The Genesis Experience written by William Albritton
I will make this intro paragraph brief because I want to jump right to the heart of this post and the amazing individuals discussed herein. I along with two local physicians, Ernie Garcia and Sam Bledsoe, were given 8 weeks to put together a program that would transform the lifestyle via fitness and nutrition of 6 individuals. The participants had already lost of ton of weight (almost literally) but all had reached a plateau. One in particular lost 100 lbs in 12 months but only lost 5 in the last 6 months. These folks had tried every type of new diet and fitness routine on the market but could not get the extra weight to come off. So two doctors and a CrossFit coach put together an 8 week program incorporating a Paleo lifestyle and CrossFit. We could not have done it without the help of fitness and nutrition coaches Trayce, Lisa and Shelley. The tangible results were phenomenal! Read more about these at the end of the post. But first, I want you to hear about how the folks made a conscious decision to take control of their lives. I can’t imagine the courage it takes to walk into a CrossFit gym knowing you are unable to run 100m or have not weighed less than 200 lbs since 5th grade. Experiencing these individual’s bravery, dedication, trust and tenacity is one of the most inspirational experiences I have been a part. The 8 week program has come to be called the Genesis Experience. The rest of this post includes the words of five of the participants: Francis, Houston, Ferrell, Julie and Heather.
I include these comments not to toot CFA’s horn, but because it speaks volumes to the type of people and community at CFA…welcoming, encouraging, fun and supportive.
Francis says “I have had the opportunity to participate in a journey of a life change”. In 8 weeks, Francis lost 8 inches from her waist. She contributes this “not to the way I eat, but what I eat.” Francis didn’t know what she was getting into. She says “Little did I know that I was going to make the biggest lifestyle change ever. Now granted, I still struggle with my WOD’s, but compared to where I was day 1, I have come a long way baby! As I say in my Christian walk, it applies to my WODs: I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I was. I have met and sweated with some amazing and awesome people! I need the connection as well the encouragement I get from the team. This keeps me motivated to keep pressing on towards my destination.
After we introduced Ferrell to the new lifestyle, he says “I went home and did some soul searching and decided to go with it”. Ferrell says “the friendship and camaraderie has been wonderful. I have been pushed when I was ready to quit and I hope I returned the favor to the class. The family unit of helping each other pushes the most out of us. I could not do 200 meters without stopping, now I can do a ½ mile. This may not seem like much to some, but for me, it’s a milestone.”
Heather says “I have accomplished more physically in the past eight weeks than I ever thought possible for me. Being physically healthy is truly about discipline and mind over matter. I have learned that I am a lot mentally stronger than I thought. I have realized through this process that my mind wants to give up long before my body does. This revelation alone has been extremely powerful for me. Lisa Lauve shared with us at the beginning of one of the workouts, “Embrace the suck of the workout.” This really stuck with me and helped me through some of the extremely hard workouts. Even though Crossfit is hard physically and mentally, embracing the hardness of it makes it easier, exciting, and more fun. I have arm definition for the first time in my life! I can get up off the floor without using my hands! I can run without feeling like dying! I can dead lift 65 pounds. And I have finally gotten to the point where I can do a “girl pushup”! I have never been able to do that before. It is amazing how much can change in a person’s life in eight weeks. I have met amazing people that have encouraged me, equipped me, and challenged me. I have laughed and I have cried. I have grown physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually through this process.”
Julie said “I talked to my doctor about my frustration with my weight-loss plateau. I went to him, searching for answers that I didn’t have. I’ve done the things that I think I should be doing, and I’ve hit a brick wall (or a mountain, as some say). As a matter of fact, I keep hitting that same brick wall, with the same result again and again.” Julie’s doctor gave her “this shiny, new ‘toolbox’ called Paleo & CrossFit”. Julie said “It looked very intimidating, but going back and hitting that brick wall again was not an option for me.” This is what Julie had to say at the conclusion of the 8 weeks: “I’ve worked extremely hard, and I’ve done a good job. I’ve seen positive results: greater strength, greater stamina and endurance, greater mobility, better and steady energy (not high-low energy spikes), greater mental focus….and by the way, I’ve dropped two dress sizes this 8-weeks. Not too shabby, eh?”
Houston wrote us a note that was just too good to edit. So I’m going to ask that you follow this link to to PaleolithicMD to read Houston’s story along with some measurable results from the Genesis Experience.
We are excited for the next group that will start the Genesis Experience on October 1!
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Ok.. If that doesn’t make you proud of our gym nothing will! Congratulations to the first Genesis Group! What amazing stories and courageous individuals. I absolutely loved being just a little part of their journey. Great job guys.
Bravo to all participants, coaches, doctors and the entire CFA community! Indeed, I am proud of all of you and all we do! I hope the core group will come back to support and encourage future groups – and the rest of us!!
Great job guys!! Your stories are such an inspiration! Congratulations to you all!
Awesome oppurtunity to work with some amazing people.The dedication that each one of these people showed was so inspiring. Keep up the good work!
This group was truly inspirational. It took a lot of courage for them to walk into Crossfit. Now, they are Crossfit regulars and looking for ways to give back to people who are in the same position. The CFA community has to be the most accepting and motivating gym on the planet. I saw so many people offering words of encouragement. Thanks to Trayce, Shelly, and Lisa for taking on this challenge. It wouldn’t have been possible without your efforts. Thanks especially to William for catching the vision of making Crossfit accessible to people who wouldn’t be a typical Crossfit clientele. I’m proud to be a part of CFA. Plan on seeing more groups just like this one in the near future.