Kelly LeVeque - Body Love Every Day: Choose Your Life-Changing 21-Day Path to Food Freedom

To Sebastian Dume

I MET KELLY IN 2016 at the start of my health journey. The word journey suggests an epic tale. Imagine a young woman on an adventurous quest, beginning with struggle, resulting in glory, and finding true love along the way. Thats what its like to meet Kelly and have her change your life.

In the years pre-Kelly, Id never been busier, happier, or more creatively excited. But my schedule was grueling. Filming fourteen-hour days, I often found myself sleeping on airplanes and cramming in interviews, talk shows, and photo shoots. I was exhausted. Trying to cope and looking to food to soothe my stress, Id fallen into a cycle of caffeine, crash, sugar, crash, sugar, crash. Sound familiar? This pattern left me feeling stagnant, anxious, and often reaching for dietary Band-Aids. I yearned for an easy, comprehensive, holistic approach to health and nutrition and help dealing with my polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

PCOS is a condition of chronic ovarian cysts. Besides monthly discomfort and pain, it can affect fertility and prevent eggs from maturing. Since my early twenties, I had been plagued by these little monsters. My cysts felt like heavy, stabbing pains in my abdomen. They left me swollen, massively bloated, and sometimes in the emergency room for pain management. Needless to say, it took a mental and emotional toll.

For years, my doctors tried to manage my PCOS with birth control, a common treatment. But it really wasnt working. I was still suffering flare-ups and I didnt want to be on birth control anymore. PCOS was just a microcosm of how Id been dealing with my health in generalor, rather, how my health had been dealing with me. I didnt feel like I was in charge. My intuition told me it was time to get back in the drivers seat.

In many ways in my life, Ive taken the road less traveled to pursue a goal. Ive always followed my gut (no pun intended, unless you like bad jokes, in which case we can be friends), tireless and determined to find solutions. I take pride in my work and career, in navigating the challenging and mostly male world of Hollywood, standing up for women, equal pay, and what I believe in. I wanted that same sense of action, direction, and purpose with my health.

Enter Kelly. Meeting Kelly was the turning point in this epic tale on my road to glory.

Kelly was instrumental in helping me find a better way. From the moment we met, she was an advocate, ally, and friend. Deeply educated in science, Kelly focused on nutrition, which hadnt been on my doctors radar. I learned that many women with PCOS are often insulin resistant. When we analyzed my diet, we saw signs that I might be, too. Every day, I was processing the stress and demands of my profession with sugar, caffeine, and carbs. My system was likely flooded with insulin and inflammation as a result.

Kelly gave me a manageable plan. For breakfast, I blended up a Fab Four Smoothie and cut back on sugary lattes, toast, and fruit. This set me up for balance during the day. With lunch, we hit the Fab Four again: protein, fat, fiber, and greens. After a nourishing dinner, I made a concerted effort not to snack or eat chocolate. This would help clear excess insulin from my bloodstream while I slept.

Kellys approach to nutrition had radical, positive changes on my health. In time, my ovarian cysts were under control, without birth control or other drugs. My blood sugar was more stable. I had more sustained energy without dips during the day. I had a lot less anxiety. A nice bonus? My jeans were fitting better than ever. I have followed this plan happily for years, liberated from the old cycles I once felt captive to. I feel optimistic and empowered.

Kelly stokes my curiosity. She sweet-talks me with science. She helps me believe in myself and listen to my body. She is my cheerleader. Over the years weve worked together, she has held my hand and helped me prepare for countless photo shoots, films, andmost importantmy wedding day.

Kelly is a know-it. Shes not a know-it-all. If she doesnt know the answer, she goes in search of it. She wants to know the why, just like me. One of the biggest takeaways from my experience with Kelly: Ive learned how to truly take ownership of my health.

Ultimately, I make up my own mind. I take what Kelly says and decide how to incorporate it into my lifestyle. I dont feel the pressure to make it my whole entire life. Because its my body, my choice, and my health. I have a foundation, but I also have flexibility and independence. The Fab Four isnt a diet in the way we have been taught to fear, dread, and loathe diets. Its not something to break or cheat. Its not a set of handcuffs. Its a key.

This is the turning point in your journey, on your road to glory and the true love of your body. This is where it starts.

I WAS INTRODUCED TO Kelly in late 2017 by my friend and fitness coach, Simone de la Rue. I had heard about Kelly and her approach and knew she had devoted fans in several of my girlfriends. I needed to change my body for a new movie, and I had about eight weeks to do it.

Peppermint was going to be a physically demanding shoot. The script was full of stunts, action scenes, and a boxing match or two with the bad guys. I needed to be strong, fit, and lean. I was going to be training, lifting, and rehearsing every day, so I needed to keep my body fueled and help it recover at night. I didnt want a diet; I wanted a healthy plan to hit my deadline.

When I sat down with Kelly, it clicked. The way she explained the science of blood sugar, the simplicity of prioritizing the Fab Four, her sunny attitudeit gave me this feeling of Oh, this makes sense, I can do this. She gave me the right amount of information to know what to do, without overloading me. Kelly is really good at thata little of her why goes a long way.

We started each day with a Fab Four Smoothie. From there, Kelly let me be me. I love to cook and bake. There are few places Id rather be than in my kitchen, making a little something for my family. Nine times out of ten (okay, maybe eight), I try to make the healthy decision. But Im not immune to the calls of a slice of pizza, a glass of wine, a little bite of chocolate. What I really want is balance. I want to live a healthy life, but I also want the freedom to live in the moment.

I thought carbs would definitely be off the menu. Wine, too. But they werent. Kelly just shifted my focus to cleaner vino (who knew this existed?!) and more nutrient-dense carb options. And on harder workout days when my muscles needed more fuel, we actually added a serving of carbs. The trade-off was that those were nights without my beloved glass of Cab. I had my goal and I had my fun, too. I had balance.

But on my next project, my circadian rhythm quickly became circadian chaos. Filming until 2 or 3 A . M .way past my bedtimemeant sleeping less and sleeping worse. During the day, I was tired and having all sorts of cravings. Kelly explained how the sleep disruption was affecting my insulin sensitivity and my bodys ability to do its normal detox. We added a protein-based snack and pulled back on a few inflammatory treats. Within a few days, I felt much better. Balance was restored.

I like food. And food likes me. Weve always had a pretty solid relationship. But I know what its like to be nitpicked, judged, and overanalyzed. Its hard not to let the bad guy, whether its you or someone else, put a dent in your self-confidence and make you question everything you eat. Life is challenging enough without having to battle your plate. With Kelly, you dont.