March 03, 2020

Our Winter 2020 Challenge Winner, Kelli!

Congrats, Kelli!

CSE has changed my life! I could go on and on for days about how CSE has transformed my life for the better. I have been struggling with type 1 diabetes burnout and postpartum weight gain from 2 kids for the last 6+ years.

Over the last 4 years, my husband and I have tried other popular diets that I had small successes with but ultimately I was unable to sustain them with the strict rules and deprivation. Not only was I mentally unable to stick to those diets but after a month or so I would begin to feel physically unwell.

I came across CSE on Instagram and actually followed them for quite a while before I ever really paid attention to what it really was. I just remember seeing the food posts and thinking "every single recipe looks delicious- this can't be real." After talking with a friend who had bought a couple of books and really enjoyed the food I decided I HAD to do this! My husband and I jumped right in with it and I love it today on day 49 as much as I did on day 1!

In 7 weeks I have lost 14.2lbs and 8.75 inches! My blood glucose levels have been in the most control that I have ever had in the 14 years that I have had diabetes. My HgbA1c went from 8 to 6.3! The work JJ and Erika put into the recipes takes all the work out of eating with diabetes. I have gained a love and confidence for cooking that I have never had. I thrive off preparing and serving delicious healthy food for me and my family. I have lost cravings for foods I used to think I could never let go of. I know some people are concerned about the cost of doing CSE but I used all the food I was buying from the grocery lists -- spoiler alert you don't have to buy and throw away fresh healthy produce if you have a plan on how you are going to use it. That alone shifted my mindset from realizing that I want to financially invest in me, and my health through the food I buy! And honestly, it balances out because I actually use the food, instead of throwing it out after 2 weeks.

In addition to pounds and inches, I have lost that tired fuzzy feeling hitting me midday every single day. I have lost the desire to drink diet sodas, I have lost pain in my feet and other joints. I honestly cannot remember the last time I felt this good.

Bonus, I have been able to include my 2 small children into a lot of the meals and or been able to adapt them to suit their picky palates.

I referenced the workouts in the back of the book and found videos online of similar routines -- I like having a video to follow. So a combination of HIIT, TABATA, Strength, and light cardio. I really wanted to focus on the eating portion so I worked out "intuitively" and worked out anywhere from 2-5 days a week. I feel like this really worked well for me and I have built a good foundation to build off of.