It is not surprising that we get majority of women who sign up for Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge. But we do have those few brave men who take action. And when they go all in the results are amazing! Check out the beginning story of Justin's journey. We are so proud of the change and progress you have made, not only physically, but that whole mindset change too! By Justin Esser I played sports all through my childhood and into college, and I could generally eat whatever I wanted and still feel and look fit. I never really had a problem with weight, and because of that I guess I thought that I knew enough about what was good or bad for you. Fast-forward 15 years and my mindset about how my body processed food never changed. I mean home-made spaghetti, or pork chops with mashed potatoes and gravy have to be better than McDonald’s, right? I didn’t need any help (I thought) – I wasn’t skinny, but I didn’t really think of myself as too fat… A few years ago I started to notice that all I had the energy to do was go to work, play with the kids for a few minutes when I came home, and then go to bed. My family was getting the short end of the stick and I felt tired and slow all the time. I knew that I could probably do a better job eating a little healthier, but I really just felt like I needed to be more active. I would join a gym and be super dedicated to 2-day per week workouts for every bit of 2 weeks, and then something would derail me. Six months later I would do the same thing – gym, kill it for 2 weeks, and then fall off again. In January of 2017 I was the heaviest I had ever been at 246 pounds. I was really starting to be embarrassed about how I looked and how clothes fit me, and could really tell that any physical exertion just about required an oxygen tank. I knew I had to make a serious change. Before I joined Clean Kitchen, I honestly thought it was just a “girl” thing and not many dudes actually signed up for the program. But I wasn’t getting any younger and definitely wasn’t getting any thinner, so I thought I would kinda secretly join Clean Kitchen to lose a little weight and start to get back in shape. I quickly found out that CK was a legit nutritional/educational program created by people who really care about helping others lead a healthier lifestyle, and that literally anyone could benefit from it. CK showed me that I was using the wrong foods to fuel my body, and expecting those foods to do things for me that they just weren’t designed to do.

About the program:

The program is web-based which makes it real easy to follow. You receive daily emails with checklists and lessons full of information, assignments to help you practice the habits, and even though they came to me daily I never felt like there were too many. The coaches do an incredible job of educating you on the fundamentals of nutrition and build your knowledge at a very easy pace over the 12 week program. Coaches are easy to talk to and quick to answer any questions that you have (Kellar was clutch here!). The best part of the program for me is that it prepares you for the rough days. When you’re busy, don’t feel great, or just want to eat whatever you want to eat – good habits start to kick in and you aren’t as vulnerable to making poor decisions. I’m pretty analytical and don’t typically do something just because I’m told its good for me. But explain to me why its good, and I’ll do it forever! This program gives you the knowledge and confidence to continue a healthier lifestyle beyond the 12 weeks.

My progress:

I lost 29 pounds and a total of 29.4 inches.