No Words Necessary!

Becky's Whole30- COMPLETED!

Tuesday was my friend's 30th day on the Whole30.  She came over and our kids played outside in a kiddie pool and on a slip-n-slide while we chatted.  She told me, "I feel free. I'm no longer a slave to food, and I actually know when I'm hungry now!"

I feel these pictures really don't do justice to the progress that Becky has made in the last 30 days.  She looks so much slimmer, and she is positively glowing.  So many of us, after going on the Whole30, have had more than just physical changes but spiritual revelations as well. We've shared much of that here, but it continues to be the main theme of all of our Whole30 experiences.

How many of us have turned to food to comfort us when we're hurting, worried, fearful, sad, frustrated or confused?  How many of us have been stuck in a rut, no matter what diet we attempt or no matter how hard we try to change our habits?

Becky has struggled with her weight since she was very young.  Our government says to exercise and eat healthy whole grains, and yet so many people who are following this advice are severely sick and over weight.

This challenge has also caused Becky to change her children's diet by default (she's the cook, so they eat what she makes), which made her realize her oldest daughter has an issue with wheat.

One of the wonderful things about Whole30 is that when we take on the challenge, our children benefit from it. We begin to see them set free of issues like asthma, eczema, diarrhea, heartburn and acid reflux, and a variety of issues.

Many people are finding their lives changed by cutting out grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and the chemicals and preservatives that are in so much of the food that we are accustomed to consuming.  At first, I was amazed by this list of things people overcame but now, having seen so many victories in our life, it just seems more and more like common sense!  Who knew that these culprits could cause you to be allergic to other foods (like healthy fruits and vegetables?).  Brandon always had an issue with black pepper, but since cutting out these things he has been able to consume black pepper with no problem!  Folks who have had to get through each and every day with heavy pain medications find themselves easily conquering the week with little to no pain medication!   Even people struggling with anxiety, depression, and other similar issues have found they are more clear-headed, less stressed and more at peace.

I'm not saying it's a cure-all, but we have seen so many successes and victories in so many areas, not just in our own lives, but in the lives of our friends.

Becky is a testimony of what can happen when you go for it.  She says that God used the Whole30 as a tool to free her from a bondage she had been in her whole life.

This is not some gimmick.  We don't earn any money from promoting the Whole30 or Paleo diet. We don't benefit in any way from you taking on the challenge.

We just know that many folks of many different shapes and sizes have struggled with food, allergies and asthma, chronic pain, back aches, anxiety, bloating, candida issues, migraines, diabetes, endometriosis, thyroid issues, IBS, infertility, and that pudge that won't budge.  We know what it's like to search for relief and not find it. Now we also know what it's like to feel really good, to be migraine-free, to see chronic pain fade away, to not have your stomach in knots, and to finally see weight melt off.

We know what it's like to struggle to say no to Coca-cola and fresh bread, and we know that it can seem like you just cannot do with out those things, but we are here to say that YOU CAN.  These things are made to be addictive, but you can break that addiction.  Food idols can be smashed to pieces, and you can overcome!

Two Months In: How are we doing now?

It's been about two months since we started the Whole30 challenge. You may be wondering how things are going now.

First of all, we are so grateful that God has freed us of so many food idols. We were soda guzzling, fast-food burger chowing, sugar inhaling folks and all of that has changed.  We haven't had a single soda in these last two months.  We actually don't mind drinking unsweetened iced tea (which, previously, we felt unsweetened tea tasted like pond water).  And while there was a huge struggle in the first few weeks to do without bread, rice, and queso, it's actually become no big deal.  At some point, the focus shifted off what we couldn't eat because those things no longer held us hostage.

Since completing the Whole30, we have allowed ourselves little treats, but those treats have left their own little treat behind- one that's not very enjoyable.  On a trip back to Brandon's hometown in Louisiana, we had a link of boudin (contains rice) which caused Brandon to gain 15 pounds in one day. (Once it passed through his system, the 15 pounds disappeared.)  No kidding.  And rice is actually the one grain that causes the least issues. Corn causes us all to break out in bumps and hives, some worse than others. (Although, I, Mandy, admit my favorite treat is to have some corn chips with guacamole. I just have to put up with itchy legs for a day or two.)

When you see that these foods really do cause pain, inflammation, bloating, stomach cramps or other less desirable digestive issues, rashes, brain-fog, and a variety of other ickiness, it's really not that difficult to steer clear of them.

Last week, we went to a Mexican restaurant where our youngest (Molly Jo, 14 months) had a few bites of a flour tortilla which caused her to feel very sick and.... puke all over her bed in the middle of the night.  The good news is that she felt much better and slept through the rest of the night!  I had a few bites of the fried flour tortilla bowl my salad came in, and I was nauseated for several hours following. Yuck.

Molly Jo has been far less fussy, probably because she's no longer consuming those organic Wheat-O's that seem like a good baby snack, and likely because my breast milk is no longer tainted with gluten, dairy, and other foods that didn't go over well in her system.

All of our children pretty much follow a Paleo diet. We do allow them little treats, like basic rice crackers with their tuna salad.  At first, we allowed them to have grain and dairy "treats" at our weekly potlucks, but their systems were screwed up the rest of the week, so we have definitely reigned that in.  It is tough for some children to adjust, and, of all our children, Keagan (5) has had the most difficult time adjusting.  It's mainly because he's old enough to pick his own food from the potluck buffet but not old enough to really think things through.  Our older two can process, "Well, this probably will make my stomach ache later, so I think I'll do without."  If they are tempted by it, they will ask us first, and we can help them make that decision.  (Sometimes we all want someone to make that decision for us, right? Sometimes it's nice for someone to say, "No, I think it would be best to choose something else.")  Keagan is doing much better, and no longer asks one-thousand-times for things he cannot have. Now it's more like a dozen times, which is far less grating on the nerves. Ha!

Mother's Day 2013

I confess, I (Mandy) held on to some items when we went on the Whole30 because I figured they would do in a pinch.  I mean, one day when I'm exhausted, those frozen corndogs will come in handy.  Do I really need to throw out this enchilada sauce that has all kinds of weirdness in it? I ended up loading up a good bit of thing, intending to donate them, but... the box of canned good are still sitting in my car because I just can't fathom giving such crap to anyone!  It's not real food!

So, obviously, we are doing quite well and enjoying this lifestyle of eating.  In fact, as we suspected, this diet paved the way for yet another pregnancy (this always seems to happen when I am grain-free, dairy-free, and legume-free)!  We are expecting our 6th child in January 2014!  Eating this way has also caused me to go through pregnancy relatively morning-sickness free (as I believe I wrote about before).  Having gone through three pregnancies with HORRIBLE all-day, keep-nothing-down "morning" sickness, I know what a blessing it is to not be hanging over a toilet throughout the day or always searching for the best place to throw up when we're out running errands.  (And, for the record, Whole30/Paleo has not negatively affected my breast milk supply at all. The key is keeping hydrated, which, yes, I do have a hard time doing now that I am both pregnant and nursing.)

I (Brandon) always feel inspired to keep going when I look in the mirror and see the progress I've made. It's like, "Hey! I'm pretty stinkin' skinny!"   (Mandy here: Seriously, he'll come out of the bathroom and say, "Who is that handsome man?")

Everything actually tastes more flavorful when it's not wrapped in bread. Hamburgers are far more delicious without bread. I don't miss the bun at all. I'm not really missing cokes at all, but sometimes I want a little something sweet to drink so I go for some orange juice.

People offer me stuff and I think, "I don't eat that stuff. It's bad for me," whereas before I would have felt like it would be a sacrifice to turn it down.  For example, turning down a coke and going for water in the beginning was a sacrifice. Now water is my first choice. No big deal. No internal wrestling or feeling deprived.

I like that our kids are learning better habits and making better food choices.  We're no longer telling them about good habits and then having a bunch of cheats which say we don't really mean what we say.

A week ago I went on a 36-hour fast to break my plateau. I have been on fasts before, but usually, within the first five hours I was crumbling. I was hostile, cranky mess... just ask my wife. (True story.)

This time, I was able to go 36 hours without feeling moody, extreme hunger, or obsessive cravings and the mental gymnastics involved with that.  I am no longer completely controlled by food.

Before, I was addicted to breads and such, so these things made my blood sugar rise and fall, rise and fall. Fasting was a horrible experience then because my body was experiencing such lows during that time, just aching for another high, another hit... like a drug!  Now I feel steady and clear-headed when I fast. (Although, in the last hours, I was feeling a little "high" in a totally different way, and I was starting to feel hungry.)

Pretty soon I'm going to have to buy a new belt.  I've had this one since junior high, so it's going to be tough parting with it! It's very well broken in by now!

1 Month Transformation Photos

I have so many things I want to blog about, but I think I'll start here, with photos.

First, I (Mandy) want to show you the fantastic transformation has gone through in such a short period of time.  I know how hard he has struggled to change his health. We have tried so many things, so I don't think I have to explain how awesome it is to have found something that has worked!

These photos span from the start of our Whole30 challenge to the end of our Whole30 challenge (March 26th to about April 23rd or so).  As the woman who sleeps beside him every night, I am excited to tell you that his freight-train like snoring has disappeared. Most nights he doesn't snore at all, although last night there was a little light, soft snoring, but nothing to be concerned about.  Brandon would often stop breathing and then snort really loud as he gasped for air, snore for a few (loud) minutes, and then stop breathing again.  This made it very difficult for me to sleep, not only because it was really loud but because I was worried he was dying!  We were told by many people that he had sleep apnea, and we were repeatedly encouraged to get a formal sleep test and buy breathing machine.  I can assure you it isn't just the weight, although that has certainly helped... it's his overall health.  I have stayed awake some nights checking to see if he's even breathing (since, previously, no snoring meant no breathing!) and was so relieved to find he was breathing like a normal human being!  Tests, medications, and machines cannot do what good health can! They only treat the symptoms.

Another great benefit of being grain, legume, dairy, and junk free is that Brandon's energy is soaring.  Yesterday he had to go to work extremely early (he had to wake up at around 3:30am!).  I (Mandy) had a women's meeting to go to, so he was left in charge of all the children.  He did some cleaning around the house, took them outside and actively played with them for a long time (running, exercising, swinging), then returned to the house to clean some more. (What a great hubby and father, right?)  He told me he was really surprised that he had the energy to do that.  Typically he'd be completely worn out after supper, especially since he woke up so early.  It has been a long, long time since he's had energy like that. In fact, I've never witness him have that sort of energy in the entire time we've been married (over 10 years).

Top left, March 22.  Bottom right, April 25th!

I'm a petite person to begin with, so I always feel like people are rolling their eyes when I post of the body transformation I've undergone so far.  My progress definitely isn't as impressive or noticeable as my husband's, but I know that there are other women out there with bodies similar to mine.  

I was often told that this was just my "new body", and I should get used to it. After all, I have birthed five babies so it's "normal" that my belly would begin to grow that mommy flap.  Over and over I heard that neither diet nor exercise would help. I actually began to believe it.  I mean, come on y'all, I do have FIVE kids.  Many people told me I should be happy with how my body is- I have a minimal amount of stretch marks on my stomach, and I didn't gain a terrible amount of weight.  As one woman told me, "Well, you didn't blow up like a blimp. You should be thankful that you're still thin."

It's not that I wasn't thankful for my body, or how amazing it is to carry five children.  I just felt so uncomfortable in my own skin and had resorted to wearing extremely baggy shirts to hide the "Are You Pregnant?" gut.

It's true- exercise will not transform that mommy pudge.  You may have heard the saying, "Abs are made in the kitchen."  It's true.  You may work out your abs, but if you still have a layer of fat over the top, you will never see those beautifully sculpted muscles.  One thing I have seen in both me and my husband is that as the weight falls off, the muscles that were there all along begin to show. It's really amazing. (And that means I get a gun show every day from the hubby- hey hey!)

It's not all about weight and slimming down.  It's so exciting to have energy to keep up with the kids- to run with the dog, to jump and skip and wrestle.  I was beginning to believe that "low energy" was just who I was, but week after week I find myself gaining more and more strength and energy.

Our whole family is involved now.  We're seeing benefits and our kids are too. The main rule in the household is no dairy and no wheat. Sometimes the kids do have some grains, but mostly, they eat what we eat.  Our older two have noticed such a difference in how they feel (and, for Merika, the rashes on her skin had greatly improved), that they have become pretty committed to Paleo eating.

Merikalyn loves to help in the kitchen. She's quite the chef, and made some really delicious meatballs the other night.  (She's also a guacamole pro!)

Eating Paleo/Whole30 isn't as difficult as you may think. Sure, it's hard to cut out the things you have been addicted to for so long... things that really take a toll on your body and mind, but Paleo meals are so filling, rich, and sustaining that we really don't miss the rice, beans, and bread we used to consume in massive amounts. 

There are such a variety of foods we can enjoy, like leftover crock pot rose with Hatch chilis, salsa, avocados, cilantro, and a salad.  It was so filling, I couldn't eat it all!

Sure, sometimes we find ourselves in a breakfast rut. (Eggs, eggs, more eggs) But really, I have come to enjoy eggs and have found that changing up the sides makes a world of difference.

Today's breakfast featured bacon and eggs with banana boats. (Take slightly green bananas, slice them length-wise, keeping the peel on.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes.  I put pecans on top when they were finished.  SO yummy.

We hope our progress encourages you in your health journey.  We're thankful for those who have been open about their diets, struggles, and hard work! You have inspired us!

W30- Day 30!!!!

Day thirty snuck up on us!  We don't have any comparison photos for you today, but we did want to share our current stats.  (You can see comparison photos we took on day 26.)

Brandon:

Weight: 267 lbs (that's 18 pounds down!).
Chest: 52 inches (one inch slimmer!)
Belly: 50 inches (a whopping six inches thinner!)
Belt area: 45 inches (one inch skinnier!)
Thigh: 29 inches (one inch dropped!)


Mandy:

Weight: 120 (5 pounds gone!)
Chest: 33 inches (3 inches of that back fat, gone!)
Waist: 31 inches (5 inches slimmer!)
Hips: 37 inches (3 inches disappeared!)
Thigh: 21 inches (2 inches kapoof!)

It's really amazing to see the results of only one month of healthy, clean eating.  Mandy's goal is to start toning, while Brandon's goal is to continue losing weight and healing his body.  We will continue using the Whole30 as our guidelines, because we are all benefiting from it!

W30- Day 26, PHOTO UPDATE

If you're considering taking on the Whole30 challenge, do yourself a favor and take photos.  I realize that most of us don't want to take photos because we want to spare ourselves the embarrassment (oh hi, back fat!), but seriously, do it.

On days when you feel like you haven't made much progress, do some side by side comparisons.  The changes may be small or they may be major, but hopefully you'll find yourself encouraged.

We wish we would have taken more photos of ourselves (some backside photos would have been nice), but we're thankful for the photos we did take because they prove the Whole30 has made a difference.

We haven't taken measurements lately, but the pictures speak for themselves.

When I (Brandon) look at this photo, I see an incredible difference. I didn't even realize I had slimmed down that much in my face!

Like Brandon, I (Mandy) didn't feel like I had lost any chub in my face. After all, my face is not all that chubby to begin with.  I did notice my skin was looking much clearer, but when I look at this photo, I can see the lower part of my face has definitely changed.  I don't usually wear a lot of makeup, but lately I've been skipping the concealer, mascara, and eyeliner more often! Who needs make-up when your face is already glowing?

I (Brandon) can look down (without leaning over) and see my toes now. Looking at this comparison motivates me to keep going!

I'm a small person, so obviously the changes will not be as drastic on my body. The photos on the left were taken in the morning before I began the Whole30. By lunch time, I would be even more bloated. I was so tired of getting, "When are you due?" comments.  I realize I have five children and people often suspect I am pregnant again just because, well, I've been pregnant a lot, but it also doesn't help when I look 4-6 months pregnant!  My tiny frame does not put away extra weight well, and because I'm small chested, extra chub around my midsection stands out even more.

I've often heard, "Abs are made in the kitchen," and now I'm seeing proof of that.  It's really amazing to see my abs begin to emerge! (And we have only JUST started working out, so these are the results of our diet changes, NOT exercise.)

We're glad we didn't put off the Whole30.  We're thankful we took the leap.  A month is going to pass anyway, might as well make the most of it! I realize Paleo isn't for everyone. We tried a lot of different diets (not fad diets, but "lifestyles") to improve our health.  There are so many different methods out there (raw vegan, vegetarian, paleo, etc) and some very conflicting evidence.  While some people may think we chase after fad diets, we know the reality is that you usually have to test things out to see if it's true or works for you.  Raw Vegan, Vegan, and Vegetarianism did not work for us.  We tried it! (We did see some benefits, but still felt VERY hungry, etc. You can read our post, "But weren't you guys vegetarians once?" if you're interested on how that went.

Maybe the Whole30 won't work for you, but I think most of us could greatly benefit from fasting from grains, dairy, and, obviously, sugar.  Brandon has always loved dairy products and never thought he had an issue with it until about two years ago when we cut it out of our diet for a period of time.  Sometimes we don't realize our bodies don't tolerate certain foods very well until we go without them for several weeks or months. It usually takes at least a month for you to notice a difference. I (Mandy) cut out gluten for two weeks, didn't notice a huge difference, and went back to it. But having been without gluten for nearly a month, I can see that my body functions much better without it!  (I, Mandy, have always known I had issues with dairy, so, that was not a shocker!)

If you're considering a Whole30 journey of your own, go for it! Don't keep putting your health on the back burner! What do you have to lose except weight, bloating, and some other nasty side effects of poor health?

We know it's hard to break habits. Processed foods are engineered to be addictive. Many of the ingredients within these foods are chemicals designs to send messages to the brain so that you want more and more and more.  We highly suggest you read the book, It Starts With Food.  We found it so helpful, especially on tough days, to know how our bodies work, why we feel the way we feel, and why it's so hard to break the cycle. 

Our 30 days may be coming to a close, but we're continuing on.  This is not a fad diet, this is a lifestyle. We are no longer slaves to sugar!  

Before Whole30 Stats

Brandon



285 lbs (appx 130 kilograms)
Chest: 53 inches
Waist (belly button): 56 inches
Where I wear my belt/pants: 46 inches (typically wear a size 42-44 in jeans though).
Thigh: 30 inches




Mandy



a little less than 125 lbs (appx 56 kilograms)

Chest- 35 inches
Waist - 36 inches  (oh, great, my baby bulge is bigger than my boobs).
Hips- 40 inches
Thigh- 23 inches

W30- Day 1, Brandon

How I felt about going on the W30: 
I've actually been really wanting to get healthier because I've been feeling really lethargic. When I started this current job, I was eating fast food pretty heavily (two meals a day), and I could feel my body being poisoned. I just got to a point where I felt like my body needed a reset. That's why when Mandy came to me and said she wanted to do this diet I was down with it.

Biggest struggle on Day 1:
Not having enough of Mandy's homemade salad dressing for my salad.  My breakfast filled me up and kept me full, as did my lunch.  So it really wasn't a huge struggle today.  I was hungry by supper time (which was running late since we had some things to do in town), but I wasn't losing my mind like I usually am when hungry.

I had cravings for:
I thought about food.  I thought about McDonald's, but it was more like I stopped to pump gas by a McDonald's and thought, "I would sure like a large fry right now. I could probably justify a large fry. It's just potatoes and fat!"  But I decided I would just stick to the diet.

By the end of the day I felt like:
Sleepy.  I felt extremely tired, but I've been really tired for the last couple weeks. I was kind of irritable after supper, but I think that was because I was tired, and I didn't want to get up and deal with anything.  I feel like I am already getting better sleep and having a bit more energy (since I have already been changing my diet before we started Whole30).

On the positive side:
I feel like, since I'm getting such good rest, if I get a few more days of that I might be completely recharged! (It's been a long time since I've gotten good sleep or felt recharged.)

Pre-Whole30 [The Befores]

Today I am posting our "befores", which is what we look like now, as I write this post.  We are hoping that, in thirty days, our "after" picture will show a major difference- not just only in weight, but in our posture, our skin, and our smiles!

Hi, we are Brandon and Mandy. Mandy is Texas born and raised, and Brandon is a good ol' Cajun boy (Louisiana). Once upon a time, we owned a barbecue restaurant in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Benefits? All the chopped beef sandwiches, french fries, onion rings, and snowcones we could eat! Down side? All the chopped beef sandwiches, french fries, onion rings, and snowcones we could eat. :-/

We have five beautiful children, currently ranging in age from nearly ten (in May) to one year (just celebrated on Saint Patty's Day!).

At the time of this post, Brandon is 31, and Mandy is 28. (We both have summer birthdays, so we'll be pushing that number up a bit in a few months!)

Here are some recent shots of what we look like now:

Brandon's goal: To lose 40 pounds short term goal (100 lbs, long term), defeat inflammation and overcome pain issues, repair gut, strengthen body, gain energy, sleep better, and breathe better!  I'd like to not feel exhausted at the end of the day so I can really spend quality time with my wife and kids.

Mandy's goal:  To lose the baby pudge,  get my hormones straightened out (these hot flashes, oi!), have more energy, and to feel alert and clear-headed.  It'd be really nice to be able to fit into all those cute clothes I never wear because of how they hug my belly.