THE GAME CHANGER

Ok, it’s about to get real up in here. Mentally preparing to create this post brought on a tidal wave of emotions:

Excitement about sharing my literal answer to prayer.

Embarrassment about detailing my health journey.

Fear about comments that may or may not be made from those who struggle differently than I.

Confidence in the person I have become.

Basically, thinking about writing this post made me feel all of the things. However, besides, “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” my most frequently asked questions are about my diet and lifestyle choices. So, when your four fans ask you for something, deliver. 😉

So, let’s start at the beginning of our journey. After going through the emotional roller coaster that was BYU (if you'd like to read about that experience, click here), across the board I was just not feeling myself. I didn’t know which life path to choose, I had felt abandoned by God, and to top it all off, I had gained the dreaded “Freshman Fifteen”. Embarrassed and lost, I sought the only logical solution I could think of: Ice Cream. After eating my sorrows for a hot minute, and finally deciding to go on a mission, I determined it was time to create a healthier lifestyle. However, I was faced with a couple of problems:

1. I did not want to exercise.

2. I wanted the weight to come off FAST.

3. I had no earthy idea how to make the weight come off.

4. I did not want to eat rabbit food.

So, instead of consulting a physician, trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, or adding in some physical activity, I decided to go with my own, super-well-thought-out logic. If I wanted to lose weight, I needed to consume less calories, right? So, that’s what I did. At one point, in an effort to get that weight off as quick as possible, I restricted myself to one meal a day. I am sure you all can guess how well that turned out (don't worry, it didn't last long 😊). I was cranky, I was starving, and I was setting myself up for failure. In the months leading up to my mission, I gained even more weight, and grew even weaker in my confidence and self-image.

Not long after returning home from my mission, I discovered the physical and psychological benefits of running, and never looked back. (I am such a strong advocate of taking those moments to let your body release stress. So important, but not the soap box we are focusing on today 😉) Now I had one part of my healthy lifestyle in place. However, I did not make many improvements in the dietary department. For the next two years I would yo-yo between basically starving my body or indulging to the max in all of my cravings. I felt overwhelmed, alone, and hopeless. I seriously could see no way out of the cycle I had created for myself and feared that this would be the course for the rest of my life.

In the Summer of 2018, I could not take it anymore. I had tried everything I could possibly think of to overcome my struggles, and could see no resolutions. So, one night, after once again failing to meet my unrealistic expectations, I found myself on my knees. I begged for guidance for the next step, a more realistic perspective, and the ability to love myself.

My gamechanger came just a few days later, from a very unexpected place. As I as watching one of my favorite creators on Youtube, Michelle Pearson, she discussed a new lifestyle plan she was testing out, Clean Simple Eats. Desperate, I decided to do a little research into Clean Simple Eats. Immediatly I felt confident that this was a healthy lifestyle I could actually stick to. So, I decided to try it out, and after successfully driving over a few little speedbumps, I have never looked back. Clean Simple Eats was a literal answer to prayer. I cannot thank the creators, J.J. and Erika Peterson enough, for the way that they have changed my life. (And my Heavenly Father, since, ya know, He guided me to them!)

Ok, so, you might be asking, “What is so great about Clean Simple Eats?”. Well, the answer is in the title. The food is CLEAN and SIMPLE. As we saw in the spiral that was my healthy lifestyle choices, I was never good at determining what food to eat, or what a healthy portion looked like. Don’t worry, Clean Simple Eats has got you covered! They help you determine how many calories you personally should consume on a daily basis to lose weight at a HEALTHY pace, and then maintain once you have reached your goals. I was shocked by how much food I could actually eat, and by how horribly I had been treating my body. I am now happy to say that I am now treating my body like the gift it is!

Not only does Clean Simple Eats tell you how much to eat, they tell you what to eat, which was a huge pull for me. Clean Simple Eats has logged well over four million healthy recipes (ok, so may not that many, but like a butt-ton), that you can switch in and out according to what you are craving. The interchangeability was so huge for me. I was eating what I wanted, not some weird meal plan someone I didn't know had created for me. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts. Any recipe your heart may desire, they’ve got it, and help to make it fit into your lifestyle.

J.J. and Erkia have carefully crafted each meal or snack to have a healthy amount of macro and micro nutrients, so all you have to do is make the food and eat it. That has brought me so much peace of mind. There is no more guessing as to whether what I am putting in my body is too much or not enough, healthy or not healthy. The guesswork is gone! Plus, all of the recipes are super easy to make, and they use normal people ingredients. Not the weird, rabbit-food stuff that I can never find in my Podunk town.

Finally, the food is FREAKIN’ DELICIOUS. This was one of my biggest struggles when I attempted to lose weight. To me, it seemed that part of growing up was learning to eat healthy food I didn’t like. Celery and I were going to be forced to be best friends, whether I liked it or not. Boy, was I wrong! Clean Simple Eats packs their recipes full of the good healthy food you need, but everything tastes amazing. Seriously, it's like magic, and I do not know how they do it. Are you read for the biggest shock of your life? Clean Simple Eats have helped me to actually enjoy eating healthy. Instead of having to force myself to eat celery, I enjoy eating it occasionally. And on the days where I don’t particularly feel like celery, I can enjoy some pasta and a milkshake, while still maintaining my healthy lifestyle. Magic, I tell you!

So, how much does Clean Simple Eats mean to me? Seriously, it means everything to me. Discovering this company was a much-pleaded-for answer to prayer. Let’s see if it hit all of the marks, shall we?

1. Guidance for the Next Step

Well, one I was led to Clean Simple Eats, so there was my next step. However, I was also guided for all of my other steps to come. One of my biggest worries was discovering a lifestyle that I could maintain for the rest of my life, and Clean Simple Eats is just that. I never have to worry about what I am going to eat, or what I will feed my future family! Clean Simple Eats and I are in it for the long haul, and I could not be more excited.

2. A More Realistic Perspective

I can’t believe I treated Heavenly Father’s gift to me so horribly. I yelled at it, I starved it, and I hated it. Clean Simple Eats taught me the correct and healthy way to feed my body. I never have to worry if I am giving myself to much or too little, or if I am filling it with healthy or unhealthy nutrients. That knowledge alone has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders. However, being on this journey has also taught me how terrible my perfectionist mindset can be! Starting Clean Simple Eats really helped me to learn my body. What it likes, what it needs, where its weaknesses are (chocolate), and where its strengths are. Instead of fighting against my body and its cravings, I have learned to work with it and its love of chocolate ice cream. I have learned when to hold firm and when to let loose, and how to plan for ultimate success. I finally feel in control, and never would have guessed that picture would include eating a milkshake every week!

3. Ability to Love Myself

With the help of Clean Simple Eats, I have learned to love my body. I love how it carries me through a difficult run in the heat. I love the way it feels now that I am providing it with the nutrients it needs. I love the way that it now enjoys consuming water and celery. I love the confidence it exudes. I love me. I mean, sure, there is always room for improvement (a tan might be nice 😉), but I can say without a single chance of a tear in my eye or a shake in my voice that I love who I am. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too.

So, to my four fans, I hope that I answered all of your questions! God loves us, He answers our prayers, and Clean Simple Eats is awesome. That is all 😊.