Do me a favor? Stop whatever you're doing, and take 15 seconds to think back to who you were - mentally and physically - before starting CrossFit®.
Maybe you were already fit, maybe you weren’t. Maybe you were eating McDonalds several times a week, or maybe you already had a life full of fruits and veggies.
Regardless of your starting point, we can all agree on one thing: CrossFit® makes positive changes. It could be as simple as a first pull-up, building a community, or starting to pay attention to your nutrition; all which are improving your way of life in some way.
Recently one of our athletes reached out and shared her amazing transformation story - through CrossFit®, and our nutrition program (No Nonsense Nutrition) - and we immediately knew her story had to be shared. So sit back and take a few minutes to read Kira’s journey, including an astounding 15 kilos of weight loss (that’s 32 lbs for the Americans) over an 8-week period.
Kira’s Quest
Kira spent years of her late teens into her adult years trying to find something in the fitness world that would stick; a search many of us can relate to. The word she uses to sum up these years is ‘inconsistent’, as she jumped from periods of two-a-day spin classes, and other periods of no exercise or diet regimen at all.
"My usual fitness cycle consisted of just that, I found things that worked for me and burnt myself out doing them, and then did nothing at all for months. Since the day that I committed to CrossFit®, I have not missed a week of training in three years."
Kira Finds CrossFit®
Today, Kira no longer recognizes that person she used to be prior to CrossFit®. The positive changes can be written out into a blog post of it’s own, but we will let her sum it up for you:
"When I started at my CrossFit box I had made some big changes in my life, which included moving on from a lot of my friends, and partner who was no longer good for me. While this was a good move for my life, it didn’t make it any less lonely. The people at my box became my closest friends and support network through some of the hardest times In my life. These people see me at my absolute worst and they help pick me up, and when I’m at my best they are there for the high fives too."
It wasn’t just the relationships that shifted in her life, but the physical and mental changes as well. When first joining her gym, Kira’s mission was to ‘be skinny.’ Three years later, that mindset has changed from less worry about being thin, and more about what her body is truly capable of doing.
"The day I started, I couldn’t do one burpee box jump; I stepped my feet up and down with my hands on the box. This past year I Rx’d the entire Open."Kira Finds WODprep
Struggling with weight her entire life, there was never a day that Kira didn’t find herself thinking about nutrition. Like her quest to find her perfect fitness routine, she did the same with her nutrition
"I spent months not eating carbs or sugar - and at one stage in my life I was living off juice only. Before signing up for No Nonsense Nutrition, I tipped the scale at the heaviest I had ever been. It was affecting all areas of my life, including my performance in the gym. After going through a separation from my fiancé, I knew I had to take control of my own happiness and start to make changes in my life."
When Kira first started sorting through nutrition programs, she found that many of them provided conflicting or confusing information. Knowing that WODprep had worked for her CrossFit® skill development, she decided to give No Nonsense Nutrition a shot.
"When Coach Ben emailed about N3, I knew that the information would be presented in a way that was going to make sense. I decided that I would commit to following the steps and let go of the mixed information I was working with."
The Results of WODprep
Within 3-4 weeks, Kira started to both see and feel the results. She mentally felt better, and her general energy levels increased - allowing her to finally get back to training consistently.
"People started to notice at about the 4-5 week mark, and by the 8 week mark I had dropped almost 15 kilos (32 lbs) in total and have continued to lose weight in the weeks after."
Why WODprep Programs Work
Along with No Nonsense Nutrition, Kira has signed up for a few of WODprep’s other programs, including Handstand Push-up Power.
"I can’t say there is a WODprep program I have tried that hasn’t worked. The information is clear, and there is never an expectation that an athlete should be at a certain level. Everything starts from the beginning and gradually works through the skill until you achieve the outcome that you’re after. Currently I’m going through the HSPU program and was recently able to do 32 Rx HSPU’s - while in the Open this past spring, I could only manage six."
Prior to signing up, Kira knew online programs could be risky. The fear of not knowing what kind of experience you will get, and how much actual interaction you will receive get can be daunting. Luckily, WODprep was quickly able relieve that concern for her.
"When Ben received the first bit of feedback I gave on N3, the video message he sent me was one of the nicest and encouraging moments I have had with a coach. The WODprep team doesn’t feel any less available than my home coach, and they aren’t any less excited when I achieve my goals!"
Why No Nonsense Nutrition?
No Nonsense Nutrition is taught in straight forward manner, avoiding excessive restriction and still allowing freedom with daily eating. The keyword for the course is education.
"This course can only improve your life; this is information and strategies that you will use forever. I was able to manage my nutrition so that I wasn’t restricted, and was able to go out for meals, have drinks on the weekends and enjoy things (like Easter) guilt-free. Having the information that comes with this program meant that losing weight didn’t mean giving up life! All of that aside, I feel amazing and it was well worth the investment!"
December 2018 - May 2018
Looking to the future
Now down 15 kilos, Kira has her sights set on more gymnastic movement P.R’s - specifically TTB and C2B pull-ups… and then onto muscle ups. 🙂
Outside of the gym, she is planning to join the police force, and to travel and explore while generally enjoying life. In her limited free time, she enjoys reading and music, being near the water, and occasional cocktails with her friends.
At this point, it’s safe to say that Kira is a rockstar. She took charge of changing her life and didn’t wallow in her problems. Instead, she decided to step up, focus, and crush her goals.
To Kira: thank you for being the epitome of what WODprep stands for! So far your journey has been incredible, and I know that this story will help to motivate others.
Oh yeah, and remember to give Kira some love in the comments, too! She certainly deserves it! 🙂
Keep up the great work! You’re an inspiration!
Such great work Kira – keep it up!
As for my own story it’s not even as close to something so inspirational, yet for me very personal. I had been a group fitness instructor for 10 years at a place I just loved. The people, the classes, the inspiration and motivation. When we moved away I felt like something was missing. No other place felt “as good”, the classes not as fun as they used to be. So after almost 15 years of training all the time, I quit. Gave up. It wasn’t until my wife almost a year and a half later suggested we should try CrossFit together as she too struggled to find a training regime to stick with in the long run. So we went for it, and I never looked back again. Got back in shape, got better, learned, failed, succeeded. Hard work and time, no shortcuts, just dedication. CrossFit filled me with the same great feelings of camaraderie, support, high-fives, and people that support you no matter what. And I eventually took another step and went with WODPrep with my mind set to get even better and become a more all-rounded athlete. Now at age 38 I’m in the best shape of my life, and the only way for me to keep going is up.
thanks for sharing your story Fredrik 🙂 Love it!
This is awesome! Way to go!
You look amazing, Kira! Cross fit for me has been the best thing I have ever committed to. With my 17 year old encouraging me that “I can do this”, and 6 months later, I can say confidently I can now run 400m without stopping! Little steps, but achieving new goals every day! Now to also focus on my healthy eating, I should see more results.
That’s so awesome Teresa – congrats!
I was 227 when I started my journey and I’m now 127, going strong, and loving my body. I started my journey at a fitness camp and discovered CrossFit while vacationing with my son in Humbolt,CA last Christmas. I found home, crossfit changed everything and I’m in the best shape of my life. Thanks, Pam
Great job! And thank you WOD prep for the video’s you post on Youtube. They are very useful to become a better crossfit athlete. I started my crossfit and weightloss journey in february 2018 and I’m loving everything about crossfit ever since. As a mom of 3, it’s nog always easy to make time. The community makes me push instead of giving up. Hope to do my first pull up very soon. Grtz from Belgium