Hi there 🙂
My name is Linda Catherine Powers, I’m a 48 year old mother of 2 and a grandmother of 2. Â
This is my review of the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge, I hope I can serve as an inspiration and encouraging force for your own journey ahead.
When I was 41 I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Thyroid Cancer and once I underwent surgery, the weight gain was an uphill battle.
I started my life off quite young with my children and was always working and not eating the healthiest of foods. As I got older I noticed a lot of changes in my body and it wasn’t easy to lose the weight I had gained over the years. Â
I work as an executive administrative assistant in a fast paced environment so eating habits haven’t always been a priority, it’s a grab and go, whatever is quick.
At my heaviest I weighed 194 pounds and on thyroid medication that had a dosage dependent on my weight.
I love reading and cooking, it takes my mind off so many things and it’s my get away. That’s how I found Rachel and Clean Food Crush! I started following CleanFoodCrush and signing up for recipes and quickly fell in love 🙂 Rachel and the CleanFoodCrush team taught me how to incorporate all the things I love in a healthier way.
I started just eating clean in the late part of 2016, incorporating a lot of Rachel’s recipes with my dinners, which were always my biggest challenges, it’s easy to go through a drive through or order pizza when you’re tired. Â I also Love wine and having drinks with friends after a stressful day, another easy thing to fall into. Even though I was incorporating clean recipes into my lifestyle, it wasn’t consistent enough. I was still eating out a lot, I was still drinking my wine and having my cake, so of course the weight would fluctuate.
In early 2017 I started excising, walking, light jog and circuit training (Tabata) and my weight went down to 184 pounds. I was proud of myself for getting results, so I started reading more about meal prep and my Sundays became crock pot meals, overnight oats and baggies with fruit for smoothies. Â I lost another 4 pounds but my body and clothes didn’t change.
Then it happened, my achilles tendon and hamstrings inflamed and I under went MRI’s, and doctors orders to stop exercise and even walking until they could get the inflammation under control. So my scale didn’t move but I was determined to continue to eat clean, so I continued on the journey. Â Once I got my orthotics (yep it’s come to that), nothing was going to hold me back… well except lunges, jump roping and sprints, those are still a no go.
Now this brings us to Feb 15th 2018 where my real transformation and lifestyle changed, and not just for ME but for my entire FAMILY too!
I decided I had NOTHING to lose and I joined the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge, downloaded the material and followed every Week step by step – WATER is key.
My family started losing weight and feeling the difference of how their clothes fit, since everyone was eating the same kind of meals, especially at dinner.
I weighed in at 180 lbs and in 30 days I lost 8 more pounds with no exercise. With this result I said I was going to go for the gold and signed up for annual membership and in 60 days I’m down a total of 12 lbs pounds, a whole pant size, 6 inches, 5 pounds of actual body fat (that’s a lot of fat) and I’m up 1 pound of muscle. YAY ME!
Here are a Few More Results I’ve Seen from Taking the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge…Â
- My choices when I go out are smarter
- I’m not tempted by sugar and bread anymore
- A lot of times I’d rather be at home since my meals have more flavor then when I eat out.
- And wine…well there’s always time for that it’s just not all the time, I have a glass now and then but everything is in moderation. Â
I’ve incorporated exercise into my weekly balance and it’s not about hours at the gym or running miles, it’s about taking time out 15 – 30 mins 3 – 5 times a week. Â Walking, yoga, elliptical, or circuit training with light weights.
My advice from experience with this process: Don’t make it a job make it a journey, a journey you will enjoy with every inhale and exhale that you take.
I reminded myself daily that it’s not about how fast you run to win the race, it’s that you finish it. Â I’m so very grateful for what I have learned and my journey has just started, good luck on yours, YOU Can do it!