SISU Transformation Athlete: Emily T.
About Emily
I am an 8th grade math teacher and have been teaching middle school for six years and taught elementary for three. I have one sister who is 4 years older than me and is currently pregnant so I am about to be an aunt! 🙂 I really enjoy staying active by going to the gym, biking, running, and playing golf. Growing up, I was always involved in sports. My main focus quickly became playing soccer and basketball. I played both sports in high school but decided not to play in college. During my college years, I had a hard time prioritizing fitness and gained quite a bit of weight my senior year which I struggled to eventually lose and keep off.
Finding SISU
I started coming to SISU in October 2017. A friend and I were invited to come to a SISU-X class, and we were both terrified because we had never done Crossfit before. Our idea of a workout was a Sculpt Yoga class at CorePower. It was a really hard workout on a super humid day so I felt like I was going to die by the end of it! But after it was over, everyone congratulated each other, and I was hooked on the sense of community I experienced. I loved the challenge of the workouts, the welcoming environment and the amazing coaches!
Struggle for Confidence & Balance
I’ve struggled with my self-esteem and confidence throughout my entire life. I never felt good enough and always put myself down. I really started to struggle with my weight after college because it would fluctuate depending on my diet and my fitness level. I hit a real low, though, when I ruptured my Achilles in March 2018. I was always a super active person and the thought of not being able to do everything I loved to do was hard. I gave up completely on any healthy eating habits and working out was not exactly an option. With that injury, I gained about 20 pounds and lost all motivation to work out again. But after slowly coming back to SISU, I was surrounded by so many people who were strong, confident and motivating. Eventually, I finally felt like I deserved to feel that way about myself too.
Ready for Transformation
After I was completely healed from my injury and started getting back to the gym regularly, I decided I was ready to improve my nutrition habits. I knew I was going to need help losing weight and becoming more successful at the gym. I started the SISU Nutrition program with the idea that carbs were bad and thinking that I had a pretty good idea of what healthy eating looked like. I soon found out that carbs were an essential part of my nutrition and that I needed to rethink my eating habits. Coach Christina was so helpful in teaching me how to eat to fuel my body, and she was extremely motivating in helping me stay on track! I am forever grateful to her for the encouragement throughout the process and for helping me find the confidence I never had in myself. Now, I know how to keep my weight where I want it to be and how to sustain proper nutrition.
A New Perspective
The nutrition program has provided me with the tools I need to sustain a healthy weight and continue to keep up with my healthy eating habits. I now have a new-found confidence in myself and my body. For the first time in my life, I have a body that I am confident in, and I have a positive outlook on a sustainable fitness routine.
What You Need To Know
Trust the process. It is really hard at the beginning when you first start tracking your food, but I promise it gets easier! You might not see the results right away, but stick with it and you will be pleasantly surprised by how far you’ve come!
Moving Forward
I have implemented healthy habits throughout my nutrition journey that will be easy to maintain now that I have created these habits. This new feeling of confidence is extremely satisfying, and it helps me strive to be a better version of myself every day! I also feel support and encouragement at the gym that will help me stay motivated to continue my healthy habits. The nutrition program has completely changed my lifestyle for the better and I am so thankful for it!