A healthy gut means 5 smaller pant sizes: Christina's SHEKO story
Typical diets just didn't work for Christina – until she started forging her own path. She got to know herself and her body. She understood what she needed to finally be slim and fit . Find out here how she lost five dress sizes.
from Paulina
It all starts with a clean gut.
You lost over 31 kilos* last year. Now you buy your pants five sizes smaller. But let's go back to the beginning. How did your success story begin?
"My success story actually started with a shock. I hardly recognized myself in a photo of my son on his first day of school. I hadn't realized how much weight I'd gained during the pandemic. It's not like I was always super slim, but suddenly I definitely had more on my hips. That's when I knew: I have to change something. "
What was the first thing you changed?
"I started to take a closer look at my body. I didn't want to just go on a diet without knowing why I was doing it. I've had enough bad experiences with that in the past. This time I really wanted to understand the reasons – why had I gained weight? What could be the cause, and what solutions were there?"
As a child, Christina already had to deal with an intestinal illness. She suffered from a fungal infection in her gut, which went undetected for a long time. Now, as she searches for the cause, she remembers how important it was back then to strengthen healthy bacteria and restore the balance of her gut flora.
"So I started to restore my gut health. At first glance, that might sound like a mammoth task. But actually, it's quite simple. Especially when you consider the effect it has on the whole body later on."
Our gut plays a major role in our health. After all, it houses about 80% of our body's immune cells . But that's not all. Our gut also influences the number on the scale. The bacteria that thrive there depend on what we eat. If we eat exclusively sugar, fat, and highly processed foods, the bacteria that use these foods as nourishment multiply in our gut. And they crave more and more of them. The result: cravings that make losing weight more difficult.
Before changing our diet, it is therefore advisable to do a gut cleanse . This means: we cleanse out all the bacteria that so often signal to us that we crave sweets and fatty foods.
"This time I really wanted to understand the cause."
Healthy gut, healthy attitude
What happened to you after the gut restoration?
"The gut cleanse was like the starting signal for a healthier life for me. I turned everything upside down afterwards: I changed my diet and started going to the gym twice a week for weight training. I also downloaded a calorie-tracking app and ordered probiotics to rebuild my gut. It was clean now, but it was still missing the 'right' bacteria."
To make your gut happy, we developed our gut flora weight loss companion . Composed of research-based bacterial strains and a sophisticated combination of vitamins, it supports your gut health and specifically stimulates your energy metabolism.
And how did you end up at SHEKO?
“I had already lost 20 kg* and wanted to build muscle. That's why I was looking for a protein shake. When I read that SHEKO provides a lot of protein and also helps with weight management, I thought: ‘Bingo, I'm killing two birds with one stone.’ So I ordered my first tub and took it with me on vacation.”
What convinced you about SHEKO?
"People always think that losing weight has to involve deprivation. And to a certain extent, that's true. If I want to lose weight, I do have to pay attention to how much I eat – but not necessarily what I eat. We ate out a lot on vacation. That included fast food with the kids. And I was worried that my scales would ruin my mood when we got back home. But because I replaced a few meals with SHEKO , I actually continued to lose weight. That convinced me."
This is how Christina eats now
You mentioned your dietary changes earlier. What did they entail?
"The transition was a process – involving a lot of trial and error. As I said before: it was important to me to understand my body and find my own way . For example, I discovered that I can't tolerate raw food in the evenings. It gives me a stomach ache. But that might be the solution for others. I believe it's important that everyone finds their own individual 'right' approach."
So what does your meal plan look like on a typical day?
"I don't really have a 'normal day'. That's precisely the beauty of SHEKO – it gives you much more freedom and allows you to flexibly decide when and what you eat. Generally, I try to eat little fat and hardly any short-chain carbohydrates – like pasta. Instead, I focus on plenty of protein. This means that in the morning I eat oatmeal with skyr and berries, at lunchtime I stick to a balanced mixed diet, and in the evening I cook a protein-rich meal."
When Christina started SHEKO, she replaced one or two meals a day with the shake. After losing a total of 31 kg* , her weight loss suddenly slowed. This prompted her to switch to the 'interval shake' method: one week she replaced two meals with the shake, the next week only one. Alternating the calorie intake each week helped her continue her success story.
You've already accomplished so much. Do you have any further goals?
"I'd like to lose a few more kilos. I have a specific number in mind. But to be completely honest, I've already had a highlight moment. I recently ordered trousers in different sizes because I didn't know which ones currently fit me. When I realized I 'd gone down five trouser sizes , I had tears of joy in my eyes. I can hardly put into words how wonderful it is to be in my own body."
Losing weight with SHEKO: Christina's tips
Christina begins her success story with the question: Why did I gain so much weight in the first place? She wants to find the real reason for her extra pounds in order to make the right adjustments. Questions you can ask yourself include: Am I an emotional eater? What hidden calorie bombs are lurking in my daily life? In what situations do I get cravings?
"My husband is also on board. That has made it easier for me to establish healthier routines. We also go to the gym together and motivate each other to keep going."
Christina already plans her day in the morning. If she's meeting friends for pizza in the evening, she knows she should replace another meal with a SHEKO shake. However, if it's the weekend and her husband is getting croissants from the bakery, she plans to have a shake for lunch.
Do you also want to make a change like Christina? Feel free to browse through our SHEKO Shake varieties !
