How I Overcame My Fast Food Addiction

Looking back at the last few years continues to blow my mind because so many things have changed in my life. One of those changes was my addiction to fast food. In college, I started to create some seriously unhealthy habits. I was in a sorority and my social life and having fun was more important than my health and fitness. We would go out multiple days of the week and almost every time we would end the night with Memo's (24 Mexican food - aka DANGER WILL ROBINSON) or pizza.

By the time I graduated, I had gained 60 lbs. I moved back in with my parents, had no idea what I wanted to do with my degree, was working at Sephora and felt like I was in a rut. I turned to fast food to help me deal with this. Slowly but surely, my weight continued to creep up. I tried and failed to lose the weight over and over, but nothing really stuck.

I realized I had an addiction to fast food when I started to stop at Taco Bell multiple times a week after work. At first, it was once...which turned into twice...and before I knew it, I was going to Taco Bell almost every day after work. I was so ashamed and embarrassed by this that I would usually eat all of my food in the car from Taco Bell to my parents' house, or I would shove the food into my purse and RUN into my room before my parents could see. I would eat my cheesy gordita crunch, crunchy taco supreme and chicken quesadilla, then would go out in the living room with my family and eat dinner on top of that. It was one of the lowest points for me in my journey.

I hit my breaking point when I met my coach through Facebook. She offered my a solution that consisted of workouts I could do at home, a support group to keep me motivated and a nutrition guide to get my eating on track. Along with this, she told me about Shakeology which had helped her in her journey. But I wasn't convinced. I figured I could do this on my own if I really put some effort into it and tried. I passed on her offer to help. Three months went by, I looked in the mirror and realized I was in the EXACT same spot that I was in 3 months ago. I had gotten nowhere on my own, my Taco Bell cravings were through the roof, and I was sick and tired of being SICK AND TIRED. I reached out to my coach again and told her I was ready this time. Little did I know that this was the moment that changed my life forever. I didn't realize how crucial it was to have a plan and not just fly by the seat of your pants with your weight loss. I had workouts, I had meal plans, I had support. I had everything I needed, and I just started. I didn't feel ready. I knew this would be hard, but I wanted this more than anything. I began to document my journey on Instagram to help me hold myself accountable, find motivation from others that were going through this and to just share my journey with others! (@alexa_luckenbach) I even decided to become a coach for that extra push of support. Coaching in itself had a HUGE impact on me and my results!

One of the biggest things that helped me was Shakeology. I actually was VERY skeptical of this stuff at first and didn't want to get it. But my coach told me what it did for her, so I decided to get ONE bag and call it good. After a few weeks, I felt my cravings for Taco Bell go down for the first time in a LONG time. I started to gain more energy. I started to feel full throughout the day which kept me from snacking and wanting to stop at Taco Bell. I finally felt like I could do this thing for GOOD. Fast forward! Its been almost 2 years since I started this journey, and just by being consistent with the things I mentioned above, my life has changed so much.

• I no longer crave Taco Bell or ANY fast food for that matter

• I have lost 80 lbs and kept it OFF!

• I finally have a routine and habit when it comes to my healthy lifestyle - I'm no longer on the diet rollercoaster

• I have shared my story to inspire others that they can do this too, and have built a business out of this that is rewarding me every single day

Photo by Megan Kathleen Photography

Photo by Jonathan Gipaya Photography

You guys, if you struggle with a fast food addiction like I did just know that you CAN do this. You can overcome any struggle put in front of you, but you need a plan! Do you have a coach that is helping you through your journey? If not, I would love to help you. I can help you find the right fitness and nutrition plan for you and your goals, along with Shakeology to help you get the dense nutrition your body needs to battle those cravings once and for all. I know how hard this journey is because I have been there, but I can say without a doubt that it is so incredibly worth it. If you would like some help starting your journey, or you want to know more about how you can use YOUR journey (even if it hasn't started yet!) to inspire others as a coach, email me at alexaeatsclean@gmail.com and lets chat. I want to show you that overcoming fast food addictions is possible if you just stick with it. WHY NOT YOU?? Time to stop wishing and start doing.