A Remarkable Transformation

In this episode of the DoorWays Ministry Network podcast, host Ric Shields interviews Bryce Jennings, a man who lost 120 pounds in a few years.

Bryce shares his health journey, explaining how he felt physically broken at 29, suffering from insomnia, memory issues, joint pain, and low energy. He attributes his transformation to a strict 30-day detox called "Whole 30," which helped him lose 20 pounds and improve his sleep and energy levels. Bryce then transitioned to a paleo lifestyle, losing 90 pounds in seven months. He has maintained his weight loss by avoiding fast food, refined sugars, and ultra-processed foods.

Bryce emphasizes that his advice is based on his personal experience and research, and encourages listeners to consult with their doctors for personalized advice.

Transcript

Ric Shields (00:00):

Welcome to the DoorWays® Ministry Network podcast.

(00:11):

I'm so, glad you joined us on this podcast. I'm Ric Shields, your host and the director of the DoorWays® Ministry Network.

(00:17):

Today is a follow up from our previous episode with my friend Bryce Jennings. Bryce is a husband, a father, a talented musician, a dear friend, and a man who lost 90 pounds in just seven months a few years ago. He went on to lose an additional 30 pounds for a total weight loss of 120 pounds. It is a remarkable transformation in his life, and one, I think, worth hearing. So, if you would, Bryce, remind us of where you were just six years ago.

Bryce Jennings (00:45):

Yeah. So, thank you for that in introduction, Ric. So, in 2017, if you'd listened to my podcast last week this is kind of the beginning of what we had talked about. So, in 2017, it was the worst, health year of my life. Everything else was going good except for my health. So, my job was good, marriage was good, friends were good. But as a 29-year-old, I, my body just felt like it was literally breaking down in every aspect. So, I had insomnia constantly. There are a lot of times I would fall asleep and then I would wake up within an hour and then remain awake for about three hours. I'll tell you, of all the, the things that I've overcome, that's probably one of my favorites. Now that I sleep through the night, I can do anything if I've got plenty of sleep. 

(01:30):

My memory was awful, it was pretty bad. I would have a hard time remembering details, remembering things that had just happened. And, you know, in the ministry that's, you kind of want to have memory for things that people are telling you. So, that was difficult. You know, I'd have conversations and I'd go away thinking, now what was that conversation? My joints were always achy and in pain. And as a piano player, this is kind of detrimental to your job. My motivation just wasn't there. I just didn't want to, I didn't want to get off the couch and do stuff.

(02:01):

And so, yeah, while we're on that topic, my energy, it was the worst. I remember oftentimes my wife and I would've just gotten to mall or Turkey Mountain, you know, to hike. And about 30 minutes into it, and I'd be thinking, all right, it's, it's time for a nap. And this is not how a 29-year-old should feel.

Ric Shields (02:18):

I agree. So, something changed that put you on a different path. What happened?

Bryce Jennings (02:23):

So, yeah, leading up to the spring of 2018, Jesse, myself and another couple were planning to go on our yearly cruise vacation. You know, we did this every spring and the other couple, and Jesse had suggested that we go on what is called the “Whole 30,” which is a detox for 30 days. You remove everything from your diet that could potentially be harmful for your gut.

(02:45):

And so, you know, I can't speak for the other couple why they did this. I actually just asked them last week if they could remember why. And I think they were just kind of wanting to feel a little better too. They weren't overweight at all. I think they just kind of wanted to feel a little bit better.

(03:00):

So, the Whole 30, you know, it's a strict 30 day detox. It kind of helps you to reveal what digestive problems you might be having. And by day 30, I had lost 20 pounds. And not only that, but I was starting to sleep through the night and my joints were feeling better and my energy had already increased. So, then after this, I transitioned to more of a paleo lifestyle by really just changing some eating patterns. And I lost 90 pounds between January and July of 2018.

Ric Shields (03:29):

Bryce, I know by seeing and talking with you that you have managed to maintain that weight loss. So, how have you done that?

Bryce Jennings (03:36):

You know, it's hard because you, I'm in a lot of circles that don't follow the mindset that I have followed. So, I'm often around a lot of circles that maintain these old mindsets that, you know, you can maybe go to the gym, and you can work out and you can save up your calories for ice cream, right? Or you can work out and you can save it up for maybe ultra processed foods or maybe harmful things that's in your body. But I decided after going through this detox that I didn't want to do that anymore because really, I wanted to pay attention to how my body was feeling. And I realized that if we feed and fuel our body the way that it's supposed to be fueled, well your body is going to treat you well. And so, you're going to have energy. And then on top of that, your body is going to go down to the desired weight that you're supposed to have.

(04:25):

In doing that, I kind of realized that there are three things that I needed to avoid. And I've done this for the past six years, and I know that this is super difficult, but this is what I've done for myself. I have avoided fast food, I've avoided refined sugars, and I've avoided ultra processed foods.

Ric Shields (04:44):

Before we go any further, Bryce, please remind us of your medical or your healthcare certifications.

Bryce Jennings (04:49):

Yes, this is a good point. because I do want people to hear this. I'm not a licensed medical professional, and if you know me, you know that that's not the case. But I do just want to encourage everybody that the information and tips that I'm talking about right now are just based off of research over the past six years and what's worked for myself. And so, I encourage you to continue to have an open conversation with your doctor so, that you can have the best practices for your body.

Ric Shields (05:15):

So, we're not going to call you Dr. Bryce.

Bryce Jennings (05:17):

Correct, because I am not a doctor. I'm just passionate about health.

Ric Shields (05:21):

Well, let's dig a little deeper. You said the first thing we need to remove from our diet is fast food. Tell me why you think that's so, important.

Bryce Jennings (05:29):

Okay. So, I believe that is important for a couple of reasons. Now, when I say fast food, obviously I'm generically lumping a lot of places in there. I encourage you to do research because there are some fast-food places that might not fall into this category. But more often than not, fast food becomes what I like to call a lab experiment. So, it's not necessarily food, it's an experiment.

(05:54):

If you do research on this, you'll realize that fast food industries like to create an addictive product that will ensure that we return, right? So, by the time a cheeseburger is rolled out, say, well, I'm not going to name any places because I, I want everybody to do their own research. But think of just a famous fast-food place. By the time that you've eaten a cheeseburger, the fast-food industry have done their research and they've actually paid for doctors and scientists to figure out chemicals and sugars and additives that make us come back, right?

(06:28):

And so, the more and more that they do experiments on this, the less that it's actually food that we're intaking. So, I make sure to be really intense on looking up every place that I eat to figure out what products are in them. So, essentially what you want to do is you want to figure out can you recreate what's the fast food place that you're eating? Can you recreate that in your kitchen? If you can cook it in your kitchen based off of the ingredients that they list, then it's probably okay. If you can't recreate it in your kitchen, then you probably shouldn't be eating it.

Ric Shields (07:01):

You say that ingredients contribute a lot in this ultra-processed, highly addictive and highly harmful and inflammatory experience. And you say it's addictive, and then our brain gets rewarded. How does our brain get rewarded in that?

Bryce Jennings (07:16):

Well, so, a lot that I've researched is in this process, you know, it's really fascinating in these fast-food ingredients that you will see there's sugars and other chemicals that are in this, in these foods, right? So, whenever you eat, I'm trying really hard to not say like fast food restaurants because I don't want to call anything out. But a lot of times when we do eat these foods and there are sugars you pull out of the parking lot and right away your brain is rewarded because you're eating this food that has these highly inflammatory ingredients such as oils that we shouldn't be having. Sugars and other chemicals that actually do reward your brain.

(07:56):

So, research has come out to say that sugar activates (now, when I say sugar, I'm talking about like cane sugar and refined sugar), it activates the same parts of our brain that is activated when somebody would induce, like crack cocaine. So, you know, you eat sugar, you eat cookies, you eat anything that has sugar in it, and you're rewarded right away.

Ric Shields (08:21):

No, but this sounds like a joke. Is this a joke?

Bryce Jennings (08:23):

This is not a joke. I promise this is not a joke. I really wish that it was. I encourage y'all to do the research on this. And now when I say research, I'm actually listening to doctors from Harvard and doctors that have the foundation to back this up. So, I'm not trying to do conspiracies. This is, this is actual truth that whenever we eat sugar, that it actually does light up the same reward as crack cocaine does,

Ric Shields (08:50):

Which is worse for you? Cocaine <laugh> or sugar <laugh>. Sorry. Yes. I couldn't, I couldn't help that.

(08:57):

Bryce, I'm going to take just a break here to remind our listeners that we appreciate their feedback. If you would let us know if we're providing the kind of content that's helpful to you by dropping me an email at info@DoorWays dot cc. And, and if you have an idea for a topic or for a guest, let me know. We will work at incorporating that into our podcast schedule.

(09:18):

You're listening to the DoorWays® Ministry Network podcast. My name is Ric Shields and I'm joined on this episode with Bryce Jennings. Bryce is a husband, a father, a talented musician, a dear friend. This guy lost 90 pounds in just seven months, a few years ago. Bryce is talking with me today about his health journey and some tips he's discovered to help others.

(09:37):

The first tip he shared was that we need to remove fast food from our diet. The second thing that you mentioned earlier, Bryce, was refined sugars. Talk about that.

Bryce Jennings (09:47):

Okay. So, refined sugars, the studies show that refined sugars treat our body differently than natural sugars. So, there are two forms of sugar that can be consumed. Every sugar is in one of two groups. It's either fructose or glucose. And fructose is found in refined cane sugars as well as fructose corn syrup. So, whenever we indulge in like ice creams, sodas, sugary drinks, such as like coffees with sugars or yeah, anything like that. And a lot of processed foods we're consuming fructose. And the problem with that is that fructose is only processed by one organ in the body, and it's only processed by the liver. And that is promoting the process of turning into fat. And our bodies are not designed to manage and process this, especially in the quantities that we consume fructose in America.

(10:43):

So, if you think about it, if you think about what you eat in a day. If you start off with sugary breakfasts such as like oatmeal and granola and yogurt, you have sugary coffee, then you go to lunch, you're probably going to have some more soda, ketchups, and then by dinner you're having some more sugars in your food.

(11:02):

By the time we have dessert, we've actually consumed so much sugar that our body is like calling out to us, asking us to stop. That is one thing that I've learned about in this process. Fructose is attacking our body. Glucose on the other hand, while it's still processed in the liver, it's actually processed throughout the entire body. So, it's not just attacking our liver. So, our body is designed to process glucose more easily, and it's a slower process, so, it's not like spiking our sugar.

Ric Shields (11:34):

So, is it, it's okay then. Can we binge on glucose?

Bryce Jennings (11:38):

Again, I don't want to give anybody a recommendation because I think you need to talk about that with your, your doctor, especially if you're diabetic or if there's things that you're struggling with. For myself, I do not limit myself or my family on glucose foods such as fruit, because fruit also has fiber. So, that slows down the process even more. And I'm a huge fan of natural fruits because they also have antioxidants and nutrients that help us to stay away from being sick. So, for myself, I do not as much limit on the glucose sides of things. However, whenever you eat this stuff, you're pretty satisfied pretty quickly.

Ric Shields (12:19):

You say that you're a huge fan of mixed berries and avocados because they have a lot of health benefits. So, how about guacamole and chips? Is that a good snack?

Bryce Jennings (12:30):

Actually, yes. If you make guacamole at home, again trying to make sure that there's not sugar in there, but guacamole is from avocados, which is actually a super food. So, I highly encourage that. I'm going to talk about this later, but there's a brand of chips that I get called Siete chips. And so, they are a healthy brand of chips. So, I actually do eat guacamole and chips, and I find that to be a good healthy snack for you.

Ric Shields (12:58):

You also said then we need to eliminate, the third thing was processed foods. Why processed foods?

Bryce Jennings (13:05):

Again, this goes back to what I talked about with fast food, but processed foods also, become a lab experiment. If you look on the ingredients of most of the processed or packaged foods in the store, there is no possible way that what the ingredients listed on the bag that you can recreate at home. It's just not possible. And really those foods are not for that. It's not designed to be a healthy snack for us. It's designed to keep us coming back. There's no feasible way that we can recreate.

(13:37):

For instance, we'll say like Doritos or Cheez-Its in the form that it is on the bag. Now, if you wanted to make Cheez-Its at home, you could, they're not going to probably taste the same as they did from the box. But there are healthier ways that you can make these snacks at home. Again, your brain will probably not be rewarded in the same manner because it's going to be all natural ingredients and not those crazy ingredients that the food industry adds.

Ric Shields (14:03):

Do you have some suggestions then for how to navigate eating at restaurants and foods you can make at home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? As I understand it, you also have some ideas for snacks you can prepare. How could people reach out to you about some of those ideas?

Bryce Jennings (14:19):

I'd be happy if anybody wants to dialogue with me, they can look on my Facebook and they can send me, just shoot me a message on Messenger. Yeah. Or I'm happy to give out my email address if you're okay with that.

Ric Shields (14:30):

It's okay with me. It's up to you. Do you want to do that?

(14:32):

Yeah, it's fine. Y'all can email me at BryceSJennings@gmail.com. And because I'm passionate about this, I'll help anybody.

(14:47):

Bryce, this sounds fairly structured. So, how do you stay motivated to keep the course you've been walking for these past six years?

Bryce Jennings (14:54):

I'll be honest, this is very structured in an unstructured society and it's really difficult because my family, and extended family doesn't necessarily follow this same structure that I do. So, it is difficult and it's difficult because when we're in social settings and going on to, you want to fellowship with people. Because of all that, it has presented its challenges. And over the past six years, it's been a gradual process.

(15:23):

But if you go back to what I had talked about in early 2018 and the detox, this whole process for me in the past six years has been kind of like a renewal of that detox. So, I detox and then maybe I'll give into temptation, and I will partake in something, and my body will instantly let me know that I should not have done that. I think the motivation that has kept me going over the past six years is that I found success enough and my body felt good enough that whenever I consume something that I shouldn't, it pretty much punished me for it.

Ric Shields (15:59):

So, how long should someone expect it to take before they can see any results? I mean, you lost 70 pounds. 90 pounds, in seven months, right?

Bryce Jennings (16:10):

I, yes, and I don't I do not know that that is normal <laugh>, I'm not really sure. And also, I had a lot to lose. I I'm pretty sure that when you have more to lose, it drops more quickly, right? I mean, that's what we hear.

(16:23):

But in my research early on in the whole 30, usually within 30 days of doing a detox, you'll be able to see some sort of a result, whether it's on the scale or whether it's, you know, inches.

(16:36):

Oh, let me point out one thing too, Ric, that I want to encourage everybody about. So, in talking about results in that six months or seven months of time, I dropped 90 pounds. But if I would have just paid attention to the scale, there are weeks that I would've given up. So, I do want people to realize sometimes your body is still losing weight and sometimes it's healing itself and it's not necessarily visible on the scale. So, then sometimes maybe I would notice that my clothes would not be fitting like they used to, but I didn't necessarily see a difference on the scale. So, this is why I like to encourage everybody to pay attention to your body holistically, and don't just look at numbers because numbers can be deceiving sometimes.

Ric Shields (17:22):

Bryce, we're going to draw our time to a close here. I want to say thank you for the podcast we've had these last couple weeks. It's been really good, I think, and I'm going to ask you the same question today as it did last week.

(17:33):

I wonder if you have any special words of encouragement in addition from what we talked about last week that you'd like to share with our listeners?

Bryce Jennings (17:54):

Hey, if you're listening to this and you are confused about what it's like to eat healthy, don't feel like you're alone because there are well, most of us are confused and we've seen so, many diets come out from the 1970s till now, a lot of fad diets. And because of that, there's been so, much information that's been thrown at us, and we're inundated with a lot of like what to dos and what not to dos. So, I want to put you to ease. Don't feel bad if you are, if you're confused, if you've tried something before, if you've tried some diets before and they haven't worked.

(18:30):

I also want to encourage you, you can do it. Up until I had lost 120 pounds, I had tried a couple of fad diets and I had lost 20 and gained 40. So, you are not alone. You can do this. You have it within you. I'll be happy to help you. And I believe that if you are intentional and listening to the Holy Spirit, God will give you the path and the direction that you need to win with your health journey.

Ric Shields (18:59):

Thanks again for listening. I hope you found this podcast to be helpful. Please feel free to share it with others you think may benefit from it.

(19:08):

Would you like someone to pray for you? I'll pray for you. And if you'd like, I'll share your note with others who will pray and believe for God to work on your behalf. Drop me a note at info@DoorWays dot cc.

(19:20):

Until next time, may you sense God's presence, the love of Jesus, and the grace of the Holy Spirit in your heart, your home, and in your spheres of relationship in the days ahead. God bless you.