What was your lifestyle like before starting Lean & Clean?
I was very lean and fit my whole life up until I had my son in 2013 and then the weight was incredibly hard to get off. I would try low carb and lose weight fast, but would always gain it back, plus some, because it’s not a sustainable diet. Growing up we did not eat very healthy. I remember lots of McDonald’s and ramen noodles. Milk and cereal for breakfast, etc. I was never taught what a healthy diet was or how important our food choices were to our overall health.
What was your turning point to start getting healthy?
My turning point was when my grandmother passed away from colorectal cancer. I was angry. The week after she passed I bought a book by a doctor who had brain cancer and it opened my eyes to how important our food choices are to our health. It blew my mind! It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, reading that book. I began really digging deep into research about nutrition after that. Several years later I found Hannah’s YouTube channel on accident and I binge watched as many videos as I could! It aligned with everything I had been reading and finding in my research. That’s when I really began implementing the whole food, plant based lifestyle.
What did you like most about the program?
The program honestly gave me such mental clarity I can’t even describe it. It’s like a fog had been lifted and I could see for the first time. I could really taste my food and savor it. I no longer felt heavy and inflamed. And once you start feeling better, it makes you that much more motivated to keep going. The recipes were very easy to make as well.
What was your starting height, weight and current weight?
I started around 206 pounds (probably more) and ended around 176 pounds. I’m about 5 ft 6 in tall.
What are your favorite foods from Lean & Clean?
My favorite foods are the dal and the red lentil chili!
What type of exercise did you do?
I honestly didn’t exercise much at all! When I did, it was a walk or a HIIT workout. I also walked several flights of stairs at my job every day.
Any advice or tips to inspire others?
My biggest tip is to throw away any excuse you have as to why you can’t do it and just DO IT. I used to say “I’ll start Monday”, and then the whole week would pass and I hadn’t done a single thing I said I would do. And then it turns into weeks and months of just not starting because of laziness and fear. And then I would think, wow, where would I be now if I had actually started when I said I would? Nobody can change you but YOU. That was my biggest turning point, realizing that I had to be the one to do this, no one else was going to do it for me. And the longer I put it off, the worse off I would be. Self pity gets us NOWHERE. You have to put in the work! You are worth it!!
Whats the biggest benefit to your life you have noticed?
Definitely my confidence! Not just physically, but mentally. I look back at what I did for myself and I’m just in awe that I actually did the damn thing. I actually stuck to something and proved everyone wrong, including myself! Doing that has made me feel like I can literally do anything. We have to get out of our own heads! It really is all about mindset.
You can follow Jamie on Instagram at: @high_vibe_wellness_and_beauty or https://www.instagram.com/high_vibe_wellness_and_beauty/