Clean eating for a happier & healthier life
Saying Goodbye to a Yo-Yo Life
Too many years went by of yo-yo fad dieting: Extreme gym & kitchen weight loss followed by even more extreme unhealthy weight gain even worse than the last. In January of 2014 I literally woke up day and decided that being 26 years old (my "golden age") was going to be an awesome year with a new me. I started working out, eating clean, and was introduced to some people and some supplements that changed the way I look at health. The following before photos are a reminder of how far I've come and to not give up when certain days get hard, as my journey is not over. Sharing my story and keeping myself accountable is the only way to make sure I stay on track.
In the summer of 2013 I quit my job in Indiana, packed up my things and moved to Nashville, TN. I got a job at a Landscape Architecture firm that August. Overtime hours started building up: dinners after normal work hours and the only options were quasi-fast food. All the usual excuses came up to not exercise and eat right: there's not enough hours in the day, I get off work too late, the commute takes too long, it gets dark too early, there's not time to cook a good meal, I need enough sleep to make it through the workday... etc. etc. etc.
My weight started getting completely out of control. I knew I was overweight; I wasn't blind. But I was in this uncontrollable state of heavy denial, a denial that was so powerful that it was starting to cost me my health, not just my appearance. I was having trouble sleeping, walking up and down the stairs winded me, my resting heart rate had skyrocketed, and it was becoming difficult to enjoy normal daily things I used to enjoy.
The worst of all for me was that NONE of the clothing in my closet fit me anymore. Literally nothing I owned except for my leggings and socks fit me. I had to stare at a closet full of clothes I couldn't wear anymore, day in and day out. I became very sad; it's exhausting to tear apart pieces of yourself every day.
Wake-Up Calls
About Me
I had several "wake up calls" that I ignored. One of them being forced to shop in the Plus Size section of Forever21. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with Forever21+ and I am SUPER greatful that it existed when I needed to buy office clothing that I could actually fit into in my time of "disrepair."
It is a GREAT line for naturally curvy bodies. However, my body is not one of those and my necessity to shop in that section stemmed from lack of exercise and a poor diet & lifestyle.
I wish I could say that my journey was a gradual change, an easy adaptation from my lifestyle, but that's not the way it works. Some harsh, yet honest words were said to me by someone I love, and it stuck. Those words rang over and over in my head until one day... I woke up one day and something clicked. I actually realized how not just overweight I was...but how unhealthy I had become. I had become my own worst enemy, and the biggest risk to my own life and that something had to be done immediately.
Doctors Orders
Like I said, I started "eating clean" in January 2014 (limited processed foods, limited gluten, no fast food, etc). After about a month of healthy and clean eating, 5-6 cardio & weight sessions a week, and 15 pounds lost, I got some diet and life-changing news. My endocrinologist called and said that bloodwork from an insulin-related genetic disorder (PCOS) I had was worse and that I needed to drastically change the way I was eating or I was going to have to be on pricey insulin-regulating medicine every month.
Basically, she said I needed to get my body into an almost constant state of nutritional ketosis (eating around 20g carbs a day). Before I started eating clean, I was consuming around 300g-400g carbs/day, and that's probably an under-estimation. When I started eating "clean" (oatmeal, bananas, apples, whole grains, onions, lean meats, etc), I was sitting around ~105g carbs/day. Dropping another 80+g/day?! I panicked; I didn't know how I was supposed to do that, have energy, and still eat. I did it for a while, but then found out my body hated most dairy. I'm not sure if you've tried to eat really low carb without dairy, but it's difficult. I decided I needed something else.
After yet another doctor consultation, it was suggested I try out AdvoCare products including a meal plan similiar to their 24 Day Challenge where I eat clean and I set my own macros (~20% carbs, 45% protein, and 30% healthy fats on a 1200-1500 calorie plan). I pinned low carb & clean meals to my new boards on Pinterest, planned out weeks worth of daily meals/snacks on MyFitnessPal until I found a healthy way to meet my macros with healthy fats, vegetables, and meats.
The 24 Day Challenge
My 24 Day Challenge was not all roses and sunshine every day. They tell you not to weigh yourself every day. Well, you should listen; I did not. I got curious and weighed too often. Bodies fluctuate. A thousand different factors can affect your day-to-day weight: salt intake, water intake, time of day, illness, bloat, etc. I’m the kind of person who gets discouraged with even just a pound of weight gain (which is one reason you for sure shouldn’t weigh every day).
I kept three dresses on a hanger that I tried on every 5-6 days that were tight on me before the challenge started. Now, THAT was encouraging. Feeling the dresses get looser even though the scale might not have been moving was motivation to stick the course. At the end of the Challenge I came away nearly 14 pounds lighter and around 12” leaner. I did not cheat, not once. And I actually did not find it hard. I did eat out once during the Challenge (although you can and still make it work). I had no beer, no wine, no liquor, no soda, no coffee, no tea, and limited (if any?) processed foods. I did cut out all bread (the Challenge lets you eat limited amounts of complex carbs including whole grain breads, brown rice, etc.) Since I was already eating relatively low carb, though, I decided to cut those out completely during the Challenge. And it was not as difficult as I was [dreading] it to be.
Your body really does get use to eating clean and you fall into this habit of craving real food from the earth that leaves you feeling full, not sluggish, and healthy.
I’m diving into the Post-Challenge days head first, excited for the next stage of this continued journey. It has totally changed the way I look at food, exercise, and how what goes into my body affects every single part of my day and my overall health.
One friend of mine who asked me about my weight loss and health journey ended up signing up for the Challenge, finished with amazing results, and told me “I wanted to give up so many times, but because of you, I didn’t…and I’m so happy now.” That lit a fire under me, reminding me of how thankful I felt for Samantha (who introduced me to AdvoCare and its amazing support group) when she was pushing me along the way.
Samantha and I have been going through this journey together ever since. I am so excited to continue the next chapter of our journey together, building our support group and surrounding ourselves with like-minded friends striving for healthier lives. (Read about our little adventure here)
“We Become What And Who We Surround Ourselves With”
...so let’s surround ourselves with the best :)
A New Outlook on Life
Kait & Sam
Advocare 24 Day Challenge Results