Tammy and I (& Mekenzie) after she finished as the Womens Leader in the CrossFit Total of 610# for a combined weight score from Backsquat, Press and Deadlift.
One of the joys I get to experience as a CrossFit Coach is watching others come into “their moment”. Tammy Gore is a client at CrossFit Texas and one of the most dedicated women out there! Dedicated to what you ask…. HERSELF, her health, her future! I have had the pleasure to watch Tammy’s transformation and realization of what she as a STRONG CrossFit women is capable of. I have seen Tammy come in everyday and every time she heard “3-2-1…GO” she took on the challenge of the day. I asked Tammy to be a guest on my blog to share her story, if you ever wanted to change but didn’t think you could do anything about your current situation…. WRONG. Please read her story and be inspired, I know I am.
I am what you would call an emotional eater. This means I eat when I am sad, eat when I am angry, eat when I am frustrated; even eat when I am bored. I need to eat to live. My problem is that I have always lived to eat.
I made excuses; convincing myself that I was happy with the way I was. It wasn’t until I visited my doctor in late summer of 2009 that I finally realized how out of control my weight was; I had reached 260 lbs and was being diagnosed with Diabetes. I would have to take medicine every day for the rest of my life. Having watched my grandmother go through a diabetic stroke, I knew it was time to take control of my life. The only question that remained was how.
I had the honor in putting together a health fair at my work in September. The last week of the fair, the owner of Crossfit Texas, Brannon Muska, along with two of his trainers talked to me about my health. The question that he posed was “what was I” willing to do to change my circumstances. I took that question very seriously. I had so much at stake and here was an opportunity to change my life once and for all.
He invited me out to watch an event at the Dell Diamond. Let me just say that I was completely intimidated. I had difficulty climbing the stairs without losing my breath. How would I ever be able to do the things I saw them do? He asked me to come to the gym the next week; he didn’t take no for an answer. He invested his time and effort. He showed me that I was capable of doing more than I had ever imagined. He proved that Crossfit does work.
Understand that along with exercise, you have to change your nutrition. I lost 30 lbs in the first 2 months only to gain back 17 lbs. I could see that exercise alone wouldn’t work. I started the 24 day challenge and on day 18 weighed in. I have lost 12lbs of what I had gained back along with 4 lbs of muscle. The energy I feel is outstanding. I am making better choices with food and learning to deal with life without eating binges. We recently had Crossfit totals and I took top female in back squats (225 lbs), press (100 lbs) and dead lift (285 lbs); this from a girl who only 6 months ago couldn’t walk to her car without breaking a sweat.
The best thing about Crossfit is not only what you lose, but about what you gain. I have gained a support group; a second family. It means that if I am having a rough day, I can text Shannon or Chanel and they will encourage me to stay strong. It means when I walk in the door of the gym, I am greeted by name with hugs and smiles. It means when I don’t think I can possibly take another step, someone will be there to encourage me and take that step with me. Come be a part of our family; come be a part of Crossfit!
God bless you,
Tammy Gore
Shannon Isbell 