By Belinda TestonI was in a perpetual slump. I worked out at Versus Strength & Conditioning at least 3 times a week and I had heard about Clean Kitchen program, but lacked confidence in my ability to actually do it. I have done gym challenges where I would lose weight but then sadly, gained it back slowly. I did not realize that I was sabatoging my own progress by not really changing what counts...my habits.My fast-food ritual of eating made me feel sane in this crazy world. I had become comfortable with my unhealthy eating habits. These eating habits had developed by convenience and stress, which in-turn, caused my excess body fat to go up and my self-confidence dropped. I would rationalize my reasons for overeating. Pigging-out was a way to self-medicate my tension. I felt like I needed these foods and that I deserved to eat these foods even though I knew they were doing to me.
During the 12 Weeks I lost 20.8 pounds, 23 inches, and 5.1% body fat, and gained a boat load of self-confidence!
Clean Kitchen challenged me to change my eating habits, not by a complete overhaul all at once, but by first looking at the real reason I wanted to lose weight. And not just the reason to “look and feel better”, but why did I want to “look and feel better” and what does that mean to me? Finding out the real reason why you want to lose weight is a game changer.
Week by week, through out the CK Challenge, my view of health and food was transformed. CK has given me confidence in my ability to make healthy choices and control my eating habits.
What sets Clean Kitchen apart from other programs is the incredible support system.
With the Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge you have a support family and it begins with your very own coach. My coach was Anna. She was a life saver! We communicated through the Clean Kitchen App, email, or text. With the Clean Kitchen App, she could keep up with the habits I was completing each day and make suggestion on my food log. She didn’t wait for me to come to her. She would contact me at least twice a week with encouragement. I felt as though she believed in my ability to loss weight. She held me accountable for my actions, remind me of how far I had come, and cheered for my progress.Other support comes from the Facebook group page created just for the people going through the Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge. We would post questions and pictures of our meals - the good, the bad, and the ugly. No judgements here, just reassurance that we could do this. Every two weeks our coaches would have a live coach’s chat through this Facebook group page. This brought us together as one for the coaches to discuss how we could apply our new habits in real life situations and what to do when something unexpected happens. They would encourage us to be consistent with our new habits. They always applauded us for how far we each had come and to finish strong. The final support comes from the Clean Kitchen Veteran’s Facebook page, or as I like to think of it as the "family page." This is where everyone who has ever been through the Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge can encourage each other for life. Its inspirational to see people who have been through the challenge and continue to keep these habits and teachings they have learned through CK. Health is a journey that will have its ups and downs. The struggle is what makes you stronger day by day. This group is where I can come for support and we encourage each other.It’s never too late to make a change for the better. I know that if the Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge can change my life, that it can change your life too. I hope to inspire other people who are just like I was, someone who lacked confidence and needed an extra push to believe that YOU have the power to overcome self-doubt and have authority over your eating habits. With self-determination you CAN make a change for yourself for the better. A life change is waiting for you, and its easier than you think.
