My Clean Eating and Shakeology Journey

When did the value of nutrition become important for me?  When I grew tired of always being tired, sluggish and feeling drained.

I’ve known for many, many years that I should eat healthy, and sometimes I did, but those veggies and proteins aren’t good for you if they’re fried.  And it took me a long time to learn that eating less isn’t the way to lose weight; and that eating healthy the majority of the time is what is better.   And my sweet tooth had its own agenda against me!  All of these things had been causing my struggles over the years.  I could exercise and exercise (and boy did I exercise!) but I couldn’t quite get down to the weight that made me feel better and happier.  This dilemma continued on.  I would eat “healthy” some of the time.  But I love casseroles, cookies and fried foods…I love to cook & bake and I love comfort foods.  I think that I survived the stress of pharmacy school with cookie dough – this is my favorite junk food.

Then, one night a couple years ago, watching a P90X infomercial, I decided it was time to do something extreme.  So I ordered P90X, did the workouts daily but wasn’t satisfied with the results.  Yes, I lost some weight, but it wasn’t nearly what I had anticipated.   It didn’t sink in then; I didn’t realize what the problem was.  Then I ordered Malibu Pilates and then T25 (love T25!).  Both programs gave me some results…but I knew that I could see better results. 

I began drinking Shakeology in January of this year.  As a pharmacist, I realized the value of the 70 ingredients in this all natural, preservative free product.  Shakeology is a nutrient dense, meal replacement – yes – this product contains more nutrients than I could ever eat in a day.  And it is the quickest and easiest way to feed my body what it deserves.  It contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, nutrients, prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes derived through WHOLE foods.  Within a week I noticed changes.  I had less cravings, more energy, better digestion and absolutely felt better. 

Then I saw the advertisement for PiYo – I instantly knew that this was going to be THE program that brought me results!  I patiently waited months for the release of the program.  While waiting, I started reading about Chalene Johnson, visiting her website and social media pages.  And I started to realize that if I wanted to see changes – I needed to make changes with my nutrition.

Thus began my journey with actually eating healthier and learning more about clean eating.  Then, the PiYo workouts were released in June – this program and the changes that I made with my nutrition gave me RESULTS!  Finally, I feel better, have more energy and I am happier with how I look.

My clean eating journey began by cutting out processed foods, eating much less white flour & white sugar products and eating more vegetables (not fried!).  I plan my meals more so that I am not tempted to grab something quick and unhealthy.  I’m still learning and figuring out what works for me – but this is a process worth every second!

This journey has helped me realize the importance of sharing and teaching others what I’ve learned.  Had it not been for others sharing, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  After all of this, I decided that becoming a Beachbody Coach was perfect for me to continue my growth and help others along the way.

Join me in my next Clean Eating Bootcamp Group to learn the basics of clean eating. 

Or join me in my next Fitness Challenge Group for the total package:  personal support from me as your coach, a complete fitness/nutrition program and daily Shakeology.  We work together to achieve your goals.  

Visit my website and click “Contact Me” or message me through Facebook.

Kristin Ratliff's Beachbody Website