I had given up so many times that by the time I started my first Whole30, I really was doing so out of desperation. I figured, “What the heck. Let’s give it one more shot to see if it works.” But, you see, the big issue was that Whole30 isn’t designed for weight loss as much as it is for a detox from sugar and processed foods/chemicals. Weight loss typically happens to many people who do a Whole30 if they are careful about limiting sugar, even natural ones. So, having read all about the people who lost no weight after a Whole30, I went ahead and tried anyway.

I lost 20 lbs in that 30 days.

I was stunned, shocked, amazed, and incredibly thankful. It also reiterated to me the fact that my previous diet was incredibly bad for me. Just by changing the food I ate had allowed my body to begin healing and returning to a normal weight.

I remained skeptical even after I continued to lose weight at a rate of 10 lbs per month after my wife and I adopted the Paleo Diet. I was eating amazing and delicious food that kept me filled up and left me without cravings, and yet I was continuing to lose weight at a rate of about 10 lbs per month. I felt as if I’d found a cheat code to life.

When I hit 110 lbs lost in one year, I couldn’t believe it. I was under 200 lbs for the first time in over two decades, and I remember the day clearly. I stepped on the scale and saw a “1” in the first digit of my weight. I cried. I had done it. I still had more work to do, but I literally dropped over 100 lbs. And I did it just by changing what I ate.

When I eventually got down to the weight I’m at now, I plateaued. I wish I could get past the weight I’m at now, but my body isn’t having it. For me to get lower, I’d have to eat less and actually feel hunger again, or I’d have to greatly increase my physical activity which is something I’m not certain I want to do. So, I am where I am, and I’m learning to be happy with that. Numbers are just numbers anyway: it’s how I feel and how I look that matters.

I had all but given up, but I gave it one last solid try. I gave it all I had, and I made sure I followed the rules not only to the letter, but I was super-strict and never allowed myself any opportunities to sabotage my progress. It was hard-earned, and I wasn’t about to give any of it back for any reason. The craziest part to me was that it worked and it continues to work for me over two and a half years later.

Never give up. Every failure is another lesson in what not to do. Eventually, you’ll get it right.