Chalene Johnson - 131 Method

ALSO BY CHALENE JOHNSON

Books

PUSH: 30 Days to Turbocharged Habits, a Bangin
Body, and the Life You Deserve!

CDs/DVDs

Health and Fitness Series

Turbo Jam

ChaLean Extreme

Turbo Fire

PiYo

Podcast

The Chalene Show

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Copyright 2019 by Chalene Johnson

Published in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Indexer: Jay Kreider Cover and interior design: Ashley Lima Front-cover photo and lifestyle photography: Paul Von Rieter Food and recipe photos: Aubrie Pick

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4019-5678-3

e-book ISBN: 978-1-4019-5677-6

e-audio ISBN: 978-1-4019-5835-0

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1st edition, April 2019

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to the superhot barista with all the tattoos; to our CFO, who ensures that my brilliant ideas dont bankrupt us; to my personal chef; and to the most caring, protective, and thoughtful friend, business partner, husband, and father Ive ever met. Bret, thank you for allowing me to always chase my passions with reckless abandon and setting up all the orange cones along the way so no one gets hurt! Life is way more fun with you!

What was I thinking? How could I have been so irresponsible, so trusting? Reflecting on the hypocrisy of it all stirs up a wave of emotions for me as feelings of regret and even anger start to bubble up. My close friend Dr. Mcayla likes to remind me that anger often masks more vulnerable feelings such as sadness, disappointment, or shame. (Sometimes its a pain in the butt to have a friend whos a psychologist.)

Let me cut to the chase and get this off my chest. I need to start this book off with an apology. It is said that to whom much is given, much is expected. As a health and fitness expert for the past 25 years, I did not do my best to honor the role I was in. I cant go back and undo things Ive done. If I said it, I meant it, even if I hadnt looked for science to substantiate my claims. My own health issues helped me to realize the depth of my responsibility as a leader in health and fitness, and how I had messed up.

My own health scare, followed by years of eye-opening, truth-seeking research and investigation, have brought me to a very different place mentally and physically than I was just three years ago. Have you ever noticed how ex-smokers are the folks most intolerant of smokers? Well, thats how I feel about the unhealthy health movement I was once a part of. Its why today I denounce my ways of the past, why Im unaffected by the criticism and rejection by colleagues. I am fired up and devoted to seeking the truth and uncovering the greedy sabotaging way of the diet industry. I have spent the last three years of my professional career dedicated to making this right by you, debunking the bullshit, ignoring the trends, and getting the answers you deserve. Getting the answers we deserve.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. If thats true, it means I volunteered to have the health and fitness industry make me feel like a failure for more than 25 years. That sucks. Who wants to feel like a victim? Not me! And thats why I wrote this book. I started this research because it was time to put an end to the stupidity and take back our health. We have to stop blindly following the misguided advice of fitness, nutrition, and so-called wellness experts who have marched us like soldiers onto the battlefield to wage an all-out war against our bodies. Its time for a rebellion.

Three years ago, as I was preparing to film my 200th (not an exaggeration) exercise video, I experienced a health scare that ended up creating a fork in the road of my life. The following months were fueled by the passion and emotion. But I also experienced a great deal of disappointment in myself. I was angry that I had ignored my common sense and willfully subjected my mind and body to dangerous extremes in diet, sleep, and exercise, all in the name of health. To make matters worse (as if I didnt feel bad enough already), I influenced a lot of people to follow my lead.

This is my opportunity to fix it.

That anger is gone today, replaced with pride. My passion is fueled by the confidence that comes with results: the proof! Today I have helped tens of thousands of people redefine and reclaim their health. I feel free, as if Ive escaped the grips of a dangerous cult, ready to sneak back in the dead of night to rescue others!

Today I stand proudly as the trusted guide you deserve. This work is my labor of love. The 131 Method is how I make things right.

For decades, frankly, weve been brainwashed into believing that to achieve the perfect body, to lose weight, and be healthy, we simply need to eat fewer calories and exercise more. We believe magazine covers suggesting if we just cut that one thing (whether its fat, carbs, or gluten), effortless weight loss and an Instagram-worthy physique is within our grasp. And its not just the diet and fitness industry thats perpetuated these unhealthy, often conflicting ideas. Oftentimes this outdated and misguided information trickles down from the U.S. government and the medical establishment. I mean, when was the last time your healthcare provider asked a few questions about your nutrition? We look for pills and potions to fix thingsquickly. Weve become obsessed with the notion that we must change, lift, sculpt, deprive, and pound our bodies into submission and lost all sight of health in the process.

And, despite our valiant efforts, weve never been unhealthier. Obesity has never been higher. According to the CDC, more than 70 percent of Americans are overweight and one-third of us are obese. It doesnt take a brainiac to figure out that most of what weve been doing to lose weight and get healthy has completely backfired. Walk into an elementary school and its hard to miss the generational impact of this nightmare. And how sad that when these dumb ideas dont work, we dont question their validity or ask if the advice weve been spoon-fed was scientifically substantiated. Nope, we just keep following along. We assume failure means we messed up. We should have tried harder. We blame ourselves when diets dont work.