Hey, there!!
My name is Tammy Morrell and I am so excited to have the opportunity to share my Clean Eating Journey with you and how I lost 30 pound despite having PCOS and a severe health condition 🙂Â
I’m 42 years old and have been married to my best friend for 16 years. My sweet husband has been a constant support and my voice of reason that has helped keep me on track during the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. We didn’t have any children due to infertility issues, but we have one spoiled rotten Taco Terrier (miniature fox Terrier/Chihuahua mix) named Jack. I work as a Billing Coordinator for a home health company and I’m also a caregiver for my father. I love spending time with my husband. Our favorite things to do are going to antique stores, hiking and kayaking. I love to read and I have a slight shoe obsession. 😉
My life before clean eating was pretty much just existing, not living. I have struggled with horrible headaches for 16 years.
It took me 12 years to be diagnosed with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (aka Pseudo Tumor Cerebri). Basically my brain loves my spinal fluid way too much. When my pressure is high, it mimics the symptoms of a brain tumor. I not only lived every day in pain, but I experienced vision loss, confusion, numbing/temporary paralysis and constant dizziness. Needless to say this battle left me exhausted.
My life consisted of working as often as I could, taking care of my family and going to sleep. Due to the long term use of steroids, I packed on the weight, which is ironic because the doctors said that I needed to lose weight if I wanted any relief from the pain.
With my health condition, exercising was out of the question. I tried to push myself with tears streaming down my face but ultimately I knew my only hope was my diet.
So dieting is what I did. So many diets, fads and pills. They were all a waste, without any success.
I have PCOS and my doctor told me that with PCOS weight loss was a challenge. She said “for every 3 pounds that a normal person loses you will only lose 1”. Â Often times I would end up gaining more weight than when I started. So, I just gave up.
I gave in to the pain and did whatever I had to do to make it through the day. Eating out and convenient foods became my way of life. After being diagnosed and beginning treatment, I began to feel better. So the search for a way to lose the weight and gain energy began, again.
I had several more failed attempts at losing weight and finally I came across CleanFoodCrush. I purchased the cookbooks and started trying the recipes! My husband and I LOVED Â the food. I thought to myself “this is something that I can do and see myself sticking with”!
I jumped in on my own and began feeling overwhelmed and was almost ready to give up. I was truly inspired by Rachel’s story and others that were posted on CleanFoodCrush. So, I clicked to join the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge.
Joining the 30 Day Clean Eating ChallengeAbsolutely, one of the best decisions that I have ever made for myself.
The 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge changed my life! I was so amazed at the changes that were occurring in my body, my appearance, my confidence, my energy levels and my mindset. I have been transformed in so many ways.
Week one was hard, but I felt really good about what I was doing. I was making informed decisions and not mindlessly eating. I think the huge turning point for me was when I realized that I had woken up two days in a row without a headache. I hadn’t woke up without a headache for years!
My mom noticed that the look of pain was gone from my face. She said she didn’t realize how much pain I was in all the time until I did the challenge and I changed!
- I have lost 30 pounds and 18 inches overall!
- Most of my days are pain free and the ones that aren’t are now manageable.
- The joy this has given me in my life is unmeasurable. I have energy!! I have a life!
- I am able to do the things that I have longed to do for so long, like hiking. My husband and I went on a 10 mile hike for our 16th Wedding Anniversary!
- This would not have even been an option before the challenge. I am thankful for the days that I am able to work a full day, take care of errands, check in on my dad, put a load of laundry in and still feel good when I lay down for the night.
 My husband has walked this journey with me. He has loved all the food and says that we are in this for life. He has conquered his never ending sweet tooth. He is so happy that I am able to do things with him. This 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge has given him his wife back!Â
Mainly, the challenge has helped me grow in knowledge and confidence in making decisions as to what and what not to put in my body and the effects that it will have. The program is easy to implement. I love how you can adjust it to fit your needs and likes. I have always hated grocery shopping. Now, I have a permanent shopping list in my brain which makes shopping a breeze.
I love all the variety of recipes and food. With just the same basics, I can create so many different dishes.
I think meal prep is very important. I normally do mine twice a week. I have had a few occasions that I did not get to prep as good as I would have liked, but having the basics on hand allowed me to stay on track anyway. Eating out has become a rarity for us now, mainly because we like the food and freshness of what we make at home so much better. Restaurants have become our last alternative. I was so overwhelmed at first and didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing, but toward the end of the 30 days it truly became a lifestyle for me, that feels so good!
Because of the success that I have experienced with the 30 Day Challenge, I signed up for the Annual Membership. The support of the groups and guidance from Rachel, Billie Jo and Daisy are priceless.
I could not have done this on my own. The stories of others, the encouragement and answers to all my questions are to me the very things that make the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge tick. I like being able to encourage and share with others along the way. It makes us all a part of each other’s journey.
Don’t hesitate to join the challenge. You are worth it. It is time for you to believe in yourself! Do like I did and click that button. It is what you have been looking for and has the tools that you need to finally win the battle of good health. Together, we’ve got this!