Alyssa and Kelsey both had amazing Whole30 results, even while doing Whole30 in JAPAN. I thought my Whole30 was tough- can you even imagine trying to grocery shop and scan nutrition labels for unapproved ingredients in a different language you don’t read?? I’m so impressed by these two!! And even more amazing, they’re both singers at Disneyland in Japan! Talk about a dream job! I hope you’re inspired by their stories. Follow these two on instagram at @Amerikaijin_fit!

Alyssa Simmons

My name is Alyssa Simmons. 26 years old. Born in LA. Actor/Singer based out of NYC. Training includes the BFA Music/Dance/Theatre program at Brigham Young University. When I was in college I was a MAJOR emotional eater. My program was rigorous and the hours were insane. I turned to food for comfort and control (2 things that I realize now can be positive…if I let them be!) When I left school I was 198 pounds. In order to be castable in Musical Theatre (which is what I do for a living) I had a choice to make- I could either gain 20-30 more pounds and always play the chubby best friend…or I could lose some weight and open up my castability. I chose the latter. My weight loss journey began in 2011. My first 6 months I lost 40 pounds. I learned how to make healthy choices and fell in love with working out (lifting weights specifically!) For the first time in a very long time, I started to believe that I was worthy of feeling and looking great. I lost a total of 70 pounds! In late 2012 I became a certified personal trainer so I could share the things that changed my life with others. In 2013 I found my love of yoga. In 2014 I moved to Tokyo to be a singer at Tokyo Disneyland. Here, I met my friend Kelsey Crismon. We did the Whole30 together and help keep each other on track with our goals!

Where/ when did you first hear about Whole30?

I had several friends who did the Whole30. I followed their journeys via social media. I’d been eating Paleo for a few months and after researching the Whole30…I was in!

When was your Whole30?

June 23- July 22

What was the biggest challenge you overcame during Whole30?

I’d say the biggest challenge for me was doing the Whole30 in Japan! I don’t speak or read Japanese so grocery shopping was really difficult sometimes. I survived though!

What are some of the Non Scale Victories you experienced?

Non scale victories- meal prepping for days where I had 14 hour workdays! (6 shows in 1 day!), my skin cleared up a lot, I finally got my forearm headstand with eagle legs!, and my overall energy and focus improved.

What was your scale victory? 🙂

Scale victory…I actually didn’t weigh myself before or after the Whole30. For me this experience was about focusing less on the calories and more about putting my energy into prepping/eating delicious things to fuel my body. As someone who was a huge calorie counter and slave to the scale…this is my biggest victory!

Do you have any words of wisdom for anyone currently doing a Whole30?

Words of Wisdom- Pick a few positive affirmations that you can repeat to yourself while on this journey. We’re all human and sometimes the Whole30 can be challenging (parties, celebrations, going out to dinner). Choose to believe in yourself. You are all way more powerful and awesome than you give yourselves credit for.

What was your favorite meal or recipe you made during your Whole30?

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast! I make a lot of frittatas and omelets. My fav would have to be onion, mushroom, green pepper, and turkey bacon frittata with fresh tomatoes and avocado on top! Kelsey and I also did quite a few protein style burgers. Delish.

Kelsey Crismon

I am 23 years old and have a huge passion for theater/film/ family/life and especially health. I love people, creating new relationships and communication in all different forms. I have two wonderful siblings and I’m very close with my family. My brother and sister have always been the athletic ones, while I was the performer. But that all changed in college when I was tired of constantly being sick and having my weight fluctuate. I found my love for Crossfit immediately and have been doing it on and off for about two years now. Even still, I suffered from an overreactive bladder and had the immune system of an ant. On top of all that, after graduation- I moved to NYC and tried to begin my career while still struggling with my body. The doctors thought I could have PCOS. So much was going on and so I tried everything I could think of. Supplements, diets, being Vegan for five months, EVERYTHING! I landed a job contracted with Tokyo Disney Japan and have been here for 8 months- working and focusing on my health first and foremost. (That’s a jumbled mess of thoughts-so sorry!)

Where/ when did you first hear about Whole30?

I was eating Paleo and attending a Crossfit box here in Tokyo when an avid Crossfit member and health nut mentioned it to me. She said it changed her life, and after explaining my health issues- she lent the book to me and said I should immediately start reading.

When was your Whole30?

June 27th to July 26th

What was the biggest challenge you overcame during Whole30?

My biggest challenge was doing Whole30 in Japan. Haha… It’s insanely difficult because I’m not able to run to my nearest Trader Joes or Whole Foods to grab EXACTLY what I need. I had to choose what I know to be chicken eggs and vegetables, and do the best I can with other meats beside poultry. There was a plethora of fish of course, which was nice. But due to the price of anything remotely from the U.S. and the language barrier- this was very expensive and made it very difficult. I almost never ate out except at a restaurant that was American (so almost never). It wasn’t impossible- but it definitely walked the difficult line 😉

What are some of the Non Scale Victories you experienced?

My skin cleared up almost immediately. I started sleeping through the night, and I did not have ONE accident with my overreactive bladder. Also, the addictions and habits I had before seem to be broken- cravings gone. Huge ups!

What was your scale victory? 🙂

I lost 6 lbs!!!! 2 in. Around my waist and 1 1/2 around both of my legs and hips. 🙂 Unbelievable!!!
Do you have any words of wisdom for anyone currently doing a Whole30?
Stick to it. No matter what, the accomplishment you feel at the end, along with all of your old habits broken is worth a lifetime. 30 days is nothing.

What is something you wished you had known before starting Whole30?

I wish I had known more about lean/ grass fed meats and how to prepare them. But besides that- I was as prepared as I could be living here in Japan.

What was your favorite meal or recipe you made during your Whole30?

I really love the apple/ sausage/ sweet potato hash with kale recipe in “It Starts with Food”. I substituted ground beef and chicken because I tried not to eat chicken sausage as much.