It feels good to feel good! – Christyne McClellan, Health and Wellness Coach

From 255 to 162 Pounds

From Size 24 to Size 6

Healthy Weight Loss

My EAT WELLNESS Story…

Weight Loss

I was a fairly active child.  I always enjoyed running, playing basketball, playing hopscotch, and walking with friends to the gas station, where we would purchase candy and sodas.  I was volleyball captain in middle school.  In high school, I was a member of the marching band and I did shot put and discus for the track team.  I stayed pretty active.

After my first child was born, I starved myself and worked myself back down to a size 6.  After the birth of my second child, I worked out for an hour every weekday morning, and I maintained a size 8.  After my third child was born, I worked out for two hours a day at the gym.  I was consistent, and I even attended Zumba classes on the weekends.  I did Jenny Craig for a bit, and I did Weight Watchers.  I was down to a 10-12, and I was starting to experience terrible pains in my feet, but I kept going.  Something happened in our household, and I couldn’t prioritize the work-outs, so the weight started to creep back on.  I found myself busy and stressed from financial burdens and decisions that we had to make as a married couple, and, without realizing it, I was eating myself into a blanket of fat, trying to cover the pain.  I did workout programs from reputable companies and even became a Beachbody coach.  I also became a raw vegan and did juice/smoothie fasts.  I tried so many things over the years, but the addiction to carbs… the bags of chips, the fries, the fried chicken, the sandwiches, the biscuits, the yeast rolls, crescent rolls, the “More bread please” at Olive Garden, Red Lobster… they were my go-to’s, as well as cigars and alcohol in the form of wine.  I’d stop at Zaxby’s and order the Wings ‘n Things.  I’d eat all of the platter, not even leaving a bit of sauce behind.  In January of 2018, I found myself at 251 pounds, and I had made a decision to cut sugar from my diet.  I didn’t know what Keto was at this point, but I had been praying for God to just tell me what to do.  He told me, and confirmed it through my pastor and a friend.  I had been jogging around a school track, but I had lost only 7 pounds, and my feet were in so much pain.  The pain would actually awaken me in the middle of the night.  Every morning, when I left the bed, I walked like I was crippled, because the pain was so bad.  So, on January 7, a Sunday, I decided I would no longer eat sugar and processed carbs.  I lost weight and continued to do my research.  I paid attention to my body.  I decided I wasn’t going to eat if I wasn’t hungry, because my appetite started to dwindle significantly.  I realized I was doing the ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting, and I continued to learn how to do it the healthiest way possible.  Today,  December 8, 2018, I weigh 162 pounds and I have no foot pains and no extensive cramping after work-outs or running around.  My blood-pressure went from hypertensive to 98/65, and my cholesterol is in the lower range of high.  My doctor expects my cholesterol to be even lower at my next check-up, and he told me to continue my ketogenic lifestyle.  I do not desire cigars or alcohol anymore.  With the food addiction under control, I decided I wasn’t going to put anything in my body that would hurt it.

Chronic Inflammatory Conditions

Bronchitis

In high school, a doctor diagnosed me with chronic bronchitis.  Throughout the years, especially during season changes, I’d find myself choking in the middle of a vocal performance.  There were times I’d feel a tightness developing in my throat, and I’d adjust my breath support and volume to avoid the choking spells.  There were many times, however, that my strategy didn’t work.  The choking would also happen without warning.  Since being on this journey, I have had none of these symptoms, and I have not kept a cold.

Arthritis

I had chronic knee pains and ankle pains.  My doctor said I had symptoms of arthritis.  A few months into this way of eating, I realized that I had not felt pains for a few days.  Those days went on to weeks and months, and I am pain free.

High Blood Pressure

I was hypertensive, and my doctor told me that exercise would help.  Even with exercise, my blood pressure continued to rise.  It was this way of eating that was the key to my lowered blood pressure.

Hypoglycemia

I was diagnosed as borderline hypoglycemic.  After a few hours of not eating, I’d feel faint or experience cold sweats.  My sugar levels are normal, and I often fast for 24-48 hours for other healing benefits.

Insomnia

I blamed my insomnia on the fact that life was stressful as a military wife with three daughters, but it was an imbalance within that the ketogenic lifestyle quickly cured.  My sleep is invigorating and uninterrupted.  I often wake up refreshed, hopping out of bed like a happy bunny.