Getting Healthy Together — A husband and wife discover the key to a healthy life in a place they never expected

Daniel and Rebecca Padilla struggled with weight loss for most of their married lives. After 25 years of marriage and seven children, they decided to make some changes that transformed the way they live, the way they feel, and the way they look. Rebecca tells their story.

A Long Road

Daniel's weight issues began right after we got married when he broke his leg and was immobile for months. The struggle with my weight started about 15–17 years ago between having babies 5 and 6. I just kept packing on the pounds with each pregnancy. We each tried to lose weight multiple times and experienced some success, but inevitably always put the weight back on.

In January of 2014, we both got to the point that we knew we had to make a radical change. Daniel had suffered for over 15 years with multiple chronic conditions and was having serious health problems, including daily chronic pain. He truly wondered how he could continue living the way he was. It had been suggested to us to try a detox or change in diet to assess any possible food intolerances. We had been in denial that food could be the culprit of his health problems. In addition, Daniel struggled with the idea of giving up certain "comfort foods," because he felt like that was one of the few things that could still make him happy. He finally became desperate enough to try anything that might possibly make him feel better. I knew from past experience that for either of us to be successful on a diet, we had to do it together and support one another. Our plan was to start the Monday after New Years, January 6, 2014. My mother-in-law had recently seen Rick Warren talk about The Daniel Plan book in an interview on television and said it sounded similar to the detox and whole foods diet we wanted to attempt. I bought the book and read it in three days. I saw on the website that there was a rally scheduled for January 5 at Saddleback Church, not to far from where we lived. So Daniel and I drove down for the rally and started our diet the following day (as planned) on January 6. Thanks to The Daniel Plan, our lives have changed!

On Again, Off Again

I tried many diets over the past 15 years — Weight Watchers, My Fitness Pal, South Beach, liquid fasting, diet pills, and more. I yo-yoed up and down from 190 lbs to my all-time top weight of 250. I’d had success and lost as much as 30-60 lbs on any given diet. Over the past 15 years, I calculated losing the exact same weight — from 230 down to 200 lbs — six separate times on various diets. But none of these diets were lifestyle changes, and the weight always crept back on.   

Daniel had a similar yo-yo experience with his weight topping out 340 lbs. His health was being drastically affected by his weight, and we now know, by the foods he was consuming. He suffered for years with many chronic conditions including sleep apnea, reflux, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low testosterone, myofascial pain syndrome, chronic headaches, chronic fatigue, severe muscle cramps, severe allergies, and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the summer of 2013, we moved back to California from Texas for Daniel’s job. Part of what persuaded us to move was the difference in how he felt when traveling back and forth between the two states. The inflammation in his joints and his overall health was much worse when he returned to Texas after experiencing some relief while in California. We knew we needed to seize the opportunity to move for his health. Once we made the move, Daniel was able to get off many of his prescription medications, but was still on several others. Although his joint swelling improved, he still suffered from fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, allergies, lack of sleep, sleep apnea, and chronic pain. He felt sick and exhausted all the time, took Percocet for pain on a regular basis, and lived on energy drinks just to get through each day. He was at the point where he would try anything to feel better and be able to function normally.

Success At Last

I was tired of my efforts being only an accomplishment of what I had done before. I started The Daniel Plan on January 6, 2014 at 232 lbs. Not my heaviest, but close enough. To date, I have lost 58 lbs. What is really exciting is that we are both committed to doing this together and don't feel diet burn out this time around. We love this plan and the way we eat now. We mainly use the recipes from the book and cookbook — they are delicious easy to follow. We have adapted our whole way of eating and the way we think about food and the choices we make even when eating out. It’s working! Because of the results and the nutrition we are providing to our bodies at a cellular level, we have no desire to quit. We are proud of not only our success, but of the change in perspective we have. We feel like we have reprogrammed our brains and don't have any desire to go back to eating the way we did before. I am now weighing less than I have in over 15 years and losing below my yo-yo weight. I truly feel I am now accomplishing some serious weight loss and taking back my health and my youth. I feel great and have lots of energy!

Daniel took the food intolerance test in The Daniel Plan book before we started and scored a whopping 152. After a full 40 days on the detox, he scored a 52! He noticed a difference right away. Within a few days of starting The Daniel Plan he was sleeping better at night, his nighttime allergy issues disappeared, his muscle cramps stopped, he had more energy, and generally felt better. Those early results made us want to detox for the full 40 days. We didn't cheat at all and the results were amazing. Daniel felt healthier and was dropping weight like crazy. His sleep apnea and sleeping issues were gone within two months. He reported feeling lots of energy without any energy drinks. When we went for our annual physicals in April and all his labs came back 100% normal, he was taken off the last few of his prescription medications. Now all he takes is a daily multivitamin, fish oil, low-dose aspirin, and pro-biotic. He takes Aleve for arthritis pain. His overall health has improved by leaps and bounds. He still has occasional headaches, joint pain and swelling at times, and some lower back pain on and off. But that is so small compared to the daily agony and suffering he endured prior to his change in diet. We were shocked to learn how much eating the wrong foods was the cause of the majority of his health issues. To date, Daniel has lost 110 lbs!! His change in health has been drastic and so encouraging. He feels as though he has a whole new lease on life and can actively participate in ways he could not before. We are so encouraged and motivated by our new lifestyle, there will be no diet burnout this time! We have knowledge now, thanks to The Daniel Plan, regarding food and how it can provide health or sickness to our bodies. We choose health … who wouldn't?

As Christians, we love that we are honoring God with our bodies like the Bible says, and feel God has been with us every step of the way on this journey. We give Him all the glory! We have truly been transformed by the renewing of our minds and bodies! There is no going back for us!!

Daniel and Rebecca’s success has inspired their friends and family to try The Daniel Plan, and they are setting their sights on adding fitness to their routine. Their radical life change is what The Daniel Plan is all about!

To learn more about The Daniel Plan, click here.