My Clean Eating Journey Has Changed My Life

Happy Sunday Everyone! So I get asked a lot about how I decided to adapt to a clean eating lifestyle with Beachbody. I wanted to share about my journey.

As I gained weight from overindulging in sweets & from medications I was on, I tried everything under the sun to lose the weight. I tried weight watchers several times. I think it's a great program, but for me I found myself not eating healthy foods. I would save my points for the WW chocolate chocolate chip muffins, the mini carrot cakes or their version of Snicker Ice cream bars. I could never seem to lose more then 6lbs, felt tired & I still wasn't feeling great. I tried the latest diet pills Dr. Oz would recommend. I tried juicing for two weeks and I was miserably hungry everyday. My OBGYN then recommended the South Beach Diet. I tried that for a month & I kept thinking the whole time I can't spend the rest of my life doing this. Then something clicked. Why wasn't I trying to find something that I could stick to for the rest of my life? I didn't just want to lose weight & get healthy for a short period of time, I wanted to lose the weight for good...but I could not for the life of me find something I could stick too for the rest of my life. In November of 2014 I was at my rock bottom. I had to purchase size 16 pants & I was weighing in at 198 pounds at 5 foot 8 inches. I was heavier then I ever was full term pregnant with my three children. I was tired, I felt uncomfortable in my own skin and my weight was affecting everything in my life. I found myself googling the next quick fix. What the heck could I find that was going to get this weight off fast? That same night I was searching for items that related to clean eating. My son had just been diagnosed with food allergies and it was a term I kept coming across. I ended up stumbling upon a page on how clean eating & working out from home helped this mom of two lose all her weight. She had been able to keep it off for two years. The more I read on clean eating, the more I realized this may have been what I had been looking for. Not only would this help my son, but myself & my family. So I ended up contacting this women who wrote the blog. She told me she was a Beachbody coach. I had no idea what that was. She offered to help me find a workout program, would give me daily support/accountability in a group setting online, and teach me all aboutclean eating. I told her I had to speak with my husband first. The challenge pack I wanted to purchase was a 25 minute workout called T25, it would come with Shakeology (which I was very skeptical about) and the daily support. I spoke with my husband first. I had spent a lot of money on all these other items to help me lose weight and $205 is not spare change. I will never forget what he said to me. He told me if I thought this was going to help me, then I needed to do it. He said look at how much money we spend on cable, take out, ice cream, cell phone bills....all these things that do nothing for our health & well being. He told me if I thought this was going to help change my life, then do it. I can honestly say that was the best $205 I ever spent. It was a stretch to make it happen, because it was right before christmas, now looking back at it....the gift of health & happiness was worth way more than $205. I have to be completely honest and tell you I did quit. After my first 60 day challenge group I found myself comparing my results to everyone else in my group. I struggled at 33 years old with those workouts, because I was overweight and in worse shape then I ever realized. I had worked so hard and only lost 5lbs & 6 inches at the end of my 60 days. I quit because it was going to take me forever to reach my goals. I took two months off, then on March 3rd 2014 we had just got back from vacation & it was my birthday. I had posted my family vacation pictures, someone commented and asked if I was even on the vacation, because there were hardly any pictures of me. They were right, there were hardly any pictures. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and embarrassed. I decided on my 34th birthday that I was going to contact my coach and commit myself that day. I also decided I was never going to compare myself to anyone else ever again, I was only going to focus on my progress. As of today I have lost 37 pounds & 36 inches. I went from a size 16 to a size. I workout 6 days a week, sometimes 7. I do this more for mental clarity and to relieve stress, because I feel amazing after every workout. I am a busy working mom of 3 children. I make 30 minutes for myself to workout every single day and this is non negotiable.

As for clean eating. This process wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I realized focusing on my nutrition as much as I focused on my workouts was going to be key. Following clean eating, means you are eating clean 80% of the time and indulging 20% of the time. This works. It does not feel like you are on a diet. I can still go out to dinner, enjoy cake & ice cream at a birthday party or go out for a margarita with my friends. You cut out processed foods and eat fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, foods as close to their natural state and whole grains.Spending this $205 started a life long change for not only myself but for my family. It was an investment worth every penny. My children are learning how to fuel their bodies right and I am setting the example I always wanted to set for them. Everything I tried in the past, I would never want my children to do. What I am doing now, they can do too. This is going to ensure my children grow up into healthy adults and they will not struggle like I did. Making these changes also allowed me to to get off medication I was taking on a daily basis for anxiety & depression, I went from three medications to one and at the lowest dose. That has also changed my life. I feel more alive then I ever have. I have learned how much food truly impacts how we feel. Food, especially processed laden in sugar can change your mood and create highs and lows. When you adapt to a clean eating lifestyle, you really start to realize how foods affect your body, especially your stomach. This process has been life changing for my family and I, but also life changing for the hundreds of women and men that I have been able to help adapt to this lifestyle as well. If you want to lose the weight of good, feel healthy and happier, then this will be worth your time and then investment. I will help guide you and support you until you can do it on your own. Contact me and I can help you find the perfect workout for you, get you the daily support you need and help you make this lifestyle change! Check out these seven principals of clean eating by Cooking Light:http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/clean-eating