By Courtney Turner “You could win $1000..." I told myself as I coughed up the $250 to sign up for the Clean Kitchen Challenge. Not that I actually expected to win! It seemed like such a big investment at the time, but I can honestly say that what I gained from the program was priceless. I had recently started working out at Versus Strength & Conditioning when registration opened for the 2018 Winter Challenge. I had just given birth to my second child and was dealing with some mild postpartum depression. I was exhausted, fat, and feeling hopeless. I needed something, and that something turned out to be Versus and Clean Kitchen. One of the first assignments in the CK program was to identify my “WHY”. Well, I wanted to lose weight and feel better about myself. But I’ve always wanted that. That had never been strong enough motivation for me to make a long term change. I needed to dig deeper. Yes, I wanted to be successful for myself, but what I realized was that ultimately I wanted it for my family. I wanted to have the energy to enjoy my kids; I wanted to live a long, healthy life so I could watch them grow up; and I wanted to be able to set an example for them so that they could lead healthy lives. That is what makes CK unlike any “diet” program out there. It’s not a meal plan or some quick weight loss gimmick. They make you dig deeper because they know that’s where the real change has to happen (not just in your waistline). With the support of my coaches and the CK community, I did win the challenge. But more importantly, I won a lot of mental battles throughout those 12 weeks – against negative self-talk, emotional food cravings, and all my old excuses. The winter challenge may be over, but thanks to Clean Kitchen I am prepared to win those battles every day. I am in the best shape of my life, physically and mentally, and it’s only going to keep getting better! *Just a side note for anyone thinking, “There’s no way I can do this program because I’m a picky eater.” Yes, you can! Before CK, I had the palate of a toddler. My diet was full of processed/fast food. I NEVER ate vegetables. I kid you not, the first thing I did after signing up for the challenge was Google tips for making vegetables taste better. I read articles like, “How to trick your toddler into eating veggies.” It was sad. Fast forward to today, I’m eating SIX servings of vegetables a day and I only make bad faces sometimes. The next Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge begins soon!! Register here.