“Matt was told he was pre-diabetic and needed to start on blood pressure meds, Connie had high cholesterol.

We were living a very unhealthy lifestyle and headed down a dangerous path.”

[FAMILY OF 10 - 8 CHILDREN, 2 ADULTS]
IF THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU REASSESS YOUR EXCUSES, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT WILL

How long have you been members of CrossFit Northland?

Almost 3 years!

 

What brought you into CFN?

We moved to the Northland and needed a new gym home.

 

You both had prior CrossFit knowledge and experience before joining CFN. What did you experience during your transition from one CrossFit gym to another? 

Connie: I immediately felt a difference in how much the CFN coaches care about each athlete and about teaching quality movements over pushing for PRs.

Matt: The community was much more welcoming and inclusive than the gym we came from.

 

Tell us about your fitness/health background? (Did you play sports growing up? Try other gym settings? Workout at home?)

We were both couch potatoes into our mid-30s with the occasional attempt at “getting healthy” at a globo-gym that never lasted long. Neither one of us ever played any sports growing up, unless you count band as a sport!

 

What are some changes you’ve both noticed in yourselves or in each other during your time at CFN? (Physically, mentally, capabilities, daily life, etc.)

CFN and CrossFit in general has completely transformed our entire lives. We were both overweight, Matt was told he was pre-diabetic and needed to start on blood pressure meds, Connie had high cholesterol. We were living a very unhealthy lifestyle and headed down a dangerous path. We both feel so fortunate to have found CrossFit and turned it all around, not just physically, but energy level, mental health, and our ability to be better partners to each other and parents to our children has improved.

 

CFN has had the privilege of coaching and/or working out alongside your children. Tell us how CrossFit has played a role in your family’s fitness and health journey. 

Our children attend a small private school without any extra-curricular activities, CFN has filled that gap for them providing the confidence and self esteem that comes from athletic success.

 

You both have received nutrition coaching at CFN. What made you decide to sign-up for nutrition coaching? Tell us about your experience with nutrition coaching at CFN? Successes? Failures? 

Connie:  I had a bad habit of obsessing over the number on the scale. If the number moved up I would lower my caloric intake to completely unsustainable levels until the scale went down, then get hurt, watch the scale move back up and start the cycle again. I reached out for help because I realized that was not working. Nutrition coaching for me has completely changed the way I look at food. It is a fuel source for my body now, not a punishment or reward. The scale is just a tool now and not something that determines my worth or mood. My body composition has improved as well, but even if it hadn’t, I would consider my relationship with food and the scale as a major success in my life.

Matt: I hit a plateau with both my strength and body composition, I decided dialing in my nutrition was necessary to get through it. It has been extremely helpful to me to track my daily intake. I have been very successful by increasing my muscle mass percentage and lowering my body fat all in a very long term sustainable way.

 

What is your favorite thing about CrossFit Northland?

Connie: The community for sure! I look forward to every class I attend because I love the people at CFN.

Matt: The coaches! They’re not only competent but they care about me and my goals.

 

There’s no denying that you two know the ins and outs of balancing busy schedules. With a large family, heavy work schedule, and other life happenings, how do you find the time to make fitness, health, and nutrition a priority? What piece of advice would you give to another individual that is struggling to find time to make it to the gym?  

We have decided that it’s important enough to make it just something that happens every single day. Like brushing our teeth or taking a shower, we would never skip those things, so  we don’t skip out on the things that keep us healthy for the long term.

For the individual struggling to make it to the gym the best advice we have is to just take it a day at a time, find what works best for your schedule that day and then do it again the next day. Let your success that day be the motivator for future successes.