SISU Transformation: Chris Mitchell
ABOUT ME
I am married to an awesome hubby, John, and have two grown children. I just celebrated a “big birthday” recently and cannot believe I am 50yrs. old. Although I do have to say that I don’t feel like 50, thanks to CrossFit and endurance sports. I was a stay-at-home mom when my kids were young and am now a domestic engineer and keep things running smoothly at home. I also volunteer at Can Do Canines and Paws and Claws animal shelter a couple days a week. I started swimming in junior high and competed through high school. My first taste of endurance sports was a local sprint triathlon I did when I was about 16. I even had to borrow a bike to compete!!! Fast forward just a “few” years, and it’s crazy how much of an impact that triathlon has had on my/our lives!! Now I am a two-time Ironman, as is my hubby. And in 2016, our daughter took the leap with me and is also an Ironman. Our son is an avid outdoorsman and prefers to watch our “crazy” from the sidelines. Outside of any fitness activities, I love to shop, bake, travel, work on projects, spend time outdoors and at our cabin up north, and get together with friends.
FINDING SISU
John and I have been into fitness pretty much our whole lives. We did Boot Camp at Lifetime for several years with an amazing trainer and were in the best shape of our lives. Way back then, our trainer planted a seed about this new fitness craze that was on the rise, which happened to be CrossFit. We took a break from boot camp and started doing triathlons and endurance races, always looking for another fun challenge. Fast forward a few years and I started at SISU in January 2013, and almost quit after my first month, thinking that this “olympic lifting thing” was not for me. Thankfully (owner) Pat “talked me off the ledge”, and I am so thankful for that……and it’s been almost 6 years now!
READY FOR A CHANGE
I had put on a few extra pounds over the last couple years and was just not happy with how I looked and felt. It wasn’t that I was not working out. Simply put, I was just not being at all conscious of what I was eating. In reality, you can work out 10 hours a day…….but if you don’t pay attention to what you’re putting in your mouth, it won’t matter. I have learned and am a firm believer that, abs are made in the kitchen….not in the gym. I had seen the amazing transformations that others at SISU had gone through and decided that it was time.
DIALING IN NUTRITION
To start my journey, I became best friends with the My Fitness Pal app and my kitchen scale. Weighing and measuring food was a must. It’s amazing what your perception of a “serving” is versus what it ACTUALLY is!!! I knew that if I wanted to be successful, I had to be diligent. I cut back on my “junk calories” and started making better choices about my meals and snacks. What I love about this program is that it’s not a diet….it’s a lifestyle. The hard part is realizing that the extra weight didn’t show up overnight, and it wasn’t going to come off in a week or two, either. Patience is a virtue.
OUTLOOK
Sometimes each of us just needs a little help once in a while. This program was just the help I needed. I have always loved anything fitness related. But working out even twice a day was not giving me the results I wanted, which is why I decided to start counting those macros! It’s amazing how my thinking towards what I eat has changed. And I firmly believe that when you eat better, you feel better. And truly, once I started eating better and making better food choices, the food I was eating actually started tasting better! An added bonus is that my workouts have gotten better and my runs have felt amazing since losing those extra pounds!
ENCOURAGEMENT
One of my all-time favorite quotes is…..”If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough”. Was it scary to try something new and change the way I was eating? Yes! But I was very frustrated with myself so I had to do something. Was it difficult at times? Absolutely! But Christina was so absolutely encouraging and supportive throughout the whole process. There is NO better person to have “in your court” when you need a little help. If you are struggling with a decision to do this program, just do it! A week, or a month, or six months from now, you’ll wish you had started today. I wished I had started months ago!!!
GOING FORWARD
I am going to continue to use the MFP app and continue logging my food as much as I can. I feel like it makes me accountable for what I eat and helps me be successful. And I love that I am not restricted from any food. If I want something, I can eat it. I just have to plan for it and count the macros. I am very thankful for all the help and support from Christina and the rest of the SISU community while doing the nutrition program. If you’re thinking about it, just do it.