Jennifer's Success

My high school friend, Jennifer, has no idea how much she has inspired me!  Above is a picture of Jennifer and her family in Alaska on a recent family vacation.  Here she is almost 25 lbs lighter but most importantly, full of energy to keep up with her daughter on a daily basis and enjoy a 3 mile hike on vacation!  I am so proud of Jennifer and can't wait to see what's next.  

Here is Jennifer's 24 Day Challenge success story - in her own words!

"I began a weight loss journey from 294 lbs 2 years ago. I lost 60 pounds dieting and exercising. My goal was to be healthy enough for pregnancy. 4 months after losing the weight, I got pregnant.
In July 2012 I gave birth two months early to an amazing little girl. The emergency c-section was totally unexpected. My pregnancy was generally uncomplicated and I had only gained 13 lbs during pregnancy. I had a rare condition called HELLP syndrome. The only cure was immediate delivery. I  was devastated. While Rachel's only complications were low birth weight, jaundice, and the need to live/grow  in an isolette, (thank God for his blessings!!!)  I was devastated.
After Rachel was born I fell into "survival mode." We lived in the NICU for a month. I was so emotional and focused on Rachel's survival that I started my bad eating habits again... Fast food, convenience, sugar... You name it. I also didn't exercise. I literally lived in the hospital. When we finally got to take her home, I wasn't allowed to take her out. We were in the middle of flu/rsv season which could be fatal for a preemie. I sat in my recliner for months. I ate junk. In 4 months, I had gained back all of my weight.
Before doing the challenge I felt like I was just getting by. I had good intentions of losing weight and being healthy, but I could never seem to find the time. I always had an excuse, was too tired, or overwhelmed. I felt mentally clouded, emotional, and gross.

I contacted Lisa when I saw her blog. She looks great! I remembered her athletic "drive" from high school. She was a role model for me long before now! When Lisa took the time to introduce me to the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge, I was excited and ready to commit. I weighed almost 300 lbs. Under her guidance, I kept a food journal, cut out all sugar, gluten, and most dairy. I stuck to the workouts Lisa modified for me. She created workouts that I can actually do and see results from at my size.
The first few days were tough. However, after about the 3rd day, it all seemed to "click."
I have more energy, I am less bloated, and I am  eating less but feeling full! I am now almost 17 lbs lighter - I have the energy to teach all day, go workout, and then spend valuable time with my family. Like I said before, prior to the challenge this was not the case. We are even taking Rachel to the gym with us and already modeling positive behaviors for her. This makes me so proud!  My husband did the challenge with me. He also felt great and had great results.

The AdvoCare products are not a "quick fix" for me. They're working. I feel so much more mentally clear and focused. I can see changes in my body. I don't feel "gross" because I'm fueling my body with clean, healthy foods and supplements.  I am committed to changing my lifestyle and health so that I can be a good role model for my daughter. I am continuing to take MNS products, spark, and omegaplex. I am starting the catalyst as  well. I want this more than anything. My little girl deserves a healthy mommy.

I am happy to be on this journey. Lisa, you have NO idea how you have changed my life already... Thank you for your commitment to helping others!"

Congratulations, Michael! Relentless Bootcamp Success Story

Michael joined Jack and Adam's Relentless Bootcamps 5 months ago in September. He came to us via the urging of his buddy Neil (who's also in our class) and his brother, a nationally known Cardiologist. Michael knew it was time to do something about his fitness.

Michael has been relentless in his attendance and dedication to the program. He attended our Nutrition meeting and took action. He also adopted a few of his favorite bootcamp exercises to take home ie: rabbit hops!

I met with Michael last week and while he knew his clothes were out growing him :) - He didn't know exactly how much weight he'd lost!

In 4 months, Michael's accomplishments include:

• He lost 15 lbs of total body weight
• He lost 8% body fat or 20 lbs of pure fat
• His squat is near perfect and he now owns his very own kettlebell :)
  

The 'guys' of Jack and Adam's 6am Mon/Wed/Fri bootcamp

BTW: I know that you're reading this...I see the "stats"! Now leave me a comment! What do you think? What do you like? What would you like more of?

My Elite Eight!

Melisa, Pam, Karen, me, Mike after their WOD today. Two questions:

1. Where did you get those sports bras? (jealous!!!)
2. How did Mike get sucked into this?

Today was the I AM CROSSFIT finale! We started the challenge 8 weeks ago today. The participants were required to do 2-3 workouts in addition to CrossFit Central classes, food log everyday and transition eating habits to a Zone/Paleo style diet.

Each participant set goals that included PERFORMANCE, BODY COMPOSITION, and LIFESTYLE/MENTAL changes to be accomplished during the challenge.

I was astounded by the happy, healthy, crossFIT, crew that showed up to complete the final I AM CROSSFIT workout this morning.

Each of my team members successfully reached ALL of their performance goals and look at the body composition results below!

1. Melisa Rehm lost 4.5% body fat, dropped 6 lbs, and is 4 inches smaller.


2. Jen Nieman lost 6.2% body fat, dropped 8.6 lbs, and is 6 inches smaller.


3. Pam Stickler lost 3.3% body fat, dropped 6 lbs, and gained 2.5 inches in her arms/shoulders.


4. Emily Baker lost 7.4% body fat, dropped 9.6 lbs, and is 13.25 inches smaller.


5. Joey Rachid lost 7.5% body fat, dropped 11 lbs, and is 2 inches leaner in his waist.


6. Mike Shorter lost 5.3% body fat, dropped 4.6 lbs, and is 1 inch leaner in his waist.


7. Kris Morgan lost 4% body fat, dropped 2 lbs, and gained 2 inches in her arms/shoulders.


8. Jeff Morgan lost 9% body fat, dropped 15 lbs, and is 2 inches leaner in his waist.

I am so proud of each and every one of you! Thank you for letting me be a part of your success over the past 8 weeks.

Stay tuned for the final results regarding performance improvements on today's WOD and the overall winners!

Go CELEBRATE your success!

Mike's Success

Mike joined CrossFit Central @ RunTex just 4 months ago. He dove in head first, dedicated himself to the Paleo diet, pushed hard in the WODs and has seem amazing results.

In just 4 months with CrossFit Central, Mike has lost 11.9lbs of fat and increased his lean muscle mass by 7.9lbs. He has seen PR's in every Benchmark WOD and feels great!

Mike has also signed up for the I Am CrossFit - E.P.O.C challenge - check back to see where this challenge takes Mike and the rest of the participants over the next 2 months!

Congratulations, Mike!

Dena's Transformation!

Quote from Dena:
I am really feeling great… I get to go shopping this weekend. I can’t thank you and Cross Fit enough, the program really changed the way my body is starting to shape. I have been working hard for the past two years but the last sixty days I have seen more change than ever.
Since Joining Relentless Boot Camps:
5k time: improved mile time by 5 min and 16 sec!!!!
July 2009, 45 minutes : 14min 30 sec mile
Sept 2009, 30:42 : 9min 50 sec mile
Nov 2009 28:43 PR!! 9min 14sec mile
Body Assessment after 60 days with Relentless bootcamp:
· lost 5lbs, 4.5 inches,
· 4% body fat –
· 7lbs of FAT gone and added 2 lbs of calorie burning muscle.

What have you enjoyed most about CrossFit?
The challenge of the class. When I first joined i thought "oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into" but now I love the fact that I can do heavier weights or more reps and not be out of breathe. It is great to know that by 7:00 i just worked out while most people are just getting out of bed. Also, my daughters saying "wow your skinny"

What has the biggest change been?
My attitude and my body appearance. Its great to have your clothes hang off of you and finally getting arm definition. I have the attitude of no going back to where I was and that I can do whatever I set my mind to. When I wake up at 5:00am to go to class i sometimes think "why do I want to go exercise in this cold" but i think because look at you you look great.

How has this changed your life outside of the class ?
Its has made me more confident in my everyday life, I like the way I look and enjoy shopping for clothes. Unfortunately, i am more interested in exercise clothes than work clothes. I am currently training for the 1/2 marathon and look to the goal of doing tri's next year. I enjoy being outside and feel horrible if I don't work out. I am learning to balance my life, work and exercise. I also have started to cook more at home. I plan our menus every week so we aren't wondering what to eat and end up eating bad food. My husband has started running more and hopefully will embrace exercise more in his routine.

Did you change your eating habits since starting boot camp?

I don't keep junk food at home and eat more fresh vegetables. I haven't opened a can of veggies in over 3 months

This is the best thing that I could do at 43 year of age. I wish I could have find this when I was younger. It's funny, i never heard of Cross Fit until I saw a class under the Mopac Bridge and now I hear people talk about it all the time. Where have I been. I really want to thank you for all your encouragement and helping me become the person (inside and out) that I was meant to be.
I feel great and powerful...

Hot Mamas!

I am so proud of my client, Carisse! I've known Carisse for several years and she has become more and more dedicated to CrossFit. She wasn't sure how to keep CrossFit in her routine after she got pregnant, so we started training together a few months ago.

At 36 weeks pregnant, she continues to barrel thru workouts and dedicate herself to staying strong for her baby. Carisse's commitment and hard work makes her a success story even without the 'after' photo (coming soon!!)

Also, featured in the photos below is Ashley Thiel pushing thru a CrossFit Mom workout at 7 months pregnant.

DID YOU KNOW:
Exercising During Pregnancy: Myth vs. Fact

Women who exercise during pregnancy:
Have reduced weight gain and fat deposition during pregnancy
Have fewer pregnancy discomforts
Report a more rapid physical and emotional recovery from delivery
Tend to have easier, shorter and less complicated labors
Have less need for pain relief during labor
Have more stamina during labor
Increase their aerobic capacity
Decrease their susceptibility to illness
Increase their energy level

Babies of exercising moms:
Have significantly lower heart rates than babies of non-exercising moms
Are better able to cope with the stress of birth
Have a greater ability to adapt to life outside the uterus
Are more healthy at birth
Are leaner at birth and tend to stay lean as they grow
Sleep through the night sooner
Are better able to self-calm
Score higher on tests of general intelligence and oral language skills
Have decreased risks of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases later in life

Do you or someone you know need help keeping CrossFit in your routine during pregnancy? Contact me or CrossFit Central today!

Kristen's wedding transformation!

Showin' a little leg - and look at those arms!


Kristen and I starting personal training in exactly 2 months before her 'big day'. Her goal was to tone up to look her best for her wedding day.

In just 60 days look at what Kristen accomplished:
Kristen committed to meeting 2x a week, food logging, and squeezing in 1 workout on her own.

• lost 4% body fat!
• lost almost 4 inches in waist and hips
• dramatic improvement in posture and poise
• increased energy to push thru the wedding 'to do' list

"Thank you once again for helping me train for the big day! I had a great time. Not only did we make some progress in inches, overall tone and body fat, but the 2x a week sessions were crucial in helping to keep my stress level manageable! After each workout, I felt rejuvenated and ready to tackle whatever wedding planning task was at hand. My overall posture and confidence raised a few notches as well. Thanks Lisa!"


Look at that back!!

What do you need to prepare for? Life? A wedding? The new year? Are you ready to see the same dramatic results that Kristen saw? Contact me to get started!

Angie's Success: Improving endurance sports with CrossFit

Angie "after"- Leaner and Faster thanks to CrossFit!

Austin is an Endurance town - runners, cyclists, triathletes are EVERYWHERE! Every weekend people jump on Town Lake trail - ride loop 360 - or go for a swim in Deep Eddy. If you are on of these people (like I am) you may be wondering why you need CrossFit.
I can't tell you how CrossFit Central's programs will help improve your performance but I can share with you numerous stories like the one below.
Angie Balentine is a long time triathlete (and Jack and Adam's Bicycles employee) who started CrossFit Central's boot camp at Jack and Adam's in June, 2009. In just two months, Angie dropped an amazing 6.5 inches, lost around 2% body fat, and almost doubled her power output! She is leaner, stronger, and faster all because of her dedication to the boot camp workouts!
ANGIE'S STORY:
How did you feel about your fitness level before starting CrossFit boot camp? I felt fit but I felt like I "lacked luster" if that makes sense. Since having a child and taking on a full time job my time has been limited and thus training sometimes limited. So I felt fit to a point but as a result my confidence suffered.
How do you feel about your fitness level now? Confident! I feel like the dynamic aspect of Crossfit Central was just what I needed to take my fitness to the next level without taking hours out of my weekly schedule and giving me a new found level of power across all the sports that I do (swim,bike run). The best thing about it was that I was doing weights in the gym, roughly 2 hours a week assuming I didn't cut stuff out (yes that did happen sometimes on my own) and I am still allotting the same amount of time towards strength training but I am getting so much more out of the time.
Why did you join the class? Since I started competing in triathlon and running I have been plagued with injuries. Despite that, my strength routine would be the first to go if I got pressed for time...after all it was a supplement to the other sports plus I didn't like it all that much. So after many years of injuries I learned from a physical therapy center in Phoenix that the only way to keep me in sports is through strength training. I was getting bored with my gym routine and as a result the dynamic aspect was diminishing. As my weight routine was getting boring I noticed CrossFit Central at Rogue and it got me curious...once it came to Jack & Adam's it was a no brainer.
What changes have you seen since joining CrossFit Central? '

Training: my running form has improved significantly (Rogue Coach, Steve Sisson’s observation), hill running is easier, I am swimming less but it doesn't feel like it. The next swim workout feels like I picked up from the day before and I feel stronger with open water swimming. Same goes for the bike...with my marathon focus right now I am riding 1-2 per week...when I hop on my road bike I still feel like I have my cycling legs.

Physical appearance: that has been the most fun as far as changes go. I have not lost any lbs so to speak but I have people asking me if I have and that I look fitter. The craziest thing is that I haven't lost weight but I feel leaner and more confident about my appearance. Another physical difference is my calves are almost 100% symmetrical...previously I had a calf difference of about 1 inch. I know it sounds weird to track that but that was an indicator that my running form was inefficient and that I was relying heavily on the left side which can ultimately lead to more injuries!
What other aspects of your life has CrossFit affected? More confidence across the board.
Angie Balentine
Jack & Adam's Bicycles

Why will you join CrossFit Central's programs?

• Improve speed and power?
• Decrease injury?
• Drop body fat and change your appearance?
• Learn to become a more efficient runner with CFE Elements?

I am looking for the next success story - is it YOU?

Angie as a runner BEFORE CrossFit.

CrossFIT and still having FUN! Kelley Delesandri

I've had the pleasure of knowing Kelley for a couple years and the pleasure of coaching her for few months. Read about her CrossFit Central experience and personal transformation:

I've been "crossfitting" with Crossfit Central for almost a year now.However, it wasn't until this summer that I decided to get serious about my training. I finally realized (with the help of Coach Bender) that I wasn't going to see real results unless I actually stuck with the program (ie- no more skipping class, taking "months off", or attempting to zone a few times a week when it was convenient for me). It wasn't that I was super over-weight. I was in the "Smedium" size range, too big for a small and too small for a medium. I just wasn't fit. Didn't look fit. Wasn't in great shape. Just didn't feel that great about overall health and fitness.
I was stuck in a mind-frame that committing myself to a CrossFit Central program would cut in to my "fun time" and my love of eating out. My first love- FOOD AND DRINKS! How could I zone and still eat at my beloved Maudie's? Two blocks of carbs... so that's how much beer? Only 3 almonds?!These were questions running through my head. The first week that Lisa made me food log, I tried extra hard to make mine look good. When we sat down to talk about it she marked it up with a red pen like my 6th grade English teacher. Too many carbs. Not enough protein. Where's your fat?! Yikes! This was when she gave me a "Zone Diet For Dummies" talk and really made me understand what 2 blocks of chicken look like, gave me some meal/snack suggestions, etc. The most important part of the conversation was how to make the Zone Diet realistic for my life without going crazy and binging. This conversation was key to my success this summer. If I'm going to fall off the wagon on the weekends- don't lay around on the couch dwelling on,"How fat those Margaritas made me feel!" Get up, get moving, and get back on the Zone!
The next piece of the puzzle is obvious- the actual working out part. I'm the type that needs to be pushed. Crossfit coaches seem to have a special way of doing this. If it were up to me I'd go for the 10 lb dumbbells every time. Nice and easy. The first time Coach Bender put 15's in my hand I thought this lady is crazy. In fact, that happens pretty much every morning when she gives us the workout. I'm always thinking, "There's no way I can do that.." The cool thing is, I can! Yes, the 15's are hard and yes sometimes I struggle with the workouts, but I always do it and feel like a champ afterward! That's one of my favorite things about Crossfit- the workouts are always intense and a struggle, but I know I'm going to feel great afterward and the Coaches wouldn't push me to do something that they didn't already know I could do.
To sum things up- YES- Crossfit works. I'm stronger, faster, and leaner than I was on June 1st. I'm still a Smedium, but I look better in my Smedium clothes! Nothing is a cooler feeling when you've been working hard to see results and people notice. I love all of the compliments I've received this summer and it pushes me to work harder.

If you think committing to a Crossfit Central program and seeing results means no more going out and having fun, eating good food, and crazy workouts, just come spend a week with me!

Kelley before

Kelley before

CrossFit Kelley!
CrossFit Kelly!