I am from Arizona and I am the oldest of ten kids. I love being physically active and I like a good challenge. I enjoy going for walks, hiking, and being with family and friends. I also enjoy art, a variety of music, and read when I can. I am currently a track and field athlete and I am majoring in Sport and Exercise Science. I am passionate about health and fitness, and my goal is to start a career where I can help people reach their goals and live their lives to the fullest.
While I had a lot of knowledge about health and wellness before I started with CSF, I was still stumped with my own problems in my fitness journey. Even with all of the knowledge from my studies and interest in health as a career, I struggled with the following:
– hitting protein goals consistently
– negative self talk and feeling guilty when I did not hit my goals
– not always grocery shopping or meal prepping to set myself up for the week
– body image issues and lack of self-confidence
Before CSF I tried tracking on my own, and even was given specific grocery lists to hit my target calories and macros. The result was a negative relationship with tracking and the feeling that I was always falling short. I received conflicting advice on what to eat, what not to eat, etc. Overall this resulted in a bad relationship with tracking food and failure to change.
I knew that I needed to eat specific amounts of protein, but everyday it felt like a struggle to eat enough without accidentally eating in a surplus. Then, I would beat myself up for missing the mark. I was frustrated with grocery shopping and meal prepping. I felt like I was out of control often because my behaviors were not lining up with my goals. I was frustrated because I “knew better” than to be making the decisions that I was making. This internal struggle led to more negative self talk and seeped into my perceptions of my physical appearance. I would often tie my self worth to what my body looked like and would compare myself to current beauty standards. I was very insecure about this and I wondered how I could advise others in a future career in fitness if I didn’t know how to properly take care of myself?
What was different when I started with CSF was the accountability and support I received from my coaches and the CSF community. Before, I felt like I had to do everything on my own and I felt very alone. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to put in the work, but it’s so much better when you have a support system who share your goals and vision.
CSF did an in-depth analysis of what I needed, taking into account my history, my current state, and my future goals. This was the first sign to me that CSF knew what they were doing. Instead of slapping on a “one size fits all” approach, they collaborated with me on what the game plan was based on my goals. The coaches at CSF understand human behavior very well, and they empower their clients to be able to make their own decisions.
The moment I realized that CSF was actually working to solve my problem was when I messed up one day and made a poor food choice. When I reached out to my main coach to let her know, I was expecting some sort of reprimand. Not because anything that my coach had said before, but because my internal narrative was so negative and harsh when making mistakes. I came to realize that this is what often prevented me from reaching my goals within fitness and within my sport. Instead of a reprimand, she replied that it is absolutely okay to have dessert every once in a while and gave a helpful tip on how to enjoy what we love without going overboard. I realized that before I was taking the all-or-nothing approach instead of a sustainable one.
Throughout this journey I have not only made changes to my body composition, but also to my mental composition. In other words, my outlook on life has also changed. I feel more resilient both physically and mentally. I feel much more in control; like I can truly take on any challenge or problem that life throws at me. I am able to enjoy treats and fun foods without the internal narrative that it is “bad” and without derailing all progress so far. My life feels more free as I have developed more self-awareness around my behaviors. I understand that health is always a work in progress and that we are never static.
3 specific things I have learned while working with CSF:
1. Consistency over intensity. Working with CSF has helped me realize that it is truly a long-term game. This means showing up consistently and putting in the effort you can for that day. I will continue to use this principle in all areas of my life, because one should never underestimate the power of doing the small things consistently.
2. Planning ahead. Meal prepping was something I never did before if I am being honest, I am still working on it because it is a skill. However, this has been one of the keys to my success.
3. Social support is key. Sometimes you can have all the knowledge, all of the data, all of the studies, and technically “know what to do”, but I was missing a very important link before I started working with CSF; accountability. With Copper State Fit, it is not what they do, but how they do it that makes all the difference. CSF is there to support you in any way they can, but they are also there to keep you accountable and remind you that the power is in your hands to make a difference.
Here are some of the wins that have happened while working with CSF:
– recovered from a sprained ankle
– increased my pullups, dips, and bench press numbers
– lost 10 pounds and roughly 4% body fat
– improved my sprinting technique
– increased overall strength, balance, and power
– ran a 5K
– learned how to meal prep to fuel my body
-I’ve become stronger, faster, and more resilient to physical stressors as well as mental challenges.
Knowing myself, I think I would still be trying to figure it out, but it would be a much slower process. With CSF there is 100% focus on the present, but they always have a plan and are just waiting for you to be ready for the next step. (: In other words, I would probably have fallen off the wagon and not achieved my initial goal without the support I received. CSF helped me to be patient with the process of change and with myself.
If you are considering CSF, but you are on the fence about it, ask yourself this: “What will my life look like in 10 years if I don’t make this change?” I can sit around and tell you that the investment is worth it, that CSF is a business of integrity and that they put their clients first, but you will just have to work with them and see for yourself. Even as a college student with limited funds, investing in my health has been one of the smartest decisions I’ve made with my money, time, and effort. People spend hundreds of dollars and countless hours on entertainment, fast food, clothes, distractions etc., yet when it comes to our own health, we don’t want to expend any of those resources. Which is silly because a lot of those things we spend money on leave us feeling empty. In addition to the achievements I listed above, I have also seen differences in my energy, sleep, digestion, self-confidence, and the list goes on. Investing in your health pays you back in ways that are priceless.
CSF is continuously learning and making the experience better for their clients. CSF provides the tools you need for your fitness journey, whatever it may be. They truly live by their values and want you to be your best self.
