Just 3 days ago writer Nevin Martell embarked on his Protein Bar Challenge, where he will eat 3 PB meals a day, for 28 days. Though this is the first time anyone has “officially” pledged their palate to Protein Bar, there have been a few amazing superfans challenging themselves to do healthy…healthier for years.

To help Nevin on his food and fitness journey we’ve asked 2 of our most loyal superfans to offer up advice, inspiration, and insight into how Protein Bar can and has changed the way they eat.

Meet Ellen and Laura! You’ve seen them before through PB Sweat Stories, at events, or just hanging out with a Raw Juice! Both women have worked hard to drastically change their bodies, minds, and eating habits. We’re so proud to have watched their transformations and hope their words can help Nevin reach his goals!

Ellen’s Superfan Smarts

How long have you been a PB SUPERFAN?
Since Fall of 2010

Fave PB breakfast, lunch, snack?
Breakfast – Pancake in a Bowl, with bananas (add almonds for crunch)
Lunch – Quinoa Chicken Chili, add avocado; Spinach Pesto Bowl (also w/avocado); Southwest salad
Snack/Side – Comiskey Cocoa; Fruit Loop’d; Beetbox
Best off-menu creation you’ve tried?
The “Ellen Bowl” for breakfast: the Southwest breakfast wrap MINUS the tortilla, add quinoa, Greek yogurt, avocado.  Team Franklin has it down to a science, and it’s become a conversation starter in my office!

Best workouts for reaching your weight goals?
Interval training is very effective.  I love Tabata, and any classes that blend cardio and weight segments.  I’m not great on stationary equipment (read: YAWN!) so this summer I worked on running and took swim training classes.  My body really loves variety, which of course keeps my brain fully engaged.  This is very important because once you achieve your weight goals, you have to keep working out to maintain them, and you want this to be enjoyable.  Also, do yoga for your joints and muscles, and because it emphasizes being happy with who you are today, right now: Compassion, not Judgment.  This is especially helpful on those days when your brain is saying “Why am I not at the magic number RIGHT NOW?!”  Health and fitness is all about the journey, not just the destination.

Best pre, post workout PB item?
Pre-workout meals always include quinoa – it’s heartier.  Post workout I am always craving a smoothie – they’re cool, refreshing and hydrating!

How has Protein Bar helped you…become a better (healthier) you?
Protein Bar has had a huge impact on my at-home eating.  Quinoa is a staple in my kitchen; rice and pasta are virtually non-existent.  Plain Greek yogurt has replaced sour cream – even on my favorite Polish foods, which usually call for large dollops.  There are always fresh salad fixings in my fridge, and if I had more counter space, I would own a juicer.  My mother is seriously impressed!

Also, you can’t underestimate the impact of regular exposure/access to a group of people committed to healthier living on your general well-being.  Recently my cousins referred to their fellow triathletes/marathoners as their “SWEATY Friends Club.”  When I heard that term, Protein Bar was the first thing to pop into my head.  Everyone should have SWEATY friends, and Protein Bar – along with their pals the SWEATMASTER, SKOFit and Barre Be Fit to name a few – really embodies this idea of building a fitness community.

What inspired you to first try PB?
I had my first annual physical in many years, and was shell-shocked by the amount of weight I’d gained – my highest recorded adult weight, a whopping 27 lbs more than the last time I was on a scale. (Only two people know “the number” – me and my doctor.)  And if that wasn’t enough, my doctor whipped out the weight chart and showed me that “the number” was just 5 lbs shy of being “morbidly obese.”

Seriously?  The doctor’s next words I will never forget: “People tend to associate much higher weight numbers with morbid obesity.  From a medical perspective, you are morbidly obese when your weight reaches a point where you could start to develop conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, etc.”

Needless to say, that was my “Ah-ha” moment.  Luckily I have a very smart doctor, who was gently encouraging, and, after handing me a Kleenex, assured me I could turn that around.  I stopped finding reasons not to join the gym, and right around that time walked by the PB Franklin location on my way to…Chipotle.  At the time, there was a huge sign in the window comparing “Their calories to Ours” on various menu items, and I thought “Ok, Protein Bar, show me what you’ve got.”

I took an Original Bar-rito with chicken back to the office, and while eating that, built my comparable Chipotle burrito on the nutrition page of their Web site.  The Chipotle result was staggering, not to mention irresponsible: 972 calories, over 80g of fat.  I quickly discovered I liked the taste of quinoa a lot;  the PB Bar-rito was delicious, and truly filling. I never looked back.  At my next doctor visit I was 17 lbs lighter, and eventually lost the additional 10 lbs. I was happy, but the doctor was ecstatic: my weight and blood pressure were both back in healthy range.  (I have a family history of high blood pressure, and the long-term impact extra weight would have on my blood pressure was her primary concern.)  When she asked how I’d lost the weight so she could share with her other female patients, I said “Exercise and Quinoa.”

Has Matt Matros (or other PB team members) given you any advice for reaching your goals?
Matt’s dedication to his own health, fitness and helping others via the Protein Bar brand is perhaps the best illustration of “teaching/leading by example” I’ve ever seen – it’s inspiring and contagious.

Also, I’m always impressed by the culinary creativity of PB employees, whose numerous suggestions have greatly enhanced my PB dining experience.  Among them: add a dollop of Greek yogurt to… just about anything; try the Spinach Pesto bowl with avocado (which led to avocado in the Southwest Salad and Quinoa Chili); try some raspberries in your Comiskey Cocoa for a kick (Evan); and of course, the Ellen Bowl was inspired by watching Annie Boyer whip up her own quinoa bowls almost every day while she was on Team Franklin.  All of which convinced me I really could eat healthier at home, which is instrumental in maintaining weight loss.

Food for Thought?
The only thing I would add is that yes, you can do this – whatever “this” is for you.  It of course takes hard work and dedication, and for me, losing weight and resuming a fitness program was ultimately about reclaiming a part of me that I’d somehow lost in all of life’s craziness.  But hard work and dedication to your health and well-being is an idea worth cultivating and spreading, and when you invite Protein Bar into your life, you will quickly discover that you’re not only getting healthier food options, but really a health and fitness community dedicated to helping you reclaim and maintain that healthier you.  Good luck!

Laura’s Superfan Smarts

How long have you been a SUPERFAN for? 
Since summer 2010, back when Franklin was the one and only PB store!

Fave PB breakfast, lunch, snack?
Breakfast — Smoothies, without a doubt.  It’s a three-way tie between the Comiskey Cocoa, Wrigley Peeled and Millennium Perk.  Delicious, filling and portable!
Lunch — I’m addicted to the Buffalo and Spinach & Pesto bowls.
Snack — The HI-5 raw juice takes first place as best snack ever.

Best off-menu creation you’ve tried?
I add kale to my smoothies for an extra daily boost of greens!  Yes, really.  It blends right in, doesn’t change the taste at all, and totally ups the nutrition factor.  My drink is (in)famous at PB stores!

Bonus item: Before I cut back on dairy, I used to add Greek yogurt to my Millennium Perk for an extra thick, creamy treat.  Delicious!

Best workouts for reaching your weight goals?
Strength: My trainer (Heather Pande) teaches an amazing lower body class (Junk) at David Barton Gym.  It’s all lower body with weights, plyometrics/cardio bursts, and abs – perfect for building strength, blasting fat, and looking fabulous in your favorite jeans.

Cardio: Stair climbing, jump rope, and short runs (PB-sponsored 5Ks are super fun!)

Flexibility: Ashtanga yoga is a fantastic way to increase flexibility and get in a great workout.

Best pre, post workout PB item?

Pre-workout: The HI-5 is perfect as an after-work, pre-gym snack.

Post-workout: Did I mention how much I love my smoothies with kale?

How has Protein Bar helped you…become a better (healthier) you?
I lost 30 lbs eating mostly Protein Bar food!  When I adopted a Paleo diet of lean meats, leafy greens & veggies, good fats, and minimal grains or dairy, PB was the perfect choice to support my new lifestyle.  Non-dairy options, superfoods, veggies and (of course) the quinoa that put PB on the map make it easy for me to eat healthy on the go.

PB’s dedication to health, wellness, and cutting edge nutrition is incredibly educational and inspiring.  Thanks to their blogs and SWEAT Squad, I’ve learned so much!  The stories shared by PB employees, friends and fans are so motivating, and I’m truly honored to be included in this effort.  Between my personal weight loss journey and PB’s amazing principles and beliefs, I’ve decided to become a health & wellness coach to help others transform their lives, too. PB, you have a ton of future superfans headed your way!

All of that was made possible by the incredibly dedicated, talented and supportive PB team. Being cheered on by them during my transformation was an amazing experience!  They support the PB principles and beliefs as a lifestyle – and they do it better than any company I’ve ever seen.  Every day, they make my day.  Thanks to them, healthy eating is fun and inspiring!

What inspired you to first try PB?
My sister Katie suggested meeting at Franklin for lunch one day.  I’d never heard of Protein Bar, but she convinced me to try it out.  I ordered a Millennium Perk and was instantly hooked.  PB soon became a daily part of my routine.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Thanks, sis!

Has Matt Matros (or PB team members) given you any advice for reaching your goals?
Mike Ganino is full of healthy eating tips!  I always walk away inspired with new ways to tweak my diet and make it more delicious after a conversation with him.

And the best piece of Matt Matros advice out there?  Don’t be afraid to take risks!

I couldn’t agree more.  Risk-taking is often a catalyst for the very transformation or progress we seek, and we’ll never know how successful we can be until we take that chance.  If I hadn’t gone out on a limb by significantly changing my diet, I probably wouldn’t be writing about my weight loss success here to help inspire others.  And if I hadn’t taken a chance on an unknown lunch spot back in 2010, I might never have met PB at all!

But I did, and here we are today, with 2013 just around the corner.  I’ve been at a healthy weight for a year now, and Protein Bar just opened its sixth store in a second market, with several more stores coming in the near future.

So go ahead and take that risk.  And don’t forget to try a smoothie with kale!