A testimonial worth sharing

I started CrossFit in June 2013, age 30, after receiving some troubling news from my Cardiologist: she told me that my triglycerides were high and that it “may be nothing to worry about”, but also advised getting some exercise.

For me in particular, this was scary news: I had already lost a large portion of my immediate family to heart disease at a young age, including both of my parents, who both died of sudden heart attacks within 10 months of each other at the ages of 40 and 42. I had no idea what CrossFit was at all – I was surprised to walk in and find minimal equipment and barbells! – I just knew it got people in shape FAST and in my mind, I had very little time to lose. I told myself I wasn’t stopping until I undid the damage that I had done, even if I hated every second of it!

Fortunately for me, I didn’t hate it at all. I have been at CrossFit King of Prussia for nearly 2 years and have seen remarkable results. The triglycerides that were once high at 209mg/dL have fallen to a respectable 129mg/dL. My total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels dropped, while the good HDL levels increased. Since starting CrossFit, I lost a total of 10 pounds over 2 years, but more importantly, I have also gained a significant amount of muscle in the process. I was most surprised at the changes in my resting heart rate. While it was considered normal when I first started CrossFit at 65bpm, it has since fallen to athletic levels of 48bpm.

Since January 2015, I have been exclusively following The Zone Diet and enjoying the results. I have noticeably lost inches, leaned out and increased muscle mass. At the start of January, I was within the “acceptable” range; after just a month on the dietary program, I advanced into the “athletic” category based on body fat percentages, measurements and weight. I have continued to make The Zone Diet my regular routine and find it easy to maintain.

In addition to physical changes, I have mentally become less stressed with work and life than I was prior to CrossFit and am far more confident in myself and my abilities than I have ever been before. The community of people is amazing, supportive and encouraging, and I find myself over time being able to accomplish things that once seemed impossible. I even started entering into competitions for fun, which is something the “old” me would never have done!