SISU Transformation: Leah Applin
About Leah
My name is Leah Applin, and I’m an elementary physical education teacher, which is my dream job. I am currently working on getting my Master’s degree to further my education. I have always had a passion for fitness and that came from my parents. Both of my parents were bodybuilders, and my dad was also a powerlifter. I was a competitive gymnast for twenty years and did gymnastics in college at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.
Finding SISU
I have been taking classes at SISU for about 5 months. I started coming to SISU because (SISU member) Jenny Lange recommended it to me, as she was also a college gymnast. I was always interested in CrossFit because it was a combination of gymnastics, Olympic lifting and metabolic conditioning. Furthermore, it was a great opportunity for me to continue to use gymnastics skills, which will always be my life. Lastly, I missed having a coach tell me what to do and help correct my movement. Having a community and a group of people around you while you are trying to reach your goals is an amazing feeling, and SISU seemed like the perfect fit for me.
Deciding to Make a Change
After college gymnastics was over, I lost myself for a while. My body was so shot from doing gymnastics for twenty years, and it needed a break. I was so used to training 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, and once that was gone, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I started gaining weight, stopped working out, and I was losing muscle. I was not happy with myself, and I started to lose self-confidence as well. I hit rock bottom and told myself that this lifestyle is not me and that it was time for a change. Once I joined SISU, I asked Christina right away about the nutrition program.
Dialing in Nutrition
I started to come to CrossFit at least 5 days a week and was very diligent about following the nutrition plan. Combining these two things have drastically changed my life. I can confidently say that I am the strongest I have ever been.
At first I didn’t think the nutrition program would work and didn’t think I would see results. I stuck with it, though, and after about the 3rd or 4th week, I started seeing drastic improvements to my body composition. Seeing these changes motivated me even more to keep challenging myself and continuing the process. I have gotten my self-confidence back and feel so much better during the day and have so much more energy.
Advice for Others
When you first start the journey, it can be very overwhelming and hard to switch your eating habits and log them in each week. After the first two weeks, it becomes second nature, and you will be so happy with the results that you get from this program!
Next Steps
I plan to keep logging in my food and doing CrossFit consistently. I couldn’t have done this process without (SISU Nutrition coach) Christina on my side! My goals going forward are to make it to CrossFit class at least 5 days a week and to build muscle and get stronger!