prior to crossfit central

Prior to joining CrossFit Central I had toyed with the idea of doing some kind of boot camp before but was always able to talk myself out of it: too expensive, the times don’t work with my schedule, what if I hate it, etc. and then some. “Tomorrow” was my best excuse and worst enemy.

As a dancer for years, I have always had a physical awareness. I was almost always one of the tallest girls and would get stuck in the back of dances just behind all of the naturally skinny, size zero girls. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I disliked myself because of it, but there was always a twinge of longing to be one of those girls and an acute sense of self-consciousness because I wasn’t.

When I joined CrossFit Central, I was nearly a year out of college, helping out with my sick grandmother, going through a rough breakup, practically sedentary, and the heaviest weight I had ever been. I felt lonely and a bit lost. I was a passive bystander instead of an active participant in my own life.

since taking on crossfit central programs

In 7 months I've lost 40 lbs, over 5% body fat, and a whole lot of inches.

My first week of boot camp was brutal. I knew I wasn’t in shape, but had no idea how out of shape I really was. I couldn’t even finish half of the warm up at the time! Had it not been for my incredible coach Crystal and the amazing people in my boot camp class, I might not have made it back after that first week.

I am so proud of the work that I have put in to get my body to where it is now and for the first time in a long time, I am truly happy with the way I look. Not only have I gotten rid of the largest jeans I ever bought, but I am now wearing the ones I wore in high school with room to spare. Since starting CrossFit, most days I feel not only optimistic but invincible and that’s a kind of confidence that I never could have imagined.

I have learned so much about myself since joining CrossFit Central - I have learned how strong I am, both physically and mentally, and how to trust myself as a result of that strength. Making day to day decisions is not a strong suit of mine, but I have found that when it comes to making bigger life decisions, I have a much better perspective and thereby a healthier method of decision making. I have also learned more about what I need on a daily basis to be a happy and well-rounded person. Before beginning CrossFit, the things that made me happy were often small, insignificant, and generally material or external. Food, shopping, and external praise are all examples of things that would give me a temporary high. Now I have learned to be more self-sufficient and use exercise and the right foods to preserve my emotional well-being and maintain a positive outlook.

I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity to be a member of CrossFit Central and be constantly inspired and continually challenged by such a diverse community of people who are all motivated and passionate about fitness.