The Transformation: Finding Food Freedom (and Pain-Free Lifts)
For as long as she could remember, Kelly Messier had a very challenging relationship with food.
She always thought of foods as being either “bad” or “good,” and it eventually led her to weigh close to 300 pounds at 5-foot-2.
“I was super overweight until I was 34,” said Messier, now 46.
Then in 2013, when she was 34, Messier underwent weight loss surgery. It did help her lose weight, but her relationship with food never improved.
Her healthcare practitioners didn’t help either, she explained, as the only advice they gave her was just, “Don’t eat carbs. Carbs are the devil,” said Messier, a nurse practitioner herself.
“Everything was labeled bad or good for so long in my life, and it created this ‘all or nothing’ mentality,” she explained.
In the years following her weight loss surgery, Messier began working out six days a week and she tried all kinds of restrictive diets. At one point, she was following the Paleo Diet and while it brought results, “it didn’t heal the underlying relationship with food,” she said.
This all changed a year-and-a-half ago when Messier reached out to CBG’s Justin Romaire for help.
What Happened Next
Romaire teamed Messier up with CBG Coach Kali Butler.
At the time, Messier was working out consistently and her weight was sitting at 180 pounds. Consequently, she was experiencing all kinds of knee pain which prevented her from running, squatting or lunging. Her knees got to be so bad that she was in line for a knee replacement.
At first, Messier was skeptical about Butler’s approach as she wasn’t sure her stomach would be able to fit the amount of food that was on her CBG Blueprint.
“I told her, ‘I can’t eat this much food.’ So we talked about it and came up with a plan that we thought would be a good place for me to start,” Messier said.
Fast forward a year-and-a-half later, Messier is down to 153 pounds. Further, she can run, squat and lunge without pain for the first time in a long time.
“The other day I was doing 105 pound back rack lunges and I was like, holy crap, I couldn’t even lunge (before working with Butler)!” Also mentioning that she also no longer feels bloated like she often used to.
Just as important to her, is how much less stress she feels about nutrition for the first time in her life since working with Coach Butler.
“It has given me freedom. I can eat carbs and I have never felt so good,” Messier said.
She credits Coach Butler for helping her completely change her mindset. Coach Butler has helped her realize that not only do foods not have to be seen as “good” or “bad,” but also that she doesn’t have to be perfect when it comes to nutrition.
“If I eat bad foods one day, it doesn’t ruin the results in the long run. It took me a long time to wrap my head around it, but Kali has been great with that,” Messier said. “If I have nachos one night, it’s fine.”
Knowing she doesn’t have to be perfect all the time has helped Messier become more relaxed. This has made it easier for her to eat well the large majority of the time, which is the key to long term success.
Messier’s long term plan: “Just being healthy,” she said. And she knows she can achieve this as she has “intention” behind what she is doing, “and I know there’s a greater, long term plan,” she added.
Today Messier knows she could have success without a coach, but she is choosing to continue with Butler for a few reasons.
“I almost feel like she’s my security blanket. And the accountability. That is huge,” she said.
Messier added: “I like having her there to bounce ideas off and talk things through. And sometimes you need someone to tell you not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. And she does that for me.”
Why Messier Recommends CBG
Ultimately, Messier couldn’t be more adamant that if you’re looking to lose weight, gain muscle, improve performance, or improve your relationship with food, there is nobody better than CBG.
“Following the blueprint is the easiest thing ever. It almost becomes mindless, and you just learn how to eat,” Messier said.
You learn how to eat, and it provides freedom rather than restriction.
“You’re still allowed to live while on this journey, and whatever it is you’re looking to do—maintenance, weight loss, graining strength—anything you want to do, CBG can help you no matter where you are on your journey,” she said.