I am drawn to them.  Just didn't want a distraction.

I had a really busy morning so I didn't have a chance to have any snacks.

I ate an early lunch because I had a lunch meeting.  Britt made me a turkey meatloaf that was probably my favorite meatloaf I've ever had (take that pettisville meats).  I ate a pound of blue berries (tasted SO good) and two string cheeses.  I also at as many carrots and hummus as possible.  I had to eat VERY fast but I finished when I got back a couple hours later.



I ate the turkey meatloaf pretty much all afternoon. It was so good.

I had another meeting after work and then got to my hotel.  I stay at a doubletree which means warm chocolate chip and nut cookies.  I was proud of myself because I refused it.  The lady even said "are you sure?"  Thank Jesus "yes, I'm sure" was easy.  When I got to my room they had written me a letter and left MORE chocolate.  One of the pieces was dark.  I thought "shoot, britt eats dark chocolate!"  However, britt is in a better place than me.  So, I just ignored it too.  May seem small to you but exciting to me!

Britt made me enough food for a week away (just gone over night), but it was going to be a hassle to try to make it for dinner.  So, I decided to do my first eating out.  You HAVE to plan/strategize ahead if you're like me.  All day I had in my mind "just go for the caesar salad!"  I even asked people around me if they knew someone that had a good one. So, I got a caesar salad with grilled chicken and hummus with baked pita.  Now, you have to understand that bread used to be my biggest weakness.  Britt has encouraged me to do a lot less (tortilla chips, toast, bun bread, pita chips) but still be okay eating some.  So, I had about 10-15 pita pieces with as much hummus on them as possible.  I also ate the hummus with the provided celery.  It was another victory!



I won't be able to weigh in tomorrow because I am still traveling.  We'll see Day 5 if my eating choices influenced the scale.

His Grace Alone!

Eating Change Day 2

Day 2


I woke up at 5:45am for a crossfit inspired workout.  I typically do crossfit inspired exercises with weights 3 days per week and do intense running (steps, hills, sprints, 5k runs) with body weight exercises 3 days per week.  This is harder in the winter.

I weigh in before showering every morning.  So, after 24 hours I am down 4lbs.  This is due to my high-calorie intake and poor eating over Christmas and last weekend while watching football.  My weight loss will slow down after 3-5 days.

I made a veggie and fruit juice again this morning.  I drink about 20oz of juice per day along with my big meals.  I also eat almonds for a snack.

I had eggs with cheese and asparagus and a piece of toast for breakfast.

For lunch, I had a spinach salad with black beans, chicken, and other veggies.  I used salsa as a dressing.


I couldn't eat the entire salad above.  Also, it takes a LOT of time to eat.  The two things that stand out the most is that I haven't eaten everything on my plate once (that never happens) and it takes me 2-3 times longer to eat.

I started getting a little light-headed because of my lower caloric intake (very busy day and couldn't eat enough).  When I felt that way I would eat almonds and drink juice.  Both the almonds and juice have a ton of calories.  The feeling would go away almost immediately.

For dinner, britt made me two pieces of tilapia and put black beans and cuscus on it.  She also made the greens on the side and some cheese.  I mixed it all together and it was really good!



I play basketball on Tuesday nights, so I did that for about an hour.  I felt great!

I am struggling with a little congestion and runny nose that started in December.  That will be gone soon!

I am considering incorporating a cheat day or cheat meal eventually.  For now, I'd like to get my mind and body right by giving it as much good stuff as possible.  I want to do more research, but I believe a high calorie day with some bad foods is good mentally and physically.  I believe our bodies adapt to lower caloric intake which slows fat loss.  My theory is that having a high calorie day will confuse my body and keep it honest.  It is a method commonly used by Olympians, professional athletes, and body builders.  I'll keep you updated on what I find and if I think it is beneficial.

By His Grace

Weight loss for the fed up fat guy

Past:

Well, I tried just about everything.  I did the juice fast, I tried "reboots", I tried portion control, I tried counting calories, I tried paleo, I tried intense exercise.  All quick fixes to a life-long problem.

I am going to describe my day to day results in this blog.  It will typically be short.  This one is long because I want to provide some background.

I have went up and down in weight many times over the last 10-11 years.  I have been as low as 205 and as much as 282.  Every summer I lose weight from my winter depression, travel, and poor eating choices.  This summer I managed to get down between 238-245.  Like clockwork, I went up to 252 from thanksgiving to new years.  I do this every year... So, I am up about 10 lbs right now compared to the beginning of November.  I did the same thing last year and the year before and even gained another 10 lbs to get to 265 before spring.

If you are looking through this blog post and see how long it is then please read this and feel free to stop:  We thrive on our weaknesses.  We have unknowingly connected who we are to our misfortune, sickness, unhealthiness, or pain.  We sometimes hold on to our weaknesses as a merit badge.  My son, Jack, loves sticky things.  So, he is dramatic about any sores on his body because he wants that band-aid.  I don't have it all figured out, but I know that I hang onto my weight as my crutch for what makes me, me.  I have chosen through the Grace of God to thrive on his strength and ability in me to become a better me.

If you want help improving your health and quality of life please like the Go Nourished page on facebook.

Britt's Transformation:

Its been awesome over the past 5 months watching my wife transform her body through changing her eating.  However, the fact that I couldn't convince myself to flip the switch has been frustrating.  Previously, Britt, like me, did all the diets and training.

We have both prescribed to the notion that natural foods are the best medicine for our day-to-day needs.  Growing up in one of the most obese areas in the U.S., we didn't have the healthy eating alternatives that larger cities have.  So, processed foods, starches, and meat were pretty much all anyone knew.  We both knew that eating less processed foods and more greens was the way to go.  We just weren't convinced enough to do it.

Britt started researching and reading every book she could get her hands on regarding the topic of natural eating.  She started by testing her research on herself.  She learned that is really isn't about calories.  This was a huge shift for me because I always thought "calories in, calories out" was the formula for weight loss or gain.  I still think there's some fact to that, but I now believe that concept has been developed based on "normal" eating tendencies. For example:  If your body is used to a 2500 calorie diet and you eat 2500 calories worth of greens and natural foods and drink 1000 calories of juice your body will respond differently compared to eating 3500 calories worth of processed foods.  The reason why is because your body can break the calories down and use the calories differently.

Britt developed an eating plan that she started at the beginning of August 2015.  Please note:  Britt did not increase her workout regimen during this time.  In fact, I would say her workout regimen decreased because of the thanksgiving and Christmas season.  Plus, we don't get out as much during the winter.  See her results below:

As you can see, Britt has saw awesome results!  She has started a company called Go Nourished. Please find her on facebook if you are interested in help.

Day 1.

It's the first day but it doesn't feel like all the other first days I've done.  Typically, I am excited but eagerly anticipating the results and end.  Whether is was a 3, 5, 7, or 10 day "change" I always couldn't wait for the results and the end.  This day 1 was different because it felt like the first day of forever.  

Britt and I discussed the things I wanted to keep in my diet before we started.  Toast in the morning was one of those things.  So, I started with 4 eggs (yeah 4 eggs!) with cheese on them (cheese?  your diet includes cheese? whhhaaattt!?) and a piece of toast with butter on it.  I also made a big glass of vegetable and fruit juice.  It included kale (a lot of kale), green apples, cucumber, 2 oranges, avocado, and a banana.  Yeah, I know that's a lot of sugar.  Get off my case! :)

I had almonds as an optional snack.  For lunch, I had a bowl of green veggies, chicken, and shreaded sweet potato (get meal lists and recipes from Go Nourished).  Britt seasoned it to my liking.  PLEASE NOTE:  I DO NOT EAT VEGETABLES, EVER.  YOU LIKE VEGETABLES MORE THAN ME.  ANYONE CAN DO THIS!  Here is a picture:

  

I drank my juice throughout the day but I couldn't even finish the above bowl.  Compare that to me typically eating a HUGE lunch.  The greens were SO filling and the chicken really helped.  

For dinner, I had mashed sweet potatoes, steak, and asparagus.  Picture:

  

I had a boring night at home that would typically turn into a snack-a-thon.  It was different tonight. I felt full and satisfied.  

I also felt the Grace of God working in my life.  I don't have to fight to stay on this "diet".  I have prepared myself by thanking Jesus for his help and thanking him for taking away my desires for the foods that are killing me.  His Grace is sufficient for me.

If you can relate to this but want to see my results then wait a couple weeks.  I'll keep you updated.  If you know in your heart this is what you need but you don't know how to start please reach out to Britt at Go Nourished.  She'll help you through the whole process.

Only by His Grace.