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Updated 4/21/20
Sara and I have had many adventures in our seven years together. But none as profound as our decision to get out of the wellness rut we had been falling into for several years.
Hunting for lean meat. Growing our own vegetables. Canning our fruit and veggie bounties to supplement our store-bought groceries – we thought we were already living our journey to healthy living.
Of course, all the above apparently didn’t off-set the fast-food, soda, over-processed pastries, and numerous other boxed meals that are the hallmark of an overloaded family on the go. Meanwhile, the weight just kept packing on.
When life is circling around you like the proverbial water in the toilet bowl, it can be difficult to pay attention to your diet. You rationalize, “It is just one trip to Burger King. Tomorrow I’ll make up for it.”
You don’t necessarily remember that this is already your third quick dinner-on-the-go for the week. And it is only Wednesday!
After moving north and tacking on an additional hour to our commute, this was becoming our life.
It was reaching critical mass.
The Cold Hard Truth
It came as a shock when we realized we had not been doing things as well as we thought.
Rolling out of bed (barely) with yet another new and exciting pain or five – I’ve started to realize some basic truths:
One. I am not 25 anymore. Hell, I am not even 35! My brain would have me believe that my memory of climbing at Smith Rock all weekend, then hiking 20 miles of the Wonderland Trail on the following day was just last week.
*Screeeech* Bad news . . . that was 1999 son!
Two. I cannot eat the same junk that I could eat back in the good ‘ole days without repercussions.
For sure, if you keep going at that rate your body will let it be known that you did not nail it. Sometimes, this is in the form of chronic upset stomach, headaches, and back pain. Other times it is intense joint pain, tendon and muscle strain, and severe late-night calf cramps (my fave) to name a few.
Three. Doing the same ‘ole, same ‘ole – the misery is sure to continue and will probably only get worse. Sara and I haven’t even hit our 50s yet. We shouldn’t be this broken!
Plenty of Pain and No Gain . . . Except Weight
While we had been living a semi-healthy existence for years, numerous health issues and a few surgeries have forced us to look deeper at the way we had been doing things.
Me and Sara’s separate dramas had been playing out for too long. Our varying degrees of exhaustion and pain had become too much.
My Issues
I was a year or so post-op from my double microdiscectomy. After 5 months it had become a “failed back surgery.” My L4/L5 and L5/S1 discs were once again herniating and squeezing on my sciatic nerve.
Although better than before surgery, it would still become excruciating over the course of the day.
The level of pain depended on how much walking or standing I was doing. The only difference was I didn’t have to stop and rest every 10 minutes. At least not yet.
However, after another MRI and the way my back and leg were feeling – I was confident that in another year or so, I would be right back to where I was before surgery.
I was taking the maximum 1800 mg of Gabapentin per day for the atrocious nerve pain in my foot and leg, plus two muscle relaxers to help relieve my low back pain. Living in a sleepy fog was not enjoyable. I didn’t feel like me most of the time and I hated it.
Then there were my poor wife’s problems.
Sara’s Issues
Sara had her gall bladder taken out in 2014, after having some attacks that forced her to the urgent care room. She was getting referred pain into her back and trouble breathing. So, thinking it was a heart attack, we took off screaming down the roadway to the clinic!
Thank God it wasn’t that.
It was suggested by her doctor that we begin eating more real food, limiting our portions of meat, and cutting out the processed foods. Did we listen?
Let’s just say, perhaps, it wasn’t the right time.
A couple of years later, a two-inch tumor was discovered in the middle of her left kidney. There was a cancer scare that left us sick in the stomach for a few weeks.
Luckily, it turned out to be a very rare cyst – indicative of peri-menopausal women. Much better than the Stage 3 malignant tumor it appeared to be from the MRI.
However, this fact couldn’t stop them from having to remove her whole left kidney due to the cysts’ location.
Compounded Problems
After the two surgeries, Sara gained 40+ pounds. Her energy returned for a short period after her kidney surgery, but then migraines, body/joint pain, and low energy started becoming her norm.
Sara was constantly tired. She would sleep all the time on the way into work, while I drove. She’d sleep on the weekends and then get upset with herself because she wasn’t getting things done.
Every day was taking its toll. She got to the point where it would take her 3 minutes to get down the stairs because her knees hurt so bad. Slowly, one step at a time, while holding the rail. It was a never-ending, vicious cycle and it was difficult to watch her go through it.
Pain, medical conditions, and weight gain all make it difficult to do anything when you are consumed by it. This gives rise to anxiety and depression, which
Enough is Enough
Sara had been talking with a friend about a healthy living and wellness program through a company called Xyngular.
Sara had tried many programs in the past, but none had helped her long-term. After reading many testimonials this one seemed very promising.
The excitement was starting to build up and she was about to burst at the seams.
Sara turned to me and said, “I want to do this.”
“It’s going to cost some money but I want to do something for me,” she said starting to tear up.
That of course, got me emotional too because she always puts everyone before herself.
The poor thing had been trying so hard to lose weight for the last few years and nothing seemed to be working.
I had watched her self-loathing and frustration with her body. It broke my heart. I think she’s beautiful regardless of what weight she’s at.
Sara decided to jump in with both feet. She ordered Xyngular’s, The Ultimate kit. We altered our diet according to the kit’s plan and away we went on our new adventure.
We have always done everything as a team, and this was no exception. Even our son was joining in!
The Journey to Healthy Living Begins
The first phase of the diet plan is called the 8-Day Jumpstart. The official 8-Day Jumpstart is part of the two big kits from Xyngular – the Ultimate and Ignite systems.
The Jumpstart gets your body detoxifying and “reset” for the lifestyle change you will be embarking on.
Only two days in with her 8-Day Jumpstart and Sara was springing out of bed and walking down the stairs in record time. You wouldn’t even know she was having issues before.
My jaw hit the floor. What was this sorcery!? She seemed well-rested and back to her old self. I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“Oh my God baby, look at you!” I said in disbelief. Big smiles from Sara. The difference was night and day and she was OWNING that flight of stairs.
My Turn to Step Up
I hadn’t started any products at this point. My plan was to start with the change-up in diet, then start weaning myself off all of my damn medications.
After seeing Sara’s progress in just a short couple of days, I was hoping that it might work for me too.
My goal was to drop my morning dose of three Gabapentin right out of the gate, get a week under me with our new diet, and then introduce the supplements once I received my order. This is exactly what I did.
By the second week, I had started with a couple of Xyngular Products: Global Blend and Xyng. I also dropped the last three Gabapentin.
I had heard so many things about the side effects when going off this medication, that I was waiting on bated breath. Waiting for nausea. Waiting to convulse . . . something. I waited, but still, no ill side-effects came.
Getting off the Meds
I was now taking six fewer pills a day and the muscle relaxers were going to be next. By week three, I had started taking three more products: Axion, Flex, and Lean Meal Shake.
Week four, after letting the nutrient-packed products build in my system, I dropped down to one muscle relaxer. I was still feeling good with no issues.
Moreover, Sara and I had been doing a lot of work outside putting in a patio, tearing down an old playset, and putting up a pool. In short, a ton of heavy lifting and bending at awkward angles. I was astonished at how well I was doing!
Finally, after week 5, I was off of all meds. Success!
It is now a year since I’ve dropped all the prescriptions and my back is still feeling great.
If I go a little hard with heavy lifting or projects where I’m bending a lot – I will get a bit taxed and out come the ice packs. So, I try not to overdo it.
Lifting right, being ergonomic, and working smarter are my mantras.
A New Way of Living
I can’t tell you what a life-changing system this has been for both Sara and I. Over the last year, Sara’s lost 40 pounds and 30 overall inches. I always tell her she is the incredible shrinking woman!
She is looking and feeling great.
I’ve lost 28 pounds. I know this is a significant amount of weight for many people. I feel kinda bad about this since it was totally unintentional.
My primary goal was to get off my meds and see if this lifestyle change would improve my back problems. The weight loss was a side benefit!
Our energy is up – the aches and pains are way down. Sara still sleeps on the way into work sometimes, but we get up ridiculously early! Once she’s up, she is raring to go and can keep up with our hectic schedules.
Putting it Together
There are several ways to go about getting where we are. For us, it is not about just supplements, exercise, or improving diet singularly. These things must work together to be effective.
The Xyngular products we take are PACKED with fruit and plant-based nutrients, vitamins, and probiotics.
Primarily developed for folks who have had a difficult time losing weight, these products can benefit anyone.
It doesn’t matter if you are trying to lose a hundred pounds or ten. Maybe you are just trying to improve the way you feel overall.
Most of the exercise we get is from renovating our old 1915 Craftsman and working on our property.
Throw in some swimming, hunting, and hikes – that is all we are doing. We do not hit the gym at all. If that is your thing, by all means. Weight-bearing exercise is a good thing. I am a reformed gym rat!
For the diet component, we draw from low-carb, Mediterranean, keto, vegetarian, and vegan sources. Cutting out refined grains, deep-fried, and highly processed foods – we opt for fruits and vegetables.
We have also got into alternatives to foods high in starch (cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles for example) and whole foods.
For our proteins, we stay to the lean ones such as chicken, fish, elk, or deer. We will throw in some beef burger or flank steak now and then for variety – staying to 6 ounce portions for all proteins.
Throw Yourself a Bone
I’m not gonna lie . . . we have our cheat days. But we keep it reasonable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with rewarding yourself. Just don’t let the reward become the norm and slip back into old routines!
We are a work in progress and I hope you continue to follow us on our journey.
If you are contemplating one of your own, stop hesitating and do it!
Consider Xyngular as a partner in your journey. You will be glad you did.
Ready to get going? Start your Xyngular journey here!
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.
– Unknown
Cheers!
~Shawn
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