SISU Tranformation: Kari Kallhoff
About Kari
I’m a huge food nerd! I’m always watching food-related shows, reading about food, or cooking/baking. If I didn’t have a career in marketing, I think I’d do something with food. My 2021 goal is to grow more of my own food than I purchase. I’m currently trying to talk the hubs into plotting out a big garden for next summer. Oh, and getting chickens! Aside from all the food, I love to travel and just spend time with my husband, our two girls, and two dogs.
Finding SISU
I’ve been coming to SISU for about a year. My husband Jesse rode his bike by on the trail one day and stopped in to see what it was all about, came home, and asked if I wanted to try a class the next day. I said yes without any idea what Crossfit was about so that first class was pretty brutal, but I loved it and was hooked.
Ready for a Change
When we first started coming to SISU, I was holding onto weight after having our younger daughter. I wouldn’t say that I was super unhappy with how I looked but I was resigned to the fact that I couldn’t change at age 36/37 and that this was just how I was going to look. I had kind of given up on getting back to my pre-pregnancy size. After figuring out how to stay consistent with exercise thanks to SISU, I started to see some physical changes which got me curious about the nutrition piece.
Steps Toward Transformation
Consistency with my workouts came first. I had always been a casual fitness-er prior to SISU. I would just sort of go to the gym or maybe for a run here and there as my schedule allowed but there were some stretches where I wouldn’t step foot in the gym for months at a time. When we started going to SISU, there was a new level of accountability because the coaches actually notice when you aren’t showing up! Eventually, I found a routine that worked well, and now I go at least 5 days a week. The thing that helped me finally reach my goal was the SISU Nutrition program. The biggest eye-opener was dietary fat. I had no idea how much fat I was consuming in a day prior to counting macros. I always thought, “this is a healthy fat!” and paid no attention to how much I was consuming.
A New Perspective
I just feel really awesome now! Someone told me a few weeks ago that I was looking strong and that is not a word anyone has ever used to describe me before, so it felt AWESOME! I’m so inspired by all of the members of the SISU community, especially the super-strong, encouraging and kick-ass women, and I’m excited to keep working, setting new goals, and hopefully, I can come within reach of their athleticism someday.
Looking Ahead
I’m definitely going to keep counting macros. It’s easy to do and has made such a big difference in how I feel. I’m excited to see where I’ll be in another 6 months!
For anyone considering starting a fitness and nutrition transformation, my best advice is simply to stay consistent and be patient!