Cycling Your Diet with Chalene Johnson

By February 4, 2025

Transcript

Chalene Johnson [00:00:00]

Before, when I had a headache, I’d be like, oh, gosh, I have a headache. Where’s the Advil now? I’m like, that’s weird. I have a headache. What did I eat? You know, Then I try to put two and two together and I’m like, and then it’s kind of interesting to have a headache. I’m like, well, this is kind of interesting. And then I’ll like write some things down, like, oh, oh, I know what it is. You know, so just realizing, just, I mean, I haven’t studied this for very long, but we’re smart enough. You’re, you are smart enough to take in a little bit of information and to tell yourself, I’m going to remember this.

Chalene Johnson [00:00:28]

And I find it fascinating and how much more fun it is to be informed.

Leanne Vogel [00:00:34]

I will never forget the day that I opened up my email box and I had an email from Chalene Johnson. I have used her workout videos so much in the past that I was just beside myself. I sent a picture of the email to my sister who totally freaked out. And so it was just, just, it was a special moment for me for sure. And Chalene wanted to have me on her show. And so I went on her show. We had such a blast. She sent me a beautiful flower gift after we chatted and it was just so wonderful.

Leanne Vogel [00:01:08]

I think it was an orchid. I ended up killing it because, like, I’m just not good with plants. I can do so many other things really well, but plants, not one of them. And so after Chalene had interviewed me, I wanted to have her on my show. This was 2019 and so today I wanted to pull this episode out of the archives and share with you the episode that we did all those years ago and share some of the pieces that I found to be just really helpful in understanding your food and nutrition and how to shift your approach over time. And this is something that I talk about constantly, that what worked for you previously is not going to work for you now. And we got to shift and change. And today’s episode is really about making those changes and phasing out your diet.

Leanne Vogel [00:01:55]

So going from a more keto approach to then focusing on greens and nourishing nutrient based meals and then getting into more bringing in the carbs and using those well, timing it with your workouts, your movement. So we’re going to go through all that today through the 1:3:1 method that Chalene developed a couple of years ago. So you can find more by going to charlene.com that’s C H A L E N E COM. If you’re not familiar with Chalene, she’s a lifestyle and business expert, motivational speaker and podcast host. She and Brett, her husband of over 20 years, are the founders of Smart Life Movement. And today with her husband, Chalene runs a fun loving collaborative team focused on helping others live a healthier, more simplified life through their online academies, membership sites and live sold out seminars. Again, her website is chalene.com let’s cut over to today’s episode with Chalene Johnson. Hey, my name is Leanne and I’m fascinated with helping women navigate how to eat, move and care for their bodies.

Leanne Vogel [00:03:07]

This has taken me on a journey from vegan keto, high protein to everything in between. I’m a small town holistic nutritionist turned three time international bestselling author turned functional medicine practitioner offering telemedicine services around the globe to women looking to better their health and stop second guessing themselves. I’m here to teach you how to wade through the wellness noise to get to the good stuff that’ll help you achieve your goals. Whether you’re seeking relief from chronic ailments, striving for peak performance, or simply eager to live a more vibrant life, this podcast is your go to resource for actionable advice and inspiration. Together we’ll uncover the interconnectedness of nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management and mindset, empowering you to make informed choices that support your unique health journey. Think of it as quality time with your bestie mixed with a little med school so you’re empowered. At your next doctor visit, get ready to be challenged and encouraged while you learn about your body and how to care for it healthfully. Join me as we embrace vitality, recognize, claim our innate potential, and discover what it truly means to pursue healthfulness.

Leanne Vogel [00:04:24]

Colleen, thank you so, so much for coming on the show.

Chalene Johnson [00:04:27]

Girl, it’s my honor.

Leanne Vogel [00:04:29]

This is just, I mean, I said it on yours. I’ll say it again, a dream come true. I got Turbo Fire as a gift from my sister when I quit my job and moved across the country. $100 a month to like pursue my dreams. And here you are on the show. I just can’t even.

Chalene Johnson [00:04:46]

That’s fun. I love hearing those kind of stories. Yeah, that Turbo Fire is, it’s part of like my transformation in terms of like my mindset and probably some of the stuff that we’ll dig into today. But it’s also been like the greatest gift because it invited me into the homes of literally millions of women.

Leanne Vogel [00:05:05]

Yes. And I traveled with that thing. Like I Had a little disc set and I’d bring it to my girlfriends, like, hey, have you tried this yet? Let’s like, whose house you’re in? You’re in my house. Like, we. That’s so cool.

Chalene Johnson [00:05:16]

You know the songs.

Leanne Vogel [00:05:16]

That’s great. Oh, yeah, totally. I do. Okay. So you just finished writing a book. One, three, one method. I would love, and I always love to understand the concept behind this. How did this come about and why did you decide to write a book? Like, what was the story behind.

Leanne Vogel [00:05:34]

Okay, yes, I need to write this thing?

Chalene Johnson [00:05:36]

Well, I ended up in the space of being a health and fitness expert by accident. I didn’t study nutrition or fitness. My degree is in justice, morality, and constitutional democracy. I had had many businesses before deciding to just focus on a fitness business. So once that business really started to take off and I was creating workouts for health clubs, 24 Hour Fitness was one of my biggest clients at the time. And then eventually we were in literally thousands of gyms. And that caught the attention of infomercial companies. And I always felt like I’m, boy, I’m having tremendous success in fitness because I’m good at business, but I really don’t know what I’m doing in fitness other than just I know how to have fun.

Chalene Johnson [00:06:23]

So once the infomercials started and they started kind of like trying to package me, which is what you need to do as an expert in health and fitness, I just had major imposter syndrome. I felt like I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t sure how people were, why people were buying my videos. I knew I didn’t look like the other people. I didn’t know as much as they did. And I really started to just look at what everyone else was doing who was, quote unquote, a fitness celebrity. And whatever they said, I was like, okay, I’m going to memorize that and I’m going to repeat it, and I’m going to also try to follow that advice, especially when it came to nutrition. Now, exercise is a little different.

Chalene Johnson [00:07:08]

So exercise, I was really into research, but when it came to nutrition, I was just like, well, if that person is more credible and has more followers and is more famous, well, then you don’t question it. You just repeat it. And so. And so I did. And in fact, many of the nutrition programs that were often packaged with my consumer videos, I had no idea how to tell people what to do with their food. So they would hire people who would create these diets for me, and I would just attach them to My name, I was trying to follow these same recommendations and I was trying to eat very low fat and low calorie. And the workouts that I was doing, as you and I both know, your body is really smart. So the longer I was working out and the less I was eating, the harder my metabolism was working against me and was slowing down.

Chalene Johnson [00:07:59]

It is like, oh, okay, we are not getting a lot of calories, so we better not burn a lot. Oh, she is burning through a ton of calories, which means. And she is not eating a lot, so we better really slow her metabolism down. I didn’t have a weight problem, Leanne, but I never felt like I looked like all the other super crazy lean. Oh, look at, you can see the outline of her spleen, kind of girls. So I struggled with that. And in the process, you know, that was always in the back of my mind. And during one of the filmings, people always try to figure out what video it is.

Chalene Johnson [00:08:31]

So it’s like, don’t even worry about that. But during one of the filmings, after I had an infomercial that didn’t do that great on tv, I got a call from the producer. Actually, he didn’t call me. He called my husband. And this producer said, you know, we just, you know, maybe you could have a delicate conversation with Chalene about her body. We just think from a marketing standpoint, her stuff would do a lot better if she can just get tighter. You know, she needs to get leaner. So it’s more inspirational.

Chalene Johnson [00:09:03]

And my husband didn’t tell me about that at first because it really bothered him and he didn’t know what to do with that information. But he did eventually come to me with that and I was, I was devastated. Like, I felt like, you know, that most embarrassing moment when you’re a little kid in school, you know what I mean? Like, just I was humiliated and embarrassed and ashamed. And it was like all of these, it’s like, see, they know. They all know you’re an imposter. That’s what I felt like in that moment. And I wanted to punch someone. I was really angry.

Chalene Johnson [00:09:37]

But at the same time, my shame was like, you’re going to prove to people that you belong, you belong here and you’re going to, you just, you need to do something. And so I, and I was already exercising for like, three hours a day at that point and barely eating enough calories. Everything I ate was like sugar free, fat free, calorie free, chemicals. And I thought, well, I, what can I do? And I tried A bunch. This is the first time in my life I’d ever, like, truly dieted, like, followed someone’s plan. So I. I downloaded a bunch of different diets, I Googled a bunch of different things, I tried a bunch of different diets, and nothing was working. Nothing except almost pure starvation and more exercise.

Chalene Johnson [00:10:21]

So I started, like, running six miles. And on top of all my workouts, on top of all the things I was doing with, you know, kickboxing and Pilates and yoga and everything else, and then just kept cutting back my food intake to the point where eventually I think I lost, like, a total of six pounds. And I’m five two, so six pounds can look like 16 pounds. And I was, like, gonna. I felt like I was gonna die. I just was not a dieter. So for me to be doing that and just running on empty, I was an emotional wreck. I kept injuring myself.

Chalene Johnson [00:10:58]

I had no mental energy. I had no physical energy. And then we had to film this crazy, intense workout series. And I just remember every time I went to the. My dressing room, I would just break down crying but not knowing why, just like I had. My emotions were on the edge of my skin. And I got so much praise, you know, everyone was so happy. That’s probably why I was crying, because I knew I literally felt like I was going to die and.

Chalene Johnson [00:11:29]

But there was so much praise, you know, I posted a. A picture of myself just before we shot one of those videos on Instagram. And one of the very first comments was like, I’m worried about you, Chalene. Are you okay? And then another one was like, wow, you look anorexic. And I deleted those because there were, like, thousands of people saying, body goals. I want. Oh, my gosh, I can’t wait for this program to come out. I want to look like you.

Chalene Johnson [00:11:53]

This is amazing. I can’t wait to see what you’re doing, you know? And then I come out with this program and tell people they can get results in, you know, 30 minutes a day, which I believed. I just. I knew that wasn’t possible for me. And what resulted, Leanne, was. I nearly destroyed my. My health in that process.

Leanne Vogel [00:12:17]

Electrolytes facilitate hundreds of functions in the body, including the conduction of nerve impulses, hormonal regulation, nutrient absorption, and fluid balance. Nearly every one of my clients that I work with, one on one, have an imbalance of electrolytes in some way from symptoms of headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness, or seen right there in their blood work. Much of this is improved with proper electrolyte supplementation. I consume at least one packet of electrolytes daily and not just any electrolyte element because it doesn’t have sugar fillers, coloring, artificial anything and has the effective electrolyte ratio that that so many other brands do not do.

Leanne Vogel [00:13:01]

Right?

Leanne Vogel [00:13:02]

1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, 60 milligrams of magnesium. Right now Element is offering my listeners a free sample pack with any element purchase. Be sure to try the new Element sparkling, a bold 16 ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. It’s my favorite right now. Get yours@drink lmnt.com KDP this deal is only available through my link. All orders made come with a no questions asked refund policy. Try it totally risk free and if you don’t like it they will give you your money back. No questions asked.

Leanne Vogel [00:13:41]

Go to drink lmnt.comkdp for your free sample pack with any order.

Leanne Vogel [00:13:49]

I have so many questions for you. So how did you feel? Like I in my past, when I have praise for unhealthy behaviors, in that moment of you crying and like did you feel like you knew something was wrong?

Chalene Johnson [00:14:05]

Right? I didn’t know anything was wrong with my health. I just knew there was no way this was maintainable. Like I knew that I didn’t have any time for my business or my family because I was spending so many hours exercising. I knew that I was having broken bones, broken ribs, strained muscles. I knew that I couldn’t think straight. I knew that my brain was suffering. I knew my sleep was suffering. I was sleeping like three to four hours a night because I’d have to wake up at 4:30 to start my workouts.

Chalene Johnson [00:14:38]

And so I knew that it couldn’t last for long but I was planning on trying. And I was also angry because I wanted people, I wanted to be honest and tell people like, yeah, you know what? It’s no, no, I don’t. I didn’t. I can’t do it in 30 minutes a day. Maybe you can. Maybe your body will look like this in 30 minutes a day. But not mine and, and even still is. So I got down to almost 11% body fat and here I am 11% body fat filming and a cameraman who is a nice guy.

Chalene Johnson [00:15:12]

I filmed with him on another projects and he whispered to me and I was like, I was in a plank position and he was like, you know, kind of like coming down, panning down with the camera and he whispered to me, don’t worry, I’ll shoot around your trouble Spots.

Leanne Vogel [00:15:25]

What?

Chalene Johnson [00:15:26]

And I thought, mother, like I’m in plank, the camera’s on me, keep smiling. But I just literally wanted to break down and cry and punch him and be like, okay, well why don’t you go outside and smoke your cigarette again with your big gut and you’re going to tell me you’re going to shoot around my trouble spots? Like, really? Really? But that’s the industry I was in. And I don’t blame, you know, this isn’t like specific to the company that I worked with or that production crew or that cameraman. That’s the frickin industry, you know, and that’s tv. You look at some of these reality TV stars, they get thinner each season, you know, and you see like, even singers, like when they’re, they really, they struggle so much with their weight. Like this is the industry and thin cells. And when it comes to fitness in particular, thinner, leaner, stronger, unattainable is inspirational. And I just realized like, I was, there was so much anger in me over these instances.

Chalene Johnson [00:16:22]

But I also didn’t want to give up. Like, I didn’t want to be kicked out of the club. I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to have to, you know, be kicked out for, you know, being 15% body fat or whatever. But then I had, a lot was going on with my brain. Like I literally, it wasn’t just brain fog. I don’t, I call like brain cement. Like, I would, someone would be walking towards me like a close friend who I see six times a week and I’d be like, oh my God, her name is, her name is, her name is. Oh my gosh, what is her name? Like, literally.

Chalene Johnson [00:16:51]

So I’m like, something’s going wrong with my brain. So I had brain scan done thinking that like I must have a brain tumor or something. And I had a brain scan done at the amen clinic and Dr. Amen just. And I had all my nutrition panels done and my hormone panels. And when I sat down to go over the results with him, he just said, I know who you are. I’ve seen your infomercials and I know you’re a health expert, but you’re getting a failing health grade. This is really, really serious.

Leanne Vogel [00:17:20]

How did that feel? What was going through your mind at that point?

Chalene Johnson [00:17:24]

I felt angry with myself because my first thought was about my kids. Like, how could you do this to yourself? Everything kind of like flashed before my eyes. Like all the things that little voice in the back of my head kept saying, this probably isn’t Good for you. This probably isn’t something you should be doing. You should probably getting more sleep, you should probably be getting more rest, like, all those little things, but you go like, yeah, but you got to get leaner. You want people to see you as an expert. You’ve got to look the part. And so in that moment, I was.

Chalene Johnson [00:17:58]

I’m not a crier, but I bawled my eyes out. And I also, because of my kids, I just. I’m like, all right, I’m done. I have no business leading others. If I have led myself into a position of declining health, if I’ve shortened my own life to look a certain way, I have no business. And so I refused. You know, I had additional projects that were coming my way in fitness, and I. And people were very angry, like, when are you going to do another program? I’m like, I.

Chalene Johnson [00:18:24]

I. It’s hard for me to explain, but I don’t deserve to do one, and I shouldn’t be doing one until I understand what it really means to be healthy. And I don’t know. I don’t know anything about nutrition. I don’t know how these things impact my body from the inside out. I don’t know the things that I’ve told you to do. I don’t know if they’re good for you or not. I assume they’re not because I’ve been doing them, and look at me.

Chalene Johnson [00:18:48]

So I stepped out of the fitness industry, and I couldn’t do so with an explanation. I couldn’t tell people why, because then I’m, you know, saying something negative about the industry that supports so many people. It was a really complicated place to be, and everyone kept saying, like, why are you doing another program? And I would just have to say, oh, just super busy. But the truth of the matter, like, it’s just. It’s too long of an explanation. So thank you for giving me a platform to fully explain it, but I just didn’t feel like I had the right because of what I’d done to myself. And I knew that I had probably done the same thing unknowingly with others and their health.

Leanne Vogel [00:19:27]

Did you feel fear in that moment? You’re sitting at the doctor’s office and you’re like, oh, my gosh, my health is failing. I need to, like, refocus my energy. I’m sure as somebody who’s had to redefine herself a couple of times, like, throughout business stuff, not only are worrying about money and your platform, but also your family and now your body. Like, your Body is changing. And did you feel a loss of control or fear? How did you work through all of that?

Chalene Johnson [00:19:56]

I didn’t fear the money part of it because I think it’s a misnomer. People assume, like, oh, if I’ve seen you on tv, then that’s where you make all your money. But my husband and I, our businesses, our primary income has always been from teaching other people how to start businesses. So we have academies that teach people all of the things that we have learned about business over the last 30 years. And so that has always been our primary source of income. But my primary source of notoriety was fitness. So I knew that, gosh, you know, the way people maybe know me, that is going to shift for them. But people always say, you’ve really changed a lot over the years.

Chalene Johnson [00:20:34]

I haven’t changed at all. I just have evolved. Right. Like, what it is I want to talk about has evolved. And the one thing that never felt really like me were some of the things I was doing in fitness. And the majority of our money was always made by helping people use their purpose, their story, their ideas to create an income for themselves by starting their own business. So I wasn’t worried at all about business or what I was going to do because also with infomercials, you film for like two weeks and then you don’t do anything with it. The machine starts to do the work for you.

Chalene Johnson [00:21:04]

So I was concerned, however, about my brain and what I saw in the scans. But I was also reassured and I also know, like, it gives. I’m sure you’re like this Leanne too. Like, one thing that gives me incredible confidence is digging in and researching. So I shut everything else down and that’s what I did. I was like, all right, well, I’m really blessed to have this podcast where I can reach out to every expert and they are likely to come on my show and I can pick their brain and I can use this for my own benefit and I can start to set the record straight and help my audience heal as I am healing. And that is what I chose to do. And I listened and I followed every single piece of advice that I could find.

Chalene Johnson [00:21:48]

And I was a good student and it took several years to restore my brain health and do a follow up spec scan to see the changes in my brain, the changes in my health, my hormone, everything. Everything is different today. And it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t, it wasn’t like, as simple as we want it to be. Like, oh, you just eat this and you drink that. You know, and then you’ll do this workout. It’s just not that simple because it’s different for every single person. And that is why I wrote to answer your.

Chalene Johnson [00:22:18]

To finally answer your question. The reason why I wrote the book is because I’m good at simplifying really complicated matters. And frankly, our bodies and our health are pretty complicated, and we don’t have it completely figured out. But I wanted people to understand that we are not dumb, and we have to stop thinking of ourselves as being too dumb to figure out our own science. Like, you can be a scientist, you can conduct a study of one, and you can figure out what works for you. And it isn’t that hard if you understand some basic premise about how your body works and why things might work one way for one person and a different way for another. If you understand our epigenetics and really just spend a little bit of time understanding those basics, then something that’s really complicated, you can start to make the right decisions, informed decisions, instead of relying on someone giving you a list of approved or unapproved foods.

Leanne Vogel [00:23:15]

Yes. And you did such a great job. Like, I read the book over the weekend, and it’s very clear. And I loved, actually, the SPECT imaging. I found that very fascinating that you included that image of your brain before and after. I loved that. I totally geeked out over that and all the little messages throughout. There was one message message especially.

Leanne Vogel [00:23:33]

I don’t remember where it was, but I wrote it down practically from birth. We are conditioned to believe we are flawed. And that’s so true. And that’s something that I’ve struggled with, that I know that so, so many women struggle with specifically. I’m sure there are a couple ladies listening right now. Like, what flaws have you seen in yourself? We’ve chatted about how you felt like you were never enough and that you were always comparing. Do you still struggle with flaws now? And what’s your relationship to them now?

Chalene Johnson [00:24:02]

Yeah, you know, now I am in this place where it’s weird. Like, I’ve unfollowed all of the people who. It’s like, that’s not realistic. I don’t need that to trigger me. I don’t need to hear about your quote, cheat meal. You know, I hate those kind of terms and just the unrealistic body types. I just have unfollowed all those accounts. And I’ve really started to try to fuel my mind with positivity.

Chalene Johnson [00:24:28]

People who accept their bodies and people who understand that health is so much more than what we eat and when we exercise. There are so many components to health. It’s our mental health and our relationships and our spiritual health and so many things. But one thing I, if I can be honest, one thing I’ve been struggling with lately is, am I doing that right? Like, am I doing the body acceptance thing right? Like, does it mean that I don’t accept myself if I want to wear false lashes or color my hair or shave my armpits? Like, I’ve followed so, so many people now who are just totally like, let’s put it all out there. You grow your bikini hair and you let your hair go natural and you let, you know, then I’m just like, gosh, if I, if I don’t do that, does that mean that I’m not accepting myself? Like, so now I’m finding myself saying, like, am I, am I doing this right? Am I doing the acceptance thing the right way?

Leanne Vogel [00:25:22]

Isn’t that funny? I’ve gone through that too. And I mean, you have an. Isn’t there like a drawer in your kitchen where you keep your lashes? Like, you’re devoted to the lash game?

Chalene Johnson [00:25:31]

That’s, that’s what I do best in the kitchen, is put on my lashes. I’m not a chef. That’s my husband’s game. And. Yeah, and, but see, the thing is, with lashes, for me, I love lashes because they’re so much faster than freaking mascara, in my opinion. And I don’t like to do the lash extensions that tried that route. And so I. And it’s also, it’s like, some people like to paint.

Chalene Johnson [00:25:54]

I like to paint. I like to paint my face. I like to put on my lashes and listen to a good edition of a podcast and put on my lashes and my, you know, have a nice cup of coffee and relax completely.

Leanne Vogel [00:26:08]

And I think that, that, like, if you’re doing it for you. And I’ve struggled with that too. Like, I love waxing. Like, I enjoy my body being waxed, and I will, like, I just don’t feel comfortable. I don’t do it for anyone else. I don’t do it to, you know, align with a certain standard. So I think it really comes down to doing things for the right reasons. And if you enjoy painting your face and doing your nails, putting on lashes, and that’s what makes you feel alive and wonderful.

Leanne Vogel [00:26:36]

And it’s a form of self care, I, I think that’s completely acceptable. And on the flip side, a form of self care for another woman could be letting her armpit, arm hair totally fly. And have at her, but I just wouldn’t feel comfortable.

Chalene Johnson [00:26:50]

Like, yep, you know, have you found that too though? Do you struggle with that too? Like, oh, gosh, so you know now. And also, and also this kind of full circle where people are like judging, like, if you’re body acceptance, then why are you. And they’ll just go to any length. Like, why are you coloring your hair? Or why are you wearing accessories? It’s like, really just we’re taking it too far.

Leanne Vogel [00:27:13]

I definitely experience it in the form of fat versus skinny. I get told a lot, like, well, how do you understand body positivity? You’re not fat. Or, you know, like, look at you. You have a curvy body and it’s not skinny, therefore you’re better. Because. And I’m like, guys, we’re all missing the point here. Like, yeah, you can’t, you can’t put your own limits on a specific person. Like, if I’m thinking of, if I had to paint my face every day and do the nails and the eyelashes and stuff, I’d be exhausted.

Leanne Vogel [00:27:46]

Like, I don’t find that stuff fun. But to me, you know, like, going salsa dancing is a huge form of self care for me. And that’s what lights me up and makes me feel good. So I think it really comes down to what, what lights you up? What, what makes you feel good. And just because you do certain things doesn’t mean that you’re not worthy of a certain message or a certain thing. And how dare people that are trying to be more self aware and more self expressive and more inclusionary are not allowing certain people in the club because they don’t align to their own values. Like, it doesn’t, it doesn’t make any sense to me. And I’ve dealt with that over and over and over again and I don’t know the answer to that other than how could you possibly know because you’re not me.

Chalene Johnson [00:28:29]

Yes, yes, yes. Lead with love. Lead with love.

Leanne Vogel [00:28:32]

Exactly, exactly. Like, worry about yourself. There’s so much that we all have to work through. So I’m just going to be over here in my corner, living my truth.

Leanne Vogel [00:28:46]

Struggling with hair growth. You are not alone. My hair was thinning, breaking, frizzing. No matter what I tried, I turned to collagen supplements, hoping to find a miracle, but they did nothing for me. No rapid hair growth, no epic nail health, no skin or joint changes. Now, most collagen supplements on the market are derived from the entire animal carcass, like cow, pig, marine, and are usually more than 90% protein. They’re labeled as collagen peptides. Hydrolyzed collagen, collagen, hydrolysate, collagen type 1 or 3 or gelatin.

Leanne Vogel [00:29:18]

While these are protein supplements, their incomplete structure means that they often fail to make noticeable differences in hair, joint or skin health. A year ago, I tried bio cell collagen as a last ditch effort. BioCell Collagen is a unique collagen matrix made of hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate. It’s not just a blend of these ingredients, but is extracted from pure dietary chicken sternal cartilage. It’s free of allergens, hormones and antibiotics. Two months into using BioCell collagen, I started receiving messages on Instagram. What are you doing to your hair? It looks crazy good. That was over a year ago and my hair has been growing 1 1/2 to 2 inches a month ever since.

Leanne Vogel [00:30:01]

It’s now so long and thick that it gets caught in my pants. The wispy broken hairs have grown to shoulder length. I have new growth and a healthier scalp and no more flakes or psoriasis. The difference is night and day. Since sharing my struggles and successes, many ladies have reached out sharing their own hair health issues. And I want to help you too. Try BioCell and get 25 off your first purchase. Plus once you make an order, we connect over text so I can provide personalized support for your hair and Collagen needs.

Leanne Vogel [00:30:32]

Visit mygrowinghair.com for all the details on what I used, how much and when. Again, that’s mygrowinghair.com to learn more and start your journey to healthier hair today. And remember, when you make a purchase, we connect over text so I can help you anytime with your hair and collagen needs.

Unknown [00:30:50]

Okay, so one three one method. I had no idea what it stood for. I was like 131 or 131 method. But now I know one health objective. Three weeks of diet phasing, one week to fast and fuel.

Chalene Johnson [00:31:04]

Yeah.

Leanne Vogel [00:31:05]

Can you explain the health objective piece first?

Chalene Johnson [00:31:09]

Yeah, that piece is really important for me because I need everyone to understand that health isn’t just weight loss. Right? Like, we shouldn’t look at our nutrition simply for weight loss. We should be looking at our nutrition to solve many of our health objectives. That that might be having clarity in your thinking. It might be balancing your hormones. It might be dealing with clearing up your own skin. For me, it was my brain health. For me, it was energy it wasn’t about weight loss for me.

Chalene Johnson [00:31:38]

It was about understanding how to get healthy. So you start with your own objective. And I ask people to say to themselves, to not think about your weight, but to think about if there were one thing that you know, it would make you feel better. Like it’s a thing you’re thinking about all the time and it’s holding you back. That’s probably your number one health objective. Maybe that is the fact that you can’t get pregnant, or maybe it’s the fact that you have cystic acne. So start with your own objective. And if.

Chalene Johnson [00:32:08]

When you start with your own objective, that means from the get go, what you’re going to do is going to be different from what I’m going to do. And then we enter into three weeks of diet phasing. But if you don’t start first with your objective, then you’re just on a diet, right? Because the whole method, the whole concept behind the one through one method is that you learn enough about your body that we’re going to give you some structure, but it’s up to you to personalize it, to figure out how to make it work for your objective. And then the last one is for a week of fasting and refueling, which for some people is just the refueling. It’s. It might just be taking a break from intermittent fasting, or it might be doing one of the five different or four different fasts that we cover in the book. And that even those things that’s very personalized, like there’s not one way to fast and there’s. It also depends on what your objective is and if it’s the right time for you to do it or not.

Chalene Johnson [00:33:05]

And you certainly don’t have to fast every four weeks, but if you do, here are some different things you can try based on your health objective. And it is really teaching people. My whole goal with the book is giving people enough structure, right? Because that is what we want. People are like, I just. You have had this happen, Leah. And they are like, just tell me what to eat, just tell me what to eat. And I know people want that. And this is a nice balance where I can help people say, okay, we’re going to give you some guidelines, but I want you to customize this.

Chalene Johnson [00:33:34]

I want you to make it yours. And more than anything, because there are three phases, it’s like exposing people to the fact that you don’t have to just find your diet tribe and hang on to it. Like with a death grip. You can phase your diet and then you can go back to what, like, let’s say you find that being, you know, generally keto feels best for you, but you’re not losing your identity or doing something wrong or falling off the bandwagon if for the summer, you decide you want to eat more of a plant based diet and not worry about whether or not you’re in ketosis, and then you can phase it again. But it’s learning that, you know, the more we hang on so tightly with a death grip to a label or an identity, we begin to silence our body’s intuition and we begin to silence that little voice inside our head that says, I need a break from keto or I need a break from intermittent fasting, or I need a break from being vegan, whatever it is. Because we think, oh, if I do that, well, then I’m not fill in the blank label. So I also, I really want people to stop to consider not labeling themselves or maybe just say, you know, I’m a leantarian. Like, you know, like, I eat the way that’s right for me right now.

Leanne Vogel [00:34:53]

It’s so true. And that little voice, when we start to listen to it, it’s so powerful. Like, it can tell us so many things that we never thought possible. And it’s really like a muscle. Like, my husband Kevin, we’ve been together for 12 years, and I’ve seen him evolve over time, and I’m very intuitive with his body. Like, I can tell cues from him sometimes more so than he can.

Chalene Johnson [00:35:16]

Like, what?

Leanne Vogel [00:35:17]

Oh, I can tell when he has a reaction to different food or just in the way that he holds himself or the way that he clears his throat. Throat. Or how much water he drank. So I’m just like, are you feeling okay? I have a little bit of a headache. I’m like, what did you have today? Like, I had chocolate. I’m like, did that chocolate have stevia? Oh, yeah, there was stevia in that chocolate. Okay, last time you had stevia, did you get a headache? Yeah, I did. I’m like, maybe you’re sensitive to stevia.

Leanne Vogel [00:35:45]

He’s like, yeah, maybe I am. You know, so, like, you’re a food detective. Yeah, exactly, exactly. But I think we all have that. And I’ve seen him over the years start to, like, put the puzzles together and like, okay, I’m understanding. Like, these little pieces are coming in and we all have this little voice inside of us and the more that we use it, the stronger that it gets. And that’s so, that’s so cool. That’s and the dieting piece, it totally silences that.

Leanne Vogel [00:36:13]

And we’re told we can’t listen to that voice because all that voice wants is cupcakes and ice cream and.

Chalene Johnson [00:36:18]

Right?

Chalene Johnson [00:36:19]

And so we’re told, follow the rules.

Chalene Johnson [00:36:22]

Don’T listen, don’t follow your intuition, Follow the rules. Right? Like so it’s, it’s 11:00am and you are on this intermittent fasting schedule and you’re not supposed to eat until noon or exactly. Or you know, friends asked you out to dinner at 7pm and you’re having a panic attack because you need to be done eating by 7pm like, what do you do? Like, you live life, you know, that 8020 world. It’s like realizing, oh well, I can make an informed decision. It’s, you know, just trying to get people to live, live and make informed decisions. Like it’s okay to have a cocktail and whatever it is, whatever it is, you know, that, you know isn’t great for you. But if you’re informed about how it’s going to make you feel, then you’re making an informed decision and you can, you can have it, you can, you can do whatever you want as long as it’s, as long as you know how it’s going to impact you and that you’re willing to deal with the consequences.

Leanne Vogel [00:37:16]

Yes, making a choice. And so since you listen to your intuition and you’re working on that little voice inside, what are some like major nutrition lessons you’ve learned in the last six months? Because I always find like your body’s always changing, you’re always learning new things. What’s like one big takeaway that you’ve learned recently about your body?

Chalene Johnson [00:37:34]

Stress is huge. Like so no matter how on point my nutrition is, I recently had a flare up of Epstein Barr and it was during the writing of my book. I always say if you want to do something really unhealthy, write a health book. Because it is hard work. And especially because I knew I had such a debt of responsibility to my audience that like everything, I wanted to research it and fact check it and double check it and then just before it published, I wanted to check again and see if there was new science. So I got myself so stressed that proper nutrition and the right exercise can’t cancel out having too much stress in your life. So that’s one thing, is that food can fix most things, not all things. Right? We’ve heard the food can fix everything.

Chalene Johnson [00:38:24]

Well, not necessarily. You also have to factor in your environment and lifestyle and stress is a big part of that. Other things I’ve learned, well, things I’ve really enjoyed is I can eat really whatever I want and I can have. It’s crazy to me now. Not that I count calories, but the few times I have, like, just to go, like, I wonder how many calories I’m having. It’s like, probably three times what I was trying to sustain on when I was exercising, you know, three hours a day. And. And it’s foods that I enjoy, and I feel different.

Chalene Johnson [00:38:55]

Like I. And also just that awareness, like you said, like having the intuition about your husband, where before when I had a headache, I’d be like, oh, gosh, I have a headache. Where’s the Advil? Now I’m like, that’s weird. I have a headache. What did I eat? You know, then I try to put two and two together, and I’m like. And then it’s kind of interesting to have a headache. I’m like, oh, this is kind of interesting. And then I’ll, like, write some things down, like, oh, I know what it is.

Chalene Johnson [00:39:16]

You know, so just realizing, just. I mean, I haven’t studied this for very long, but we’re smart enough. You’re. You are smart enough to take in a little bit of information and to tell yourself, I’m going to remember this. And I find it fascinating and how much more fun it is to be informed.

Leanne Vogel [00:39:34]

Yes, yes, I totally agree. Yes. I couldn’t imagine not being informed with my body. I mean, I’m on the other spectrum of it. Like, my friends call me, like, the walking lab. Like, I can tell, like, instantly if there’s something bad in a food or if I’m not feeling good in something, I have such a strong intuition. So. But I think, you know, for the average bear to just, like, have to.

Leanne Vogel [00:39:57]

To know that certain things give them headaches or that they need a certain amount of sleep in a day if they have a big meeting. And all those little things just make life so much easier. Like, there’s no more gifts.

Chalene Johnson [00:40:08]

Yeah, they really do. And for the longest time, I just ignored them. Like, I wore my work ethic like a badge of honor. Like, you know, and just keep pushing through it, and eventually it does take a toll on you. And it’s a much more fun place to be when you recognize that no one. The only rules that you could possibly ever need to live by are the ones that are right for you. And so the sooner we realize, like, when someone says, like, oh, is. Is this going to kick me out of ketosis or is this allowed? I Always say, it’s crazy to me that a grown adult would ask another adult if they’re allowed to eat a particular food.

Chalene Johnson [00:40:50]

Are you allowed? You’re the adult, you know, and they’re really smart, you know, doctors and lawyers and engineers, that when it comes to food, we’ve been so conditioned to believe that we are not smart enough to figure this out. We need to follow someone else’s specific plan that works specifically for them, because, my God, look at their body. They look amazing. Therefore, I need to do exactly what they’re doing. And if I do exactly what they’re doing and I don’t look like what they look like, well, then I probably didn’t do it right. And that’s just a bunch of bs and it just. That has got to end.

Leanne Vogel [00:41:21]

Yes. I need to, like, make that the audio clip for today’s episode because it’s so beautiful. And I couldn’t have said it better myself. Now, when it comes to the relationship you now have with food and how that’s adjusted, you’re eating more, you’re feeling better, you’re still rocking the lashes. How has your relationship to physical movement changed? Because, like, I saw you doing some crazy stuff on top of a hot tub cover the other day. Like, omg, how do you even. How has it changed now?

Chalene Johnson [00:41:53]

Oh, so one thing is, I again, I used to, like, plan out every single workout I was going to do every single day of the week. And I still have, like, a general plan. But the difference is if I woke up and I felt like I was 90 years old and everything hurt in my bones felt like they were coming through my feet and I had no energy, it didn’t matter. It was on my schedule. I was doing it. Now I will wake up and I will go, oh, I plan to do to lift heavy for my legs today, but my legs feel tired. Then I won’t do it. I will say what feels good.

Chalene Johnson [00:42:24]

I do try to honor the gift of my health every day with some form of movement. But that might be a walk on the beach. It might be just gentle stretching or foam rolling or moving my body. I believe that we have to move our bodies, and that is something I do because I love myself and I love this gift. And if you have ever had your health taken away or your ability to exercise taken away, then you know how truly grateful we should be every day that we have it. But what is different now is I don’t do hours and hours. I don’t beat myself up and I listen to my body. I go I wonder, what do I need today? And I way cut back on my cardio.

Chalene Johnson [00:43:04]

I just really short bursts of cardio now. And I love strength training. I love feeling strong. And strength training doesn’t necessarily always mean lifting weights. I love moving my body rhythmically to music, and that’s strength training. I’m strengthening my body in the way we do in yoga. The form that I practice is called piyo, and I like to think of it as yoga for hyperactive people who love music. Like, it’s very rhythmic and it feels like dance, and the music tells you what to do.

Chalene Johnson [00:43:34]

And I can get lost in it, but I just don’t beat myself up anymore. I used to do workouts that were just brutal, literally brutal pounding. And I thought if I didn’t hurt and if I wasn’t exhausted and just dripping and sweat, then it wasn’t a good workout and that I had to learn that that’s not natural. It wasn’t allowing my body to heal. I was throwing myself into adrenal fatigue, and I was working at a deficit that I could never catch up on.

Leanne Vogel [00:44:03]

Do you remember what that process was like for you? Because I. If I rewind myself five years and listen to what you just said, how you were, like, pounding the pavement and doing all the things and hurting and bleeding and just, like, horrible workouts to now, where you have such a great relationship with it. When you decided to make that shift, was it terrifying? What did you do? Because I know that there are women listening right now that are like, that’s really great.

Chalene Johnson [00:44:30]

I.

Unknown [00:44:30]

But I. I just. I don’t get it. Like, how do I make that transition? I want to do this, but I don’t even understand how that’s possible.

Chalene Johnson [00:44:38]

So when you asked me that question just now, I really tried to go back and not give you an answer today, right? Like, to go, like, what was I thinking? And I think, if I’m being honest, I was afraid. I was afraid that I would gain 20 pounds, that I. My body would become soft, and that I would lose people’s respect. You know, I did fear those things. And that was in the back of my mind, for sure. I definitely had that fear. But I was motivated by my situation. I was really motivated by my kids.

Chalene Johnson [00:45:11]

Like, sometimes they say you have to do it for yourself. Maybe I did it for. I don’t know if I didn’t have children, if I would have been as motivated to make these immediate changes. But because I did have kids, it was bigger than me and my love for my husband and my Love for my children was such that I was like, first of all, I’m being a horrible role model. And secondly, I want to live longer, and I don’t want them to have to care for me because I’m in cognitive decline, you know, way earlier than what I should be. So that. And I was tired, you know, I was really tired. Like, I couldn’t go any further.

Chalene Johnson [00:45:48]

I was on empty. And it was just someone pointing out the gas gauge, pointing to the fact that I was on E, that I had to go, wow, I have been running on E for a long time, and it has caught up with me, and I can’t keep going. And so, frankly, it was literally that day, the day that I reviewed my brain scan, that I was like, I was teaching a 5:30am workout for more than 20 years. And at the same gym. Obviously, I didn’t need to do that for financial reasons, but it was part of, like, my identity, and it was part of what got me exercising very early in the morning so I could get in all my hours that day. On the way home, I called the manager of the gym and said, I am giving up all my classes. Because I knew for me, this situation, I couldn’t just scale back. I needed to go cold turkey and just wake up the next day and go, what do you need?

Leanne Vogel [00:46:46]

That’s amazing. That is. I know how terrifying that can be. I’ve been there. And it’s just. It’s amazing that you use your family to get you there. And I guess my next question would be, really, how was the relationship with your husband and your kids at that point? Because I could imagine that if you’re working that hard and you’re dealing with your. All the things and you’re crying and you’re working on your business and your videos and how was your relationship with them and how are you showing up in their lives at that point?

Chalene Johnson [00:47:16]

Yeah, it’s a really good question. I hadn’t thought about that. I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before because my first thought. Usually when someone asks me about my relationship with my husband, I talk about the fact that we’ve overcome addiction and our relationship is so great today. But, you know, our relationship probably is really great today for more reasons than just that. And it probably does have a lot to do with the fact that that’s a miserable state to be in, you know, where you’re constantly controlled by your next workout and you’re constantly controlled by your body image. Like my, you know, identity, everything that I literally what people knew me for, not what we were making our money for, which was business, but, like, what people knew me for was, like, being known in the fitness realm. And so, yeah, everything got better.

Chalene Johnson [00:48:07]

My relationship with my kids, my relationship with my husband. Since then, I’ve had my daughter on the podcast a lot, and she suffered from orthorexia for several years in high school. And I, you know, she. She claims it was track, et cetera, but I certainly know that just living in our household where the talk is about exercise and food and exercise and think about all the people who get my attention and praise, it’s like these before and afters. And look at all these people. Look what they’ve done to their body, exercising for hours. So there was definitely. I have to take responsibility for how that may have had a negative impact on her in her orthorexia because there was so much attention given to exercise and body transformation.

Chalene Johnson [00:48:53]

And what does body transformation mean? It means that your body wasn’t good before, and now it’s better see what you were before and now look at this, how this person is after. So there had to have been some, you know, pretty shitty subliminal messaging that she received. And I remember always thinking about it and hoping that it wasn’t impacting her that way. We didn’t talk about our body image, their body images at home. We never talked about weight at home. But the subliminal is still there, and kids are smart, and I’m sure it had an impact on her.

Leanne Vogel [00:49:23]

Yeah, the kids do piece things together. One of my first memories of, like, bodies and praise and transformation was when my mom went to weight watch, and I guess she had lost 20 pounds or something. And my aunts and uncles came over and we made a big poster. And when she got home from school one day, we had, like, this party and there were balloons and it was all happy. And I remember thinking, like, okay, if I lose weight, then I get a party. Like, it was just, wow, at such a young age to be like, lose weight, Get a party.

Chalene Johnson [00:49:55]

Like bloom.

Chalene Johnson [00:49:56]

You know, it’s interesting how it all. How it all.

Chalene Johnson [00:49:59]

Yeah. And I hope that the moms are listening. You know, they don’t beat themselves up. But also. But to just be aware, like, every time you pull at your body, every time you say, I’m fat, every time you say, I need to lose weight, you might as well be saying that to your child, because those comments make a mark on them, even if it’s subliminal. So it’s, number one, being really careful about the things we say about ourselves and then about others. You know, for me, I was never. I was really careful never to say anything about our body, her body, but I was always talking about, you know, you’re always searching for people’s before and afters because we knew before and afters moved product.

Leanne Vogel [00:50:36]

Yeah. So now that you’ve adjusted and you are working on yourself and you have a more balanced relationship to your body and food, how are you showing up in their lives now? In your kids life, in your husband’s life? Like, how. How are the dynamics now?

Chalene Johnson [00:50:53]

I don’t think we could be. We can always be healthier, but we’re just very open. We love to talk. All. Everyone in my family is a big fan of therapy. I’ve had both my kids on my podcast talking about their own experience in therapy and their own experience in terms of what it was like for us as parents and how important it is for them to be open and to share and to teach. I think that’s the most generous thing any of us can do, is to share with others what things we’ve been able to conquer or get through. And that’s such a generous thing to do.

Chalene Johnson [00:51:27]

And, you know, that’s why I love teachers. You’re a teacher, and teachers, they’re sharing information that can make people’s lives better. And my kids are both pretty passionate about doing that. And it’s just, you know, the only way. They always say you’re as sick as your secrets. Right. And so I think the more we can be honest about what’s going on and not be afraid to work with professionals, whether that’s a coach or a therapist or a life coach, the better life gets. Like, you know, every time you make an investment in yourself, life gets just a little bit better when you work on being a better human.

Leanne Vogel [00:52:05]

Yeah. That’s so beautiful. And I mean, if anyone follows you on Instagram, I’ll include links. If you don’t follow Shalene, you must. You must. Like yesterday, you guys have so much fun in your stories. Like, I check your stories at least once a day so that I can. How has play and fun, you know, had a role in your life now? Like.

Chalene Johnson [00:52:28]

Cause you guys love fun. At least it looks that way.

Chalene Johnson [00:52:31]

No, we do. It’s. Well, I was voted, I’m really proud to say, even though I was lobbying to be like, Prettiest eyes or best Dressed. In high school, I got class Clown. And that makes sense to me because I really do like making people laugh. And I have always really enjoyed just it’s like, it’s a big part of my day. Like, you know, I. If I’m not goofing off, then I can’t be myself.

Chalene Johnson [00:52:55]

I can’t be creative. I can’t be. I can’t. I just need to laugh and make fun of things and have a good time and play practical jokes. And that’s always who I’ve been. If you watch, like my early, early videos, the infomercial companies all let me put little practical jokes at the end of all the videos. And so I just want people to laugh and have a good time and not take themselves too seriously so that my kids know and my kids are really funny because that my husband’s really funny inappropriately. So I usually can’t post him up on my stories, but we do a little bit and, you know, life is too short not to laugh.

Chalene Johnson [00:53:29]

And laugh is laughing is one of the best things you can do for your health because it really does help to reduce your stress.

Leanne Vogel [00:53:36]

Beautifully said. Chalene. Thank you so much for coming on the show today and sharing your story. I’ve definitely learned more about you and about taking day by day and understanding that we can always shift. And I think that was a huge piece to our interview is just no matter how messy things get, it’s we have an opportunity to shift at any moment. So thank you so much for sharing your story with us.

Chalene Johnson [00:53:59]

Well, thank you. I love everything that you do and we are so very aligned. I’m sitting here in my house right now that I’m going to, when my husband gets home, I’m going to say, we need to sell this and buy a boat.

Leanne Vogel [00:54:10]

Oh, my gosh. I could teach you how to sail. I’ve become quite good at it.

Chalene Johnson [00:54:14]

Okay, let’s do it. Thank you so much, Leanne. Adore you.

Leanne Vogel [00:54:18]

Thank you so much for coming on.

Leanne Vogel [00:54:21]

I hope you enjoyed me pulling out this episode from the archives. It’s totally crazy to me that this was five years ago. Wow, Time flies. So again, her website is charlene.com and we’ll see you back here for another episode. See you then. Bye. Thanks for listening to the helpful Pursuit podcast. Join us next Tuesday for another episode of the show.

Leanne Vogel [00:54:48]

If you’re looking for free resources, there are a couple of places you can go. The first to my blog, healthfulpursuit.com where you’re going to find loads of recipes. The second is a free parasite protocol that I’ve put together for you that outlines symptoms, testing, and resources to determine whether or not you have a parasite. Plus a full protocol to follow to eradicate them from your life if you need to. That’s available at healthfulpursuit.com parasites and last but certainly not least, a full list of blood work markers to ask your doctor for so that you can get a full picture of your health. You can grab that free resource by going to healthful pursuit.com the helpful pursuit Podcast, including show notes and links, provides information in respect to healthy living recipes, nutrition and diet, and is intended for informational purposes only. The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor is it to be construed as such. We cannot guarantee that the information provided on the Helpful Pursuit Podcast reflects the most up to date medical research.

Leanne Vogel [00:55:52]

Information is provided provided without any representation or warranties of any kind. Please consult a qualified health practitioner with any questions you may have regarding your health and nutrition program.

This entry was tagged: 481, podcast


Happy Keto Body Promotion - 12 Week Video Program

Hi! I'm Leanne (RHN FBCS)

a Functional Medicine Practitioner, host of the Healthful Pursuit Podcast, and best-selling author of The Keto Diet & Keto for Women. I want to live in a world where every woman has access to knowledge to better her health.

Read more about me...

Weekly Meal Plans