YouTuber‘s insane Starbucks breakfast before 20kg shred
A YouTuber has revealed the “liquid breakfast” she used to consume before she transformed her body – describing it as “sugar hit after sugar hit”.
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Elle Chrisp had struggled with her weight most of her life, but things took a drastic turn when she entered the workforce as a litigation solicitor.
The New Zealand woman said when she began working in law, the long hours led her down an unhealthy path.
“I didn’t feel I had time to exercise and it was easier to just buy something convenient for lunch and pick up takeaways when I was on my way home late at night,” Elle, who is now a YouTuber, told news.com.au.
Instead of eating a wholesome breakfast, Elle would have an iced coffee with five shots of espresso, caramel sauce and non-fat milk from Starbucks, just to give herself an energy boost.
“I loved the taste and the sugary rush in the morning. It got me going and gave me a false sense of energy. It was sugar hit after sugar hit – it was so bad.
“I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was constantly on a rollercoaster where my body would get a bit of energy from caffeine/sugar/carbs only to crash a few hours later, so I constantly needed to top it up.”
Lunch and dinner comprised of takeaways, while her snacks included excessive amounts of junk food from biscuits to chips.
“It was this lifestyle that finally caught up with me,” Elle said.
“I found myself at the heaviest weight I’d been, none of my clothes fit me anymore and I didn’t recognise myself in photos or feel like myself.”
Elle said the foods made her feel constantly lethargic, unmotivated while also having a negative impact on her digestion.
“I was placed on medication to help with severe reflux and digestive issues, and I remember when I was prescribed those medications my doctor told me that if I changed my lifestyle I would no longer be dependent on those medications.”
It was in this moment Elle became determined to make a change and embarked on a low carbohydrate diet.
“As I started to follow a low carb diet, I noticed that I felt less bloated and I was able to come off of the medications that I had been on, but I was still always hungry and didn’t feel quite so satisfied,” Elle said.
She then discovered keto – a high fat, moderate protein and low carb diet.
“I was hesitant to try keto at first because everything I had heard about it was so negative,” she said.
“The more I read about it the more convinced I became to try it, to see whether the higher fat foods would keep me feeling full and satisfied … and what do you know, they did.
“What was interesting for me is once you have done keto for a short period of time, such as a few months, your body adapts and becomes better at processing other forms of carbs – and you can reintroduce certain foods and expand what you are having to be more balanced.”
Elle said that once she found a lifestyle that worked for her, she felt “unstoppable”.
“When I finally removed processed carbs and refined sugars from my diet, everything changed and for the first time ever I was able to stick with my healthy food choices long enough to see results.
“I had so much more energy – I was able to start incorporating exercise into my routine [F45] and it was so much easier to move around to do everyday things,” she said.
However, Elle said even with her determination and commitment, finding the patience was one of her biggest challenges.
“Staying the course despite how slow it was, was the biggest challenge for me,” she said.
Since sharing her journey online, the 32-year-old has gone on to attract more than 90,000 Instagram and YouTube followers.
Elle also quit her law job last year to focus on building her lifestyle platform – an app called Welle Club – to help empower fellow women.
The individually tailored guide features more than 200 recipes, a meal planning tool and macro calculator.
“I created Welle Club because I wanted to simplify the process of starting a healthy lifestyle,” she told news.com.au.
“Welle Club makes the process enjoyable and sustainable with delicious and easy-to-make recipes, and other lifestyle tools like a customisable meal planner, shopping list generator and macro calculator.
“It can be overwhelming when you are trying to overhaul your old habits, which is why I wanted to create something practical to help others achieve their goals.”
Some of her go-to meals throughout her weight loss included keto pizza, caramel slice and pasta.
However, now that Elle is six months pregnant with twins, her diet has changed to ensure her babies “are getting all of the nutrients they need to thrive”.
“The first trimester was a blur of beige carbs while I battled morning sickness, but now that I’m feeling better I’m eating a low carb diet and not following a strict keto diet,” she said.
“Right now my favourite foods are fresh homemade salads, low carb smoothies and I am obsessed with fresh watermelon and berries.”
Elle said she feels incredibly proud of what her body has achieved over the years.
“There is nothing quite as empowering as feeling confident and happy in your own skin,” she said.
“I know that at the beginning it can feel impossible and extremely daunting. Just focus on taking small steps. You don’t have to master everything at once.”
If you’ve got a transformation story you’d like to share, get in touch with shireen.khalil@news.com.au
Originally published as YouTuber‘s insane Starbucks breakfast before 20kg shred
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