I have been at Templar for nearly seven years, and I have participated in nearly every nutrition challenge. I have had mixed results based on my commitment level, which is consistent with my history of dieting. Let’s go back a few years (or decades) to my first diet. I started weight watchers when I was in fourth grade. I always struggled with food and my weight. I tried so many diets until I found Templar, including Atkins, blood type diet, slimgenics, Jenny Craig, Phen (one of them) and HCG diet. I have eaten 500 calories a day and meals from a box.

When it came to fitness, I had tried Pilates, kickboxing, and everything else Lifetime Fitness offered me. I tried Templar because a couple of friends wanted to try it out. I signed up immediately, and my goal was to do a pull up and squat below parallel. What I found was there was a long list of things I could not do, but I did find supportive coaches and some of my best friends. I was hooked! This was my thing and these were my people!

The nutrition challenges were basically Whole 30 (with coffee and some alcohol). I found I didn’t have stomach issues, sugar highs/lows/cravings, inflammation or mood swings. I slept well, which helps with the daily 5:30 am wods.

It is hard to have PRs after this many years, but I did more toes to bar than I have ever done before when the latest challenge finished. I was reminded how good I could feel on modified whole 30. I am thankful for the coaches that hold these challenges to keep me accountable.

My introduction to CrossFit was actually quite accidental. The health club that I had previously belonged to closed rather unexpectedly and I was in search of new one. I tried a boot camp program for a short time, but it did not offer me the challenge I was looking for. At this time my wife Nikki found the free trial for CrossFit Templar, so I figured I would check out a new gym. I kind of got off to a rough start, showing up 10 minutes late for the first class with Sean F. After surviving my first CrossFit WOD, I felt that I had found something that all my former gyms did not have.

I could not have been more correct. Now more than five years later, and competing in my 4th Open, I find it just as challenging and rewarding as when I started. Through all of those challenges the Templar community has been there to help me, encourage me, and pat me on the back when I accomplish a new goal, or just survive an Open workout. The Templar community has probably been the most pleasant surprise of my time doing crossfit.
The most recent fitness challenge has been the third challenge I have completed while at Templar. Every so often I need a gentle prod to stay on the right path. Those couple of beers and some chips watching football can added up fairly quickly. This past holiday season was especially unkind to my waist line, and my weight ballooned to 219 lbs. So the timing of the latest fitness challenge could not have been better. I did not enter this challenge with the thoughts of winning, it was more to have the structure of it to help me get back on the straight and narrow with my eating.

As with all the fitness challenges I have participated in, I did not have to completely over haul my eating habits. It was more of a tweaking. My biggest issue is the snacking I tend to do when I have free time and I am just sitting around. So instead of having a bowl of ice cream or some potato chips, I would have a bowl of berries, or even just a bottle of water.

The Templar community also played a large role in helping me complete the fitness challenge. As many of you know when you hit the two or three week mark, it can difficult to keep going. I always find it nice to be able to talk with someone who understands what you are experiencing and give you that extra nudge. The other Templar athletes are also a good source for recipes, which is a great help in doing a challenge like this. Eating better does not have to be tasteless and boring.
Even though I did not achieve the weight loss I was hoping for, I do consider this fitness challenge a success. I lost five inches off my waist line and along with that had good eating and drinking habits reinforced. I am sure when the next fitness challenge is held I will participate again. It does not hurt to reinforce the good.

I was an athlete in high school. Played baseball and hockey to stay active and graduated at 155 lbs. My weight has been an issue ever since. The “freshman 15” in college turned out to be a freshman 35 or so for me. As the years passed by, I’d join Lifetime, then quit. Start the Atkins diet, lose a bunch of weight, then put it back with some more. Start jogging, then quit. Atkins diet again, fail. P90X was my favorite, but injured myself and quit. Failed diets and failed exercise routines, that was me. Anyway, I went from a 155-pound kid out of high school to 227 pounds 20 or so years later and that is where my CrossFit story begins.
My CrossFit story begins in the fall of 2016. I was 227 pounds, pre-diabetic, grossly overweight and out of shape. My exercise consists of a round of golf that included a riding cart and STILL resulted in a sore body the next day. At work, some of us started a fitness challenge on a weekly basis of mileage, so I started walking.

I would walk for hours at a time, and it was working, I guess. I lost a few pounds. Then the winter came and the pounds I thought I’d lost had been found.
In the Spring of 2017 I was really looking forward to getting out and walking again. The snow was melting and it was starting to warm up. I am not sure what happened, but I remember one morning, thinking about the excitement of walking again outside, becoming very angry. I needed something more. I called my wife at work and said, “honey, I am too damn young to be looking forward to walking. Walking is for old people and I’m not ready to be old. I am going to try CrossFit. The gym by our house offers a free full week trial.” My ever-supportive wife encouraged me to go for it. At that point, I figured I would work out for a month or two to get into better shape and not embarrass myself quite so much in front of these athletes. My CrossFit friend Beth at work said, and I quote “it’s not like that there, you need to check your ego at the door and get your ass in there.”

So, on March 30, 2017, I walked into CrossFit Templar fat and scared. I had done some research and knew a few friends who were into it who I’d talked to. What was I thinking? Anyway, it was a 9-minute AMRAP of 6 hang snatch and 12 pistols. What’s AMRAP? What are pistols? What the hell am I doing here? These are the questions rolling through my mind. Everyone there basically held my hand the entire hour. I believe I worked out 5 days that first week, and each of those 5 days as I laid on the floor desperately trying to get air back in my lungs, I knew it was everything I had been looking for. Nobody judged me. The coaches show me the right way to do things and make corrections when necessary. The community supports me. The results have been nothing short of amazing.
I love going into the gym knowing that my hour is already pre-programmed. I love doing a different workout every single day. I love knowing that the community is awesome and we’re going to push our limits every day, TOGETHER! I love getting an email from Gretchen if I’ve missed a few days wondering where I am. Most of all, I love the coaching and support from the CrossFit Templar coaches. “pick up the bar, Jeff” I still hear in my sleep. As the months have passed since that first week, one of the first things I do every day is check out the WOD (Workout of the Day) and see when I can get there. My 2nd family is at the box. I know there is a fist bump and a good job today right around the corner.

So here we are in May 2018. I am 189 lbs., and feel great! Life is easier, chores are easier, projects around the house are easier, raising kids is easier, CrossFit Templar gave me my life back. Don’t fool yourself into thinking the workouts get easier, because they don’t, but they suck less. It is everything else that gets easier.
Thank you CrossFit Templar!!

Day 46

I had been dreaming of day 46 since day 1 of the challenge....and I really did have a dream about eating a donut!!

Day 46 was Monday, February 19 and I did exactly what I had been dreaming about for weeks, I ate real food!! I ate what I thought was real food, a bag of chips and valentines chocolates from a heart shaped box. The funny thing was that within 10 minutes of what was supposed to bliss I knew I wasn't eating real food and I really wasn't that satisfied. the chips tasted so salty that I had to choke down half the bag. I thought about not finishing it, but I had worked so hard and I deserved that bag of
chips. Then I opened the giant box of valentines candy that I had
purchased days earlier, within 2 minutes I was 4 pieces into the box.

Also, not super satisfied.

While I mentally felt a little better that I no longer HAD to say no to cheat food, physically that breakfast didn't do it for me. I wanted eggs with bacon and berries because that what I had been doing for the 45 days and that now was what my body was craving instead of chips and chocolate. So my epic day of eating 'real' food that I had been wanting, really just
turned into day 46 of the whole 30!

And now on day 56, with some occasional Siete grain free tortilla chips and pieces of chocolate from the same valentines box, I still feel great. And I'm telling you people....you donıt know what great feels like until you really feel GREAT! I would not have been able to do all the workouts and accessory work if I would have been fueling my body with processed food. I had been doing that and it wasn't working. I know the gains I made at the gym are for sure because of how I was eating.

Kerry Peterson was my partner in crime. We would text about food we wanted to eat but we would always go back to how we were on a mission to eat healthy and have great workouts! She was an awesome motivator and always kept me focused on the plan.

My BF, Craig, was also amazing at home. He would say letıs have this for dinner and right away say "Wait, can you have that?" He never teased/taunted/criticized what I was trying to do. He supported all my workouts and my new eating habits.

Anyone can be successful at whole 30 or whatever nutrition thing you choose. It just takes discipline, food planning and supportive people to keep you going!

Let me start by saying that I never imagined myself in a Crossfit box. I can remember a time before I started Crossfit in September of 2016 that I would get so sick of my friends posting their WOD’s and Personal Records (PR’s) on Facebook. I was like what is up with this cult and why do you keep throwing it in everyone’s face that you worked out? Maybe I was jealous. Little did I know that the sense of accomplishment from hitting new PR’s, RX’ing a WOD, doing a lift or movement for the first time, or the Crossfit community would be so powerful and motivating for an individual that they would want to share with their friends & family.

My story: I’ve always been active playing sports through college and continuing to work out on again off again throughout my entire life. Unfortunately I could never keep my weight under control and had a difficult time sticking to any workout routines for longer than 6 months. In the summer of 2017 I got up to 224 pounds and knew I needed to make a change. Not only for my personal health but also for my wife and children. You see my family has a history of heart issues, high cholesterol, and diabetes and I knew if I didn’t do something I would continue down the same path as others in my family. Luckily, a good friend of mine, fellow Crossfitter Mike Henriksen, invited me to Crossfit while we were at the Red Barn Pizza Farm eating pizza and drinking beer. Reluctantly I said yes and signed up for the free week on the spot. I was hooked from the first WOD.

In my first year at Crossfit Templar I went from 224 pounds to 212 pounds without changing my diet. I accomplished so much in that first year with the help of amazing coaches and fellow Crossfitters who I’m proud to call friends. Even with all the success I still wanted to do more so I decided to do the nutrition challenge in January of 2018. During this time I went from 212 pounds to 197…finally under 200. I also lost 3 ½ inches on my waist and feel amazing. My strength and endurance are up and I just entered my first Crossfit Open. Special thanks to my wife and personal chef for the challenge, and the entire Crossfit Templar community who have been instrumental to my success. I can’t wait to see what the future holds…

When I joined Crossfit 2.5 years ago, I didn't know anything about the program and I really only knew Gretchen. I had been doing cardio and yoga, but wanted to incorporate weight training. Since I knew and trusted Gretchen and would text her every time I was going to the gym, I skipped right past the on-ramp class and considered her my private coach...LOL. I had never lifted weights in my life and my athletic kids would jokingly describe me as a non-athletic. I know my family and friends thought I would get frustrated or give up, but that just made me more determined to stick with it. All the coaches were amazing and after the initial six months (OR MORE) of shock and nerves wore off, I began to make a lot of great friends and really enjoy the camaraderie and challenge.

I've somewhat (VERY) naïvely signed up for every challenge the gym has presented - 100 burpees a day for what seemed like forever, the 2017 Open, and the nutrition challenges. I like the structure and rules and appreciate the support everyone gives each other. I went into this most recent challenge thinking I just wanted to rein in some bad eating habits that had surfaced as "rewards" after tough workouts or stressful days....then I stepped on the scale and faced a reality check. I knew that my new muscles weighed a little more, but the challenge was truly a wakeup call that I needed to lose some weight and reinforce that eating healthy is important in order for all of my hard work in the gym to be beneficial. The challenge was VERY difficult, but I felt inspired by everyone else who was doing it and loved the auxiliary workouts and Facebook posts which were both motivating and humorous. I also could not have made it without my daily texts with Tiffany where we *might* have obsessed about food we wanted to eat...and Kate L (and everyone else --- you know who you are) who always listens to me stress out and doesn't judge me for swearing during workouts ... a lot 😉

My nutrition challenge strategy was pretty basic. I love food and cooking, but I don't have a lot time. I ate large quantities of simple foods like chicken, eggs, salads, nuts, some potatoes, and lots of fruit & vegetables. I didn't really make a lot of "meals"....I just always made sure to have the basics on hand and threw things together. Earlier in the challenge, I had been eating organic sausages and red meat, but I limited that about midway and saw a dramatic improvement in energy and weight loss. The challenge forced me to drink a lot more water and that has also helped me feel better overall....I can't believe I haven't had soda, juice, or ice cream in nearly two months! The best part is that now that challenge is over, I have no urge for any type of junk food. I still think of donuts when I'm planking, but I don't know if I really want to eat one.

I’m hoping to continue this healthy journey and push myself harder at the gym since I feel so good. I can honestly say I feel stronger and healthier at 50 than I did at 40. There are MANY things I'm still working on improving or learning and I appreciate all the support and help...especially from the coaches who have had to put up with my complaining and have had to witness some super NAF (non-athletic) workouts on my part!

 

How I started.

I took my kids to CrossFit Templar for their team workouts and was always intrigued at the movements they were doing.  I enjoyed watching their classes and I believed what they were doing was making them bigger, faster, and stronger. I wanted to try it too, but I was just “too busy”…isn’t that what most of us parents say with multiple kids in multiple activities and with full time jobs?

Then in January 2016, middle of another busy hockey season for my boys, a close family member took a nasty turn for the worse.  I spent a couple weeks away from my wife and kids to help out at “home”, and this time allowed me to do a little soul searching.  Prior to this event, I had kicked around the idea of CrossFit, or Orange Theory Fitness, or any other type of motivation to get me in better shape.  But I never actually did anything about it. I had paid a big-box gym since 1999 and was getting nothing out of it. (Mostly because I was putting nothing but money into it).  I needed another source of motivation.

Early February 2016 I signed up for the three free introductory classes at Templar and 2+ years later, here I am writing my own success story!

Prior to CrossFit Templar.

I used to be a decent athlete.  (Weren’t we all?) I played high school hockey, football, baseball, and college club volleyball.  I am an active hockey coach, and I enjoy spending time outdoors mountain biking. I would get “in shape” for a couple months, training for a half marathon, a sprint triathlon, or a mountain bike race.  I chose events like those to keep me motivated to get off the couch, but I never took them too seriously. I would participate and simply “finish” those events. Then I would return to the couch. I am confident that it was this type of intermittent training caused meniscus tears in both knees at different times causing two different knee surgeries.  

I ate and drank what I wanted, when I wanted.  Thank goodness my wife is a great, healthy cook otherwise I would have been much, much fatter.  Meals at home were what I needed, but I ate out A LOT.

When I started crossfitting at Templar I was 233 pounds, with very little muscle.  (I am 6 ft tall.) I had never done any type of weightlifting, ever. I couldn’t do a pull up, my knees ached almost all the time, my back was in bad shape and ALWAYS hurt, and I really didn’t like how I looked.  I hated pictures and avoided cameras like the plague.

The First Year

I was hooked immediately.  I had never been so sore, but yet couldn’t wait to get back into the gym.  I saw improvements in everything because I totally sucked at everything when I started.  My weight dropped down to about 210 pounds in just a few months (I didn’t own a scale so I didn’t track weight often).  I lost mostly water weight and fat, but then started to gain muscle.

The first 3-4 months, were spent charting baselines in every movement we did.  Pull-ups, squats, jump rope…every movement was new to me. Then each of the following months were spent charting personal records in everything we did.  At the start I was so bad at everything that it was easy to improve upon those initial scores / results. That was awesome motivation for me. I went to CrossFit each week to compete against myself, my times, my scores, etc.  I wasn’t there to compete against others…I was there for me.

That self-motivation was all that I thought that I needed to go to the gym, but I learned something along the way too.   The gym members, the CrossFit community, and the coaches were an amazing motivating factor. Early on I had read some of these success stories and noted how most of them mentioned this topic.  I was one of those guys who didn’t like the attention at the gym. I didn’t like anyone watching, knowing how inefficient I was at working out. But soon, at Templar, I had complete strangers cheering me on to finish challenging WODs, “liking” my PRs on the whiteboard, motivating me to do things that I had no idea that I could do.  This “community” was what I was missing at all my previous attempts at getting & staying healthy.

Year Two & Friday Night Fights

My attendance at CrossFit stayed consistent in year two.  I even competed in my first ever CrossFit Open! I continued to mountain bike and felt great compared to how I used to perform on the trails.  I used to have to stop multiple times to catch my breath but not anymore. I could fly through the Lebanon trails even after a tough WOD that same evening.  I enjoyed the “beer league” hockey games much more as well. Before CrossFit I would look at the clock half way through a 60 minute scrimmage, wheezing and wonder why time would go so slow.  With the CrossFit endurance I now had, I was still ready to skate on the last shift of the hour.

Overall, I was still “content” with the way I looked and was “content” with my performance in the gym but felt I had hit a plateau and was losing motivation.  The PR’s came less and less frequent and I even started to gain some weight back. I told myself this was muscle as I was working out 3-5 days a week at the gym.   

Nutrition Challenge

This series of events now brings me to current day (Feb 2018) and the reason I was asked to write my story.  The Templar coaches put 

together a Nutrition Challenge for anyone who wanted to participate. Since I felt I had hit a plateau in my weight, performance, and body composition I decided I better finally get on board with the idea of eating better.  It was a six week paleo / whole 30 nutrition challenge combined with the usual WODs, plus some ancillary workouts. (5-8 minutes of extra work)

I started the challenge at 221 pounds and a 41 inch waistline (belly button).  After six weeks I weighed in at 200 pounds and lost 4 inches around my waist. All my baseline workout measurements improved as well.

Entering the six week challenge I was NOT confident in my ability to stick with the paleo / whole 30 diet.  I had never done anything like this before so I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I was told that most people last 10 days.  I was actually nervous. In the end…it was much easier than I ever imagined due tothe support of the coaches and the CrossFit community.  The coaches set up a Facebook page for us and added all the participants. Then many of the experienced participants shared stories and recipes for the rest of us.  There was a weekly (and sometimes more often) check-in by the coaches, there were motivational articles shared, there were humorous anecdotal experiences shared, and recipes, recipes, recipes.  Without the support of the coaches and the other participants I highly doubt that I would have finished the six week challenge. And a special kudos to my wife (who cooked many of the meals) and kids who supported me through it.  They ate what I ate.

So, after two years into my CrossFit Templar experience…

• I’m 33 pounds lighter, with more muscle now that I’ve ever had as an adult.
• I have lost 5-6 inches around my waist
• I’m much happier with the way I look ( I don’t run from cameras now)
• I sleep better, have more energy in the day, and look forward to exercising.
• My knee pain is gone.
• My back pain is much more manageable.  (not gone yet but much much better)
• My clothes don’t fit anymore

Cheers to many more success stories like this one!

Tell us a little about yourself (family, career, hobbies)

I grew up in Minnesota, graduated from Rosemount High in 1991, I’ve been married for 24 years to my lovely wife Pam Sutter.  Have two children, my oldest is Austin, who did 4 years in the Marine Corps and now attends North Dakota University. Daughters name is Breana and she attends St. Thomas.  I joined the Marine Corps when I was 19 and had a 20 year career. Retired when I was 39 and now work for Great Lakes Coca-Cola. I enjoy watching and playing football, baseball and hockey.  One of my favorite hobbies is to fish.

How did you come across CrossFit?

My wife has been a cross fitter for a few years and I finally got to the point after retirement that it was time for me to start working out again.  I tried the gym again but wasn’t getting the results or motivation anymore. My wife suggested I try CrossFit, where it’s like a family and you always have someone to push you.

How long have you been a member at CrossFit Templar?

I joined in May of 2016.

What did you do for exercise prior to CrossFit?

I didn’t do anything for the first 4 years after I retired from the Marine Corps.  I felt at the time that my body needed a break. Obviously I let it go too far.

Why does CrossFit work for you?

I believe it’s the camaraderie and family feel of all the athletes and coaches.  Everyone is real supportive no matter what your fitness level is and you always feel comfortable.  Plus you’re always being pushed to become better no matter the workout, whether you’re scaling or RXing the workout.

Prior to starting the Paleo Challenge how was your nutrition?

Horrible.  Never had a set schedule.  I ate whenever I could. Some days I would miss meals, or get fast food because I was too busy and wouldn’t prepare anything.

Why did you decide to enter the Challenge?

I needed to change my eating habits and my way of life and I thought this would be a good motivator.  Honestly I think I was successful because it was a team challenge and I didn’t want to let the team down.

What were the results of the Challenge (workout, inches, weight, daily life)?

I lost 26lbs and 13 inches on the challenge. I’ve had a noticeable improvements on all my WOD’s. I’m at CrossFit Templar 5-6 times a week.  I have more energy, get more sleep and just have a better feeling about myself.

Give us an example of what you eat on a daily basis. What is your favorite Paleo Meal (recipe)?

Breakfast

3 eggs, avocado and Sriracha (Kerrygold butter)

Snack

RX Bar or Apple

Lunch

Steak or Chicken with some vegetables

Snack

Celery w/ Almond butter or almonds and fruit

Dinner

Fish, steak or chicken with vegetables

 

Favorite Paleo recipe would be Chicken salad with grapes, apples. (Thank you Matt State)

What advice do you give to people thinking about making the change, both in fitness and food.

Surround yourself with good people that will encourage and support you in the journey. That’s what CrossFit Templar did for me.  Never give up, always push yourself and keep making gains.

Thank you to all the great athletes and coaches at Crossfit Templar, for pushing me every day and wanting me to be a better version of myself. You’ve changed my life.

 

Joe

 

Andy & Shannon V.

In January, 2013, our lives changed as we began a journey that we dreamed about but never expected…

I have struggled with weight my entire life. In high school, I was athletic and in shape but felt fat around the “skinny” girls that surrounded me on a daily basis. After high school and the sports stopped, my weight became more of an issue. I would go from gaining weight to not eating enough and exercising excessively. My weight would go up and down for several years until it just kept going up. After my second child, I was at my heaviest, 296 pounds. I felt hopeless and looked to gastric bypass surgery as my solution. It was a solution…temporarily. I got down to 145 pounds and fit into a size 6. I thought I was happy eating less than 1000 calories a day and going to the gym on a daily basis. That didn’t last long…10 years later I was creeping my way back to where I was pre- surgery as I stepped on the scale and it read 255 pounds…

Early in 2012, my brother Keith began ranting left and right about his newest fitness fad…something called Crossfit. He began posting recipes that had no sugar, grain, dairy and, as far as I was concerned…flavor. I mean, really, brownies with no sugar…no flour? I cringed at the thought and teased him frequently about it.

Fast forward 6 months…my brother visited us and I see first hand what this “fad” has done. He was fit, happy and confident. To be honest, I had been secretly looking into it, but was scared to death to even fathom the idea of walking into one of these…boxes??? During his visit, my brother convinces us how great Crossfit would be for our son, Dalton and his soccer game. Dalton is a soccer goalie and soccer is his one and only sport. While we agreed that this type of training would be great for his soccer game, we didn't seriously consider it until a couple of weeks later. My brother messaged me after he attended a Crossfit Kids certification where he happened to run into Teri Lynn from Templar. After talking with her for a while, she convinced me to at least look into it.

Dalton wanted nothing to do with it. I had to force him to go and watch a class (which Gretchen invited him to join and he declined). A couple of days later, he agreed to “try” a class…he was hooked. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Dalton attended the Crossfit Teens classes at Templar which Andy and I came along to watch with pride. Dalton was a quick learner and, since he has both of our competitiveness, it seemed like a perfect fit for him. Little did we know, Andy and I were both slowly becoming addicted to Crossfit as well.

Jump forward 2 months…January, 2013. A new year, a new start, a new way of life had begun. We both began Crossfitting 3 days a week. Our bodies had never hurt so much, but we had never enjoyed exercising as much as we were. As shocked as we were by how much we loved the classes and the soreness, we were astonished by the people surrounding us. My brother had kept telling me, “Crossfit is more about community than it is the workouts”, but until I was fully submersed in exhaustion doing step ups on a 12 inch box and push ups from my knees with Swan sitting on her box (since she finished her WOD several minutes earlier) cheering me on that I understood what he meant. It wasn't my competitiveness or my desire to be fit that kept me going until I finished that WOD, it was Swan. Instances like this repeated itself over and over again during the next few months and we were truly hooked.

Andy and I were both athletes growing up. I played soccer, basketball and softball. Andy played competitive tennis. We were both competitive in everything we did…sports, board games, work…you name it, we wanted to be the best at it. While we certainly were NOT the best at anything when we started at Templar, we found those few things we felt confident with and worked even harder to become better. We slowly began changing our diet as we continued our journey. I was lucky enough to have a knack for cooking (part of the reason I weighed close to 250 pounds) and this new Paleo lifestyle challenged me to make some of our favorite meals, healthy and tasty. Also having the talent of photography helped me showcase my meals and recipes on Templar’s nutrition page on Facebook. Soon after, my good friend Paul Nobles Jr. began his Eat To Perform site and asked me to do a recipe blog. That recipe blog soon turned into a self therapy blog for myself and helped me face a lot of demons that I discovered many people shared.

About 9 months after starting Crossfit, I participated in my first Paleo challenge. Andy had shoulder surgery on the first day of the challenge, so although he wasn’t an official Paleo challenger, he was also participating since he was eating what I was making. I felt great after that first horrid week and the 7 weeks following. I lost about 13 pounds (down to about 205 lbs) but didn’t win the challenge. My competitive side wasn’t happy about that, but I got over it.

Andy was out of Crossfit for about 6 months after his shoulder surgery (injured from throwing a toilet into a dumpster, not Crossfit…) and his return to Crossfit was even more humbling than when we first began. His strength had diminished significantly and he was not happy about it. Luckily, the pressure of not going to Templar was worse than the humility of going.

Just as many do, we fell of the wagon for a few months as the summer of 2014 rolled around. Cold beer and not so healthy food crept their ways back into our lives. Needless to say, when we heard a Paleo challenge was starting in September, we were relieved! This is just what we needed to get back on track. That joyfulness was soon overshadowed by my memories of that first week of Paleo. Once again, it was a ROUGH first week, but we kept at it. We were strict Paleo for our first month, cutting out all sugar, grains, dairy and alcohol. We began introducing some dairy, rice and alcohol back into our lives and added some running in to our workout routine.

AndyShannon_After2Well, here we are…almost 2 years into our lifelong journey of fitness and health and we are both healthier and stronger than we have ever been. Since I joined Templar, I have lost 70 pounds but have gained so much more. I am confident, I am strong and I am healthy. I know that we have only begun our lifelong journey, but we are looking forward to this journey and spending it with the family we have gained at Templar.

We cannot thank Sean and Gretchen for all they have done for our family by letting us be a part of Crossfit Templar and Crossfit Templar Teens. To all of the coaches at Templar…you are amazing, each and every one of you! You have each played animportant role in our lives and we cannot thank you enough! To our Templar family…you are what keeps us going, physically and mentally. We know that all we need to do is show up for our WOD and you will take care of the rest.

“JOURNEY-The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn…”

Holly T.

6 months ago, I walked into Crossfit Templar for the first time and I was terrified. I looked around at all the athletes in the gym and was instantly in awe of the positive atmosphere and attitudes. Like most women, I couldn’t help but check out the brawny men and their big muscles, but what I was most immediately impressed with was that the WOMEN looked so fit and their arms were sculpted and strong. I wanted to be like them!

I was reluctant to start because I considered myself a FORMER athlete. When I was 10 years old, my dad starting running to quit smoking and soon he had the entire family signed up for every road race in the tri-state area. I competed in 5K’s and 10K’s almost every weekend as a kid, and running became a huge part of my identity throughout high school and college. My 2 favorite sporting achievements were competing in the State Cross Country meet as a 7th grader and then later qualifying for Nationals in Track & Field in the 400 and Long Jump in college.

After college I starting running marathons to stay in shape and could eat anything I wanted without ever gaining a pound. That is until P-day and D-day. P-day was pregnancy – my first pregnancy was with twins and I gained 75 pounds. Apparently I ate way too many pickles and ice cream. D-day was my divorce, which drastically changed my eating habits for the worse as well. Being a single mom of 3 kids all in different school and sporting activities, plus holding down a full time job gave me little time for meal prep or finding time for exercise. I made excuses to put my health and wellness on the backburner.

My workout routine the past few years has consisted of an occasional 30 minute jog with tons of sit-ups to get 6 pack abs. I was frustrated that I never seemed to get in shape or shed any pounds, and the only 6 pack I could see was sitting in the refrigerator next to the leftover pizza. I had heard that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. I was tired of the excuses and I wanted a change. A friend had told me about Crossfit and I checked it out online first. The success stories inspired me and I set up the free trial class to see what it was all about.

After day one, I was so sore I could barely walk upright for the next 3 days, but I loved it and I wanted more! It didn’t take long to start seeing results. The first couple of months I had to modify EVERYTHING and even though it was a bit embarrassing, everyone still encouraged me and I got the fist pumps and high fives just for finishing a workout without passing out.

When the Paleo challenge started, I was excited to see if changing my diet would bring even more results, and the fact that there was prize money at stake made it even more fun. Who couldn’t use some extra money around the holidays? I asked Sean what it would take to win the Paleo challenge and he said the most important thing was to be strict and stay consistent. I took that to heart and never had a cheat day, even while traveling for work. As the days passed, it became less about the competition and more about how great I was feeling. I had way more energy, was sleeping better and the pounds were starting to fall off. I started noticing my arms (formerly my bingo wings) were getting some definition and my old runners legs were slowly but surely making a comeback. I was able to RX my first WOD and could lift way more weight. I was pumped!

The best part was going back to the bodpod and finding out I had lost close to 10% body fat and gained a ton more muscle. I lost 20 pounds and took almost 3 minutes off my baseline workout in just 2 months. I have become a believer!! The Paleo diet is definitely my new lifestyle and I’m excited to continue to see the results. I know I’ll never see my name on the board or finish a wod first, but I do know that I’m improving myself every single day and that is enough for me. And I don’t have to call myself a FORMER athlete anymore. Thank you Crossfit Templar!

I also have to shout out to Gretchen who knew I wanted to do a pull up so badly – she challenged me to work on my pull-ups at least 3 times every time I entered the gym. TL gave me some great pointers and Jill D always took the time to encourage me and offer tips. I can now say that I can do at least 1 pull up unassisted!!! Woo hoo!! Thanks to all the trainers and athletes who have inspired and challenged me and to those of you who don’t think you can do Crossfit…think again! If I can do it, so can you. No more excuses.

 

I was 64 years old, overweight, and seriously out of shape.  My husband and I had lost three parents in a short period of time and so I was too familiar with nursing homes, end of life decisions, and quality of life issues.

Since turning 60, I had become more aware of my own decline in abilities.  I had more aches and pains, and getting up and going in the morning took longer.  I watched my friends getting older and dealing with serious health issues like diabetes and heart disease.

I was ready to make a commitment to my health, but I wasn’t sure that Crossfit was the right choice for me.  My kids had experienced success with Crossfit, but they were 20 years younger and more typical of the 20 to 40-something “fire-breathers” that seemed to dominate the Crossfit gyms.  How would I fit in?  What if I hurt myself?  Or worse, what if I made a complete fool of myself?  It wasn’t an easy decision, but my kids gave me a lot of encouragement and I decided to “just do it”.

There were many things I couldn’t do in the beginning.  Due to shoulder issues, I couldn’t do weight bearing exercises above my head.  I couldn’t do a push-up, couldn’t jump, and didn’t have much cardiac capacity.  But the coaches never focused on what I couldn’t do.  Instead, they focused on what I could do.  I could squat, I could do step-ups, I could run/walk and I practiced with a PVC pipe to improve mobility and form.  I was amazed at how fast my progress was.

At the end of my first month, I deadlifted 100 lbs., a feat which a few weeks before I would never have believed I could accomplish.  I was doing ½ pood kettle bell swings, about 18 lbs.   I managed a 45 lb. shoulder press, and a 45 lb. back squat.   And although at times I felt clumsy and unskilled, I never felt like I didn’t fit in.  Crossfit, it turns out, is made up of people of all ages, sizes, and abilities.

Fast forward to the present:

My body is in better condition now than it has been for 20 years.  For starters, I have more flexibility and range of motion.  Getting in and out of the car, reaching the top shelf of the cupboard, and even getting out of bed are all things that we take for granted when young, but become more difficult as we age.

Until I started Crossfit I didn’t fully understand the value of core muscles. Working on those muscles has improved my posture and my balance.  I feel like I have a foundation again to support my bones, my organs, and whatever else that needs support.  My midsection has shrunk 4” and I can see muscle definition.

When I started Crossfit I could barely hang on the bar, and now I’m doing pull-ups with a band.  I’ve progressed from doing weight lifts with a PVC pipe to doing a 70 lb. bench press and 155 lb. deadlift.  Having more muscle puts less strain on my joints, decreasing joint pain.  I have less stiffness in the morning because my muscles are used to being put to work at a moment’s notice.  I learned more about nutrition and giving my body what it needs to build muscle. Giving up processed foods and sugary sweets has increased my energy level, and eliminated the bloated, drugged feeling and cravings I used to experience at the end of the day.  A decrease in body fat along with muscle gain has made my skin smoother and tighter.

Life is full of surprises and for me Crossfit is one of them.  I’m an introvert and was worried that I wouldn’t feel comfortable in its type of environment.  But everyone has been so supportive and outright encouraging, that I thrive there.

At the beginning, I remember thinking there are a lot of workouts I might never be able to do, but not any more.  At Crossfit there’s always a way, and if I don’t have the muscle to do it today, I will next month or maybe the following month.  I am really looking forward to what I’m going to accomplish during the next year.  If one of my concerns about aging was maintaining independence (and it was), I’m moving in the right direction.

A few days ago, I read a quote on my Caribou coffee cup that totally sums it up for me:  Life is where “What if?” runs away with “Why not?”

Eric F.

Ever since moving to Minnesota 3 years ago my weight and body circumference had been
steadily increasing while my fitness levels were steadily decreasing. My job involves a lot of
sitting and driving and the sedentary nature of my day to day activities were catching up with me. When I was at home I felt like I never had enough energy to keep up with the kids and found myself spending more time watching the fun than getting involved in the action. I half-started a lot of different diets and workouts on my own at several local facilities, but to be honest I needed something different. I came to the realization that I either needed either a personal trainer or a fitness program that I would provide a little more motivation than I was able to generate on my own.

My wife told me about the new Crossfit Bootcamp being offered at Crossfit Templar in July as a way to introduce myself to the Crossfit program and to see if the morning classes were
something I could more consistently fit into my schedule. After several weeks of
procrastination I decided to give it a try and I haven’t looked back since. The first couple of
months were pretty tough. I had a hard time keeping up with others in class but I stayed
focused on my personal improvement. As my confidence increased, I decided to try the 60
day Paleo challenge in September to round out some of the healthy lifestyle changes I was
already making.

When I started the Paleo challenge I weighed in at 205.4lbs. 60 days later I could see and feel a dramatic difference in my body composition as I had lost over 12 lbs. My waist shrunk 2” and I was able to get into suits I hadn’t worn in 2 years. My physical fitness also improved dramatically as my baseline WOD time improved by over 2 minutes. I also saw a 5# increase in my shoulder press max and a 30# increase in my deadlift max. Most importantly, I feel good. As a matter of fact, I feel better than I have felt in years. We are eating healthier as a family and have incorporated the dietary changes we made during the Paleo challenge into our everyday routine. But what matters to me the most is that I have more energy during the day and I have more energy for my kids. During the last 5 months, I have made some great progress but I see this as simply the beginning of a new journey towards a more active and healthier lifestyle. A special thank you to TL who has challenged me both mentally and physically to work harder to achieve the results I have experienced thus far and to my Crossfit Bootcamp friends who through their hard work have inspired and motivated me over the last several months!

 

Before starting Crossfit, I was stuck in the rat race most get into… get sick of the way you look and feel… get a gym membership… hit it hard for a month or two… and then back to square one (it’s a vicious cycle).

During my honeymoon I weighed around 205 pounds. Years before that I remained pretty steady at that weight. Moving into 2013, I was traveling a lot for work and needless to say, when my travels were done, I weighed in at 220 pounds (my breaking point). It was here that I knew that I needed to change something since the rat race wasn’t working for me. That’s when I chose Crossfit.

It freaked the hell out of me since the only Crossfit I was used to was the stuff I saw on ESPN… you know… where the people are really amazing at everything and have the bodies of greek gods and goddesses. Even so, I gave it a shot anyways and the only regret I have was not starting sooner. The people here are amazing, very friendly, and the coaching staff is extremely knowledgeable. Towards the tail end of summer, after doing Crossfit for a few months, I was able to get back down around 205 pounds and got stuck at that weight…. again.

This is when I decided to do the paleo challenge. I knew my eating habits were next to horrible and that this challenge would help steer it in the right direction. I didn’t know a whole lot about paleo (still learning), but I knew I was going to be eating a lot of meat and veggies along with some fruit, which sounded pretty good to me. I hit it hard and stayed strict with it. I also kept it very simple; I didn’t get into calorie counts or anything like that, I just simply ate whenever I got hungry. I wanted to get used to this new, and much better, way of eating without over complicating it.

(Day 30)

I started the challenge weighing 206.136 pounds with 20.7% body fat (I thought I was sitting a little better than that, so this was a painful shot to the gut). Around day 30 is when I was really starting to feel better and notice physical differences. I was starting to see the beginnings of six pack which I haven’t had in years. At the end of the 60 day challenge I weighed 185.865 pounds with 12.9% body fat. On top of the weight loss, my strength and endurance was increasing a lot. I’m lifting more and am able to make it through the workouts without completing gassing out (bonus). The paleo challenge
is definitely a life changer and I’m totally looking forward to sticking with it and seeing what awesome results will come in the future. Thanks Templar!

(Day 60)

This is Spider. She won the Paleo Challenge, lost 24#, put on lean muscle mass, has an Rx’ed Angie (100 Pull-ups, 100 Push-ups, 100 Sit-ups 100 Squats) time of 34:41 and will climb up, jump on, lift up and run around anything we tell her to. This is her on the path to wellness. This is her doing weighted Pull-ups. THIS CAN BE YOU! THIS IS DOABLE! GET YOUR NUTRITION IN ORDER!

A message from Heather -

....I can not even tell you how much I love CrossFit and your gym community......you have made me into someone I never thought I was or ever could be.........a competitive ATHLETE.....and all around stronger person......I still can not believe what I am able to do when 14 months ago I did nothing and nothing the 20 years before that.....so on those days I feel like I suck compared to others I just take a step back and look how far I've come......so thankful I found something that is working for me!

--Heather

Day 17 of 100% paleo.....watch out people I am back!! I do not need ice cream to survive!! Ice cream is my cocaine!

CrossFit has been a fantastic journey for me since starting in December of 2011. I've drastically changed my body composition while losing weight and adding strength. More importantly, I've met great people that have evolved into a support system that I hadn't previously experienced before. We're like an extended family or team. At times we may compete against one another but at the end of the day we root for each other to be better than yesterday. New accomplishments are a regular occurrence for us all.

Some personal milestones to note include dropping 25 lbs in two months and maintaining that loss for seven months while adding lean muscle. An example of pure strength gains include increasing my max deadlift well over 100 lbs in six months. In addition, I wasn't able to do an unassisted pull up at my first workout and four months later I did 36 consecutive pull ups. I now could exceed 50 consecutive pull ups as I'm more confident than ever before. I have really enjoyed learning the proper OLY lifting techniques as it has helped me move more weight than I ever imagined. My endurance, recovery and most importantly my mental toughness is at an all time high too. Lessons learned...nothing worth doing is ever easy so eat right, rest right, believe in yourself, listen to Sean and his training staff and you will succeed.

 

 

 

My Journey

The Paleo Challenge at Crossfit Templar began on 10/13/12 and the choices were simple, 3 months or 6 months?  You would BodPod at the beginning and the end and you would complete a benchmark Crossfit Total and a benchmark WOD that would each be re-tested at the end of the time period.  No food journals, just eating Paleo and working out.  The only other stipulation was the first 30 days were to be Whole30 approved (so really strict!).

It was really a no-brainer for me to get involved in the challenge, as I had been eating Paleo since January 2012, when I first started Crossfit, and I decided to give it the full 6 months.  I was not necessarily in the challenge to win, but to give myself a reason to stay on track and see what I could achieve during that time.

I decided to set a few goals after the first BodPod on 10/13 when I weighed in at 200.967 lbs, 9.1% body fat, and fat free weight of 182.611 lbs (I am 6 ft 3 inches tall).  It was my first experience in a BodPod for body fat testing, with my only previous experience being caliper testing (not overly accurate in my opinion).  I was surprised by the body fat reading of 9.1%, as I thought it would be higher than that.  With that said, I now had some targets for the end of the challenge:  Gain 10 pounds and lose 1% body fat.  I knew it would be tough and I would have to change some things, but I was up for the challenge and I will tell you the results and how I got to them shortly.  First though, I need to give a bit of background on myself.

I was always active and involved in sports growing up.  As a kid, I played football, baseball and ran track.  Once I got to high school, my sports became just football and track, as I was never all that good at baseball.  I was fortunate to receive a full-ride scholarship to play football at the University of Kentucky where I was a 4 year letterman and 2 year starter at tight end.  During this time, my weight fluctuated between 240-245 (in-season) and 250-260 (during the off-season).  The concept at the time was pretty simple, eat anything and everything, workout, and play football year-round.

After five years of college football, and 12 years of football prior to that, I was pretty burned out on weight lifting and football in general.  I ended up taking about a year off of physical activity, but continued to eat like I was playing football.  My weight fluctuated between 230 and 240 pounds, which included less muscle and more fat than my playing days.  Over the course of the next 3-4 years, it was an on-again, off-again cycle of exercise and eating “healthy” (or at least what I thought was healthy).  I would start a routine, continue for a few months, and then “get busy” and stop.  Part of the problem was finding something that I enjoyed doing, while also not having any competitive reason for going through the routines.  During this time, my weight would go down as low as 220 lbs, while creeping back to 230-235lbs during the “off” times.

Finally, in 2009, I found something that kept my interest, Boxing.  I had the pleasure of meeting a former professional boxer by the name of Gerald Reed, who trains MMA fighters and boxers.  My wife and I began working out with him one day a week personally, and then took two “Boot Camp” type classes per week with him at the local globo gym.  I loved the high-intensity, tough workouts that he created and it seemed to constantly change each time.  I never actually boxed another person, but hitting the pads and flipping tires was a blast.  I continued this type of training for about a year and half before making a move north to Minnesota for work.  At that time, my weight was steady around 220 lbs.

When I arrived in Minnesota in the winter of 2010, I no longer had a trainer or program to follow, so I joined the local globo gym and started participating in some boxing classes they offered a few days a week.  I never touched a weight while I was a member of the gym, and I was not consistent with even going to the gym.  As my wife and I sat in our house on a cold snowy day in December 2011, we watched the Crossfit Games replay on ESPN 2.  We had briefly heard of Crossfit in the past, but it looked like the exact thing we needed to get back on track.  In January of 2012, we found the closest box to us, Crossfit Templar, and began a journey that is still going strong today.

When I first entered the Crossfit box, I was humbled.  My weight was actually the lowest it had been since high school at 215 lbs, but I hadn’t lifted a weight in about 2 years, so there was not a lot of muscle in the 215lbs.  I couldn’t lift more than a PVC for overhead squats, I needed a band for pull-ups and ring dips, and I was out of breath after the warm-up.  I also nearly broke my neck trying to do a handstand against the wall, but I was hooked!  The other thing that happened right from the start was a decision to commit to Paleo and change our lifestyle.  Both my wife and I made a full commitment and we cleaned out the pantry and refrigerator to eliminate non-Paleo foods.

It took me a few months to start RX’ing some workouts, but I was losing weight and feeling good.  Over the next 9 months, I was able to drop about 15 pounds down to the BodPod weight of around 201 pounds.  I was eating Paleo consistently, but I knew there were some changes that needed to be made moving forward.

This brings us to the 6 month Paleo Challenge…

I will focus mainly on what I changed during the challenge, along with some aspects that I feel were important.  I will also provide what an average day looks like in terms of eating.

The first thing I knew that needed to change was to increase my protein intake.  Prior to the challenge, my afternoon snack would consist of a Lara Bar or an apple or some nuts.  In addition, my post-workout food consisted of eating 5 or 6 prunes and that was it.  To change it up, I began using Progenex Recovery, post-workout, mixing it with 12 oz of Coconut Water.  For the afternoon snack, I began eating half of an Avocado along with a can of Wild Planet Pink Salmon.  On my off-days, I would occasionally substitute a Progenex More Muscle Protein shake mixed with water and a handful of cashews or macadamia nuts.

I was doing a decent job the rest of the day in that I was eating protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner, however, I did decide to increase my egg intake for breakfast from 2 eggs to around 4 or 5.  I also began drinking homemade Bone Broth; first in the morning, then I changed it to right before bed.  Not sure if the time of day makes a difference, but it worked out better for me before bed.

In order to make sure I was getting enough protein and fats, I spent a little time toying with the Zone prescription, but never really followed it exclusively.  I really just took the 5 block approach for my snack and each meal to ensure I was getting enough protein and fat at those meals.  On most occasions, Dinner was well above the 5 blocks for both protein and fat.

In addition to the increased protein consumption, I also knew that my carb intake was too low.  For the first 9 months of Crossfit and eating Paleo, I was not really getting enough non-vegetable carbs.  I dropped body weight during that time and I increased my work capacity, but I felt tired in longer workouts and knew that I was not optimizing my performance.  I added starchy carbohydrates for dinner, which basically consisted of Sweet Potatoes, and more recently Sticky White Rice.  I will say that my carb intake is probably not as high as it needs to be, but I was still able to get good results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I almost exclusively eat grass-fed meats, free-range chicken and eggs, and organic vegetables.  I also try to buy locally for these items.  My reliance on supplements is pretty minimal.  I take some fish oil in the morning, along with a Vitamin D supplement and a multi-vitamin.  Aside from those, the protein shakes are the only other supplements that I use.

Aside from the details of what I ate, I think the biggest part for me was the consistency.  By no means was I eating strictly Paleo all the time, as I would occasionally indulge in some Pizza, some Ice Cream, some alcohol, etc.  However, I made sure to keep it a once in a while thing, and tried not to over-indulge.  In addition, I did not let it affect me the next day, as I would just go right back to my normal eating routine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consistency played a major role from a diet standpoint, but it was even more important with Crossfit.  I was consistent with Crossfitting 4 or 5 days per week, depending on how my body felt, but more importantly I was consistent in holding myself to the movement standards of the WOD.  I had no problem no repping myself if I didn’t meet the range of motion standards even if that meant it took me much longer to finish a WOD.  I also worked to improve my technique.  Overall, I think this helped lead to better gains and better performance over the course of the challenge.

 

 

In the end, a consistent approach to diet and Crossfit led to the following during the 6 month challenge:

• Body Weight increase from 200.967 lbs to 213.517 lbs
• Body fat decrease from 9.1% to 7.1%
• Muscle gain of 15.732 lbs
• Increased Crossfit Total by 75 lbs
• Decreased benchmark WOD time by 23%

I am looking forward to what the next 6 months will bring…

 

 

A note from Matt -

Hi Sean........I basically did a Day 1, Day 30, Day 60, Day 90, and a 10 month (Day 300) from this weekend. The first 90 days I was strict Paleo and since then I've been about 90% Paleo. It's been a great journey so far and I'm looking forward to the next 300 days - I still have a lot to improve on! ~Matt D.

DAY 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 60

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 300

I spent the good majority of 2011 going from over 31% Body Fat (my Body Fat was actually higher but I did not have the will to get it tested at that point) to 9% Body Fat but there are a couple of interesting things about that journey.  I stalled at about 20%, this was eating Paleo and exercising, the missing component was muscle.  After joining Crossfit my strength exploded I went from never lifting in my life to having a Deadlift PR of 385.  From July to December I gained 10 pounds of muscle and lost 12 pounds.  Something like that does not happen without a plan but I had a plan before Crossfit, so it's easy to identify what was the missing component.  Additionally I began lifting on my own a couple of months prior to joining Crossfit Templar but with bad form and bad technique I got bad results (go figure).

Now that I get to look back on that journey there was a lot of trial and error.  Today there is a level of contentment because I know that if I eat mostly whole foods and show up and do the work the coaches tell me to do I will improve.  My gains are much more gradual and I now have a passion for lifting that has been an interesting discovery.  Last year I chased numbers, today I chase performance and that's the right approach for me.  I am not the gym fire breather and while I am competitive the actual competition is with myself.  Certainly I am motivated by the people in the gym because I am not going to give a poor effort when everyone else is giving all they got.

Lastly I would like to say that I travel quite a bit and when I travel I usually visit Crossfit facilities.  I typically perform very well because at Crossfit Templar our gym is established, the programming is designed for the best athletes and we modify from there.  That is the example that is set for all of us and while I might not be one of those athletes now I am at least shooting for the correct goal.

Today my fitness journey ended exactly one year after my first BodPod, the final tally was 9.1%. While that wraps this up with a nice little bow I think the thing I am most looking forward to is just being able to move into my next phase of health and fitness. Clearly this year was a very measured approach, next year will be much more deliberate, less measuring and more enjoying the journey.