The "Ah-Ha" moments – Clean Kitchen Challenge

By Samantha McCain

Tolstoy is quoted for saying, “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”

What sucks (for lack of a better word), is that I have the patience of a toddler and time is the only thing I always need more of. Or, so I thought.

I’ve been a member of Versus Strength and Conditioning for four years. I’ve also participated in the “I Am Versus” challenge twice. I say all of that to say … I was convinced I knew everything I needed to know about eating clean and sticking with the habits. But I was wrong. Really, really wrong. It didn’t matter how much I “knew.” What mattered most was action. And to be very clear, my daily actions were a grave miss for the most part. That whole “you can't out train a bad diet” was true in the worst way. I was in the gym five to six times a week, but nothing was changing. I had low energy levels, felt blah most of the time and gym performance was sluggish at best. My reasoning for signing up for Clean Kitchen came from a deep-seeded desire or need for the accountability to make everything stick (food, workouts, etc.). But what I didn’t realize is that I needed Clean Kitchen to help me sort out a new normal - one that wouldn’t allow emotions and life obstacles to derail me from my overall goals.

THE RESULTS

Some who do Clean Kitchen may see a quick return on the investment. In some cases, the weight starts to fall off pretty quickly which is recharged affirmation for what is working. In this group, that was really fun to witness and champion! But the truth is, that didn’t happen for me. The scale barely moved those first few weeks. BARELY. Let’s revisit the part where I said I have the patience of a toddler. But I was surrounded by great support and heard the all too famous words - “trust the process” from the coaches. So, I pushed forward. The actions I made daily were becoming habitual, and while I didn’t immediately see quantifiable results - I did feel better. More than that, I felt in control. And with that control, I began to see ah-ha moments. For me, they weren’t in the scope of diminishing numbers on the scale and lost inches (although those were a nice side effect when it started happening). Those ah-ha moment(s) came during week three when I dislocated my shoulder and I didn’t fall back on that emotion to justify swinging through a drive-thru. Then again during week six when I went home after a long day to eat the food I already prepared - regardless of how convenient something else would be. And right around week eight, the moments began showing up and out frequently. I can’t explain the dots that finally connected when I ran an 8:30 mile (which I just don’t do); when I hit a few new personal records with weights in the gym; and more than anything - when I was back on the pull-up bar even after shoulder trauma a few weeks prior. For me, it and sustained energy levels were the affirmation and encouragement I needed for moving past week 12.

THE RESOLVE

I recently came across this quote from Captain Ryan Short, company commander of the 237th Military Police Company in the New Hampshire Army National Guard. He said, “Your life is a direct reflection of the standard which you have chosen to accept. Nothing more, nothing less . . . Who you are, where you are going, and what you represent, is all dictated by that line drawn in the sand which decides what you are willing to accept as your trademark standard.” Before Clean Kitchen, my trademark standard was organized chaos. Meetings, social outings, busy work days, side projects, and eating/drinking when it was easy and convenient. Now? I can confidently say that this program single-handedly broke down bad habits I didn’t even realize were a factor, smashed barriers for what I “thought” I didn’t have time for, and helped me find patience I never thought I had. Clean Kitchen helped me create a new trademark standard that’s built on a solid foundation of habits I will continue to take with me during my new normal. And if you are doubting the process or the foundation of habits - don’t. Clean Kitchen isn’t a no-holds-barred, restrictive diet that leaves you longing for everything you haven’t had in 12 weeks. It’s about building a better, healthier you in the most realistic format possible. Regardless of where you are in this journey, sign up. You won’t regret it. I certainly don’t.