My Cleanse for life story starts before I met Dr. Jodi Larry.

In April of 2014 I began spinning at Spynga as a way to train for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Spynga gave me a comfortable place to workout. The exercise felt different. The space felt warm and welcoming and I wanted to be there. I spent time on the bike thinking about my intention, I yearned to do yoga, but truly felt I couldn’t. In spin class I was hearing about gratitude and setting intentions, and I was finding that my mind was thinking about these ideas as well as patience both on and off the bike. I was starting to think more about how I could take care of myself, and what I really needed to do for me.

That summer I began following Jodi’s posts. Friends of mine had participated in the Cleanse for Life program and said it was great. I thought that maybe it would help me lose unwanted weight. Like yoga, I was pretty sure I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give up sugar and crackers and cheese – not even for 10 days. But, somehow I found the courage and I signed up to cleanse.

My first cleanse changed the way I related to food. I truly began to see food as something that fueled me. I started to think about food as something that could give me the right energy at the right time. I started to become aware of my patterns of eating. I related to the quotes and pep talks Jodi sent out daily. I found the element of mindfulness so powerful and I connected deeply to her messages of gratitude. I was really proud of myself when the 10 days was up. I was committed to continuing the clean eating lifestyle and striking an 80/20 balance.

The 10 day cleanse was something I did for me. It felt like an intentional way to take care of myself. Rather than taking care of myself with “treats”, I started to see healthy wholesome food as a way I could take care of myself. As part of my first cleanse I committed to trying a yoga class. It was really hard, but it felt really good. Yoga slowed me down and gave me time to settle my thoughts. Going forward after the cleansing, I do yoga to “treat” myself and take care of myself.

This past spring I cleansed again. It was much easier. I knew what to do each day. I spent the 10 days thinking more, planning more and living more. It was less about “getting through” it and more about learning from it. I learned that I can be social without food and alcohol. I learned that I can make easy lunches, simple dinners and tasty treats. I learned that I can eat the foods I like, even clean ones, in moderation. This cleanse gave me skills to really live 80/20.

I am looking forward to the next challenge – the alumni cleanse. I have set a goal for that cleanse to focus on gratitude as a daily practice and work to shift my mindset around eating and self care. I feel like the best version of myself right now. I am doing the things I want and living the way I want. I know that the healthier I am, through diet and exercise, the better my family will be. I am learning to care for my family by intentionally caring for myself.

I am grateful for the way Spynga and Cleanse for Life collided in my life at the right time. I am not a perfect clean eater all the time. I struggle to keep an 80/20 balance. I struggle to sort out event eating, weekend eating and clean eating. However, week by week I have made my way through it. I wake up each day happy. I feel good. I look good. I have energy for my family, my job, my exercise and my intentional healthy eating. Thank you Dr. Jodi Larry for bringing this mindset into my life. Amy P.