Editor’s Note: I asked Jeff to share his story.  He’s one of our longtime members, a fantastic guy and teammate, and I wanted you all to hear from a strong male voice on this subject of body recomposition.  Congratulations on all of your hard work, Jeff!

Looking back to October 2011…  I was on my way to work, heading down Taylor Street towards Rte 2.  Coming up to the white building that never really caught my attention before, I noticed a group of men and women carrying weights along the road.  At that same time, I noticed the Woodshed sign.  I made sure that night on my way home to drive by real slow in order to get the name on the sign so I could look up the place online.  CrossFit Woodshed!  I was excited to tell my wife about it and she was excited to tell me all about crossfit.  She had some exposure to CrossFit New England while working with Lululemon Athletica.  At this time, I made the decision to send an email to get more information about joining.  I was 33 years old… lazy, overweight, and extremely out of shape.  I met Justin and decided it was time to make a change.

The excitement and positive attitude begin to change 2 months later towards the end of December.  I was constantly tired and sore.  I was questioning why I was putting myself through all this and wanted to quit.  It was this moment when everything really began to change for me.  I talked to my wife and then sat down with Justin to explain how I was feeling.  This was a big moment for me, I opened up and asked for help.  I didn’t want to fail.  Justin was great and basically said he could help if I was ready to listen.  The biggest thing I learned at that moment was no matter how hard you worked in the gym, it was all for naught if you weren’t taking care of yourself outside of the gym.  For me, I really needed to change the way I ate.

With the help of Justin and a group of other Woodshed members, we started our reclamation project Jan. 1st 2012.  We tracked what we ate and reported back to Justin each week.  And each week Justin would provide new instructions on what we needed to do.  We were getting precise measurements and the proper balance between protein, carbs, and quality fats.  I was extremely fortunate to have my wife help me out with all the food.  1 month in, I saw amazing results and had lost 10lbs. Most importantly, I didn’t feel like I was ‘on a diet’.  I was eating good food and I was enjoying it.  From there, I was losing 2lbs. per week and feeling great.  Come May, I had lost 45 lbs and couldn’t believe it.  The changes I made had become a reality and I haven’t looked back since.

Over a year later, I’m in the best shape of my life and doing things I never thought were possible.  I remember telling Justin when I first met him during my intro class that I didn’t like running.  Well, I can now say that I have run a 5K, finished the Tough Mudder, and completed my first sprint Triathlon.  I couldn’t be more proud and I look forward to competing in the future!